Leigh · Greater Manchester
Crack stitching in Leigh
Got a crack you can slip a coin into? In Leigh, as anywhere, that is usually wide enough to justify stitching rather than filling, provided an engineer or surveyor agrees the wall has stopped moving.
Guide price from£75per metre of crack inc VAT
- Postcodes
- WN7
- Population
- about 44,000
- Area
- Greater Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
Is Greater Manchester prone to ground movement?
Leigh (WN7) has around 44,000 residents and sits in Greater Manchester. Nearby places we cover include Tyldesley (2 miles), Westhoughton (4 miles) and Hindley (4 miles).
Greater Manchester has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Greater Manchester lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Greater Manchester: Red-brick terraces, mill-town stone terraces, inter-war semis and post-war estates.
Symptoms that point to crack stitching
- Stepped cracking beside a window, door or corner
- Filled cracks that keep reopening along the same line
- A crack visible on both the inside and outside face of the wall
Guide prices for crack stitching in Leigh
The ranges below reflect typical North West costs for crack stitching, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Crack stitching with stainless helical bars | £75 – £175 | per metre of crack |
| Small jobs (minimum visit)est. | £335 – £480 | per visit |
| Repointing over the stitched line in matching mortarest. | £30 – £60 | per metre |
Methods for crack stitching
Helical bars in resin grout
A resin grout bonds quickly and strongly to the bar and masonry and suits wet conditions or work that must take load sooner. It is less forgiving of soft or crumbly bricks, so the choice of grout is made wall by wall rather than as a rule.
Best for: Dense bricks, damp walls and repairs needing a fast cure
Helical bars in cementitious grout
The most common approach. A slot is cut along the bed joint with a twin-blade cutter, flushed out and part filled with a cement-based grout. The helical bar is pushed in, more grout is packed over it, and the joint is pointed to match. The grout cures over a few days.
Best for: Most brick and block walls, including older softer bricks
From first photo to finished repair
Confirm the cause has stopped
Before quoting we check what made the wall crack and whether it is still moving. If there is doubt, we suggest a period of monitoring or an engineer’s view, rather than stitching a crack that will simply open again.
Cut, clean and grout
Slots are cut into the bed joints to the right depth, dust is blown and washed out, and grout is placed. The bars are pressed home and covered, and the crack line is filled or injected.
Make good and record
Internal plaster cracks are cut out and filled where included, and dust is cleared. You receive a short note of where the bars went, which is useful for future buyers, surveyors and any insurance file.
Rules for crack stitching in England
Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget for crack stitching in Leigh?
Guide prices for crack stitching in Leigh start from about £75 per metre of crack, including VAT, on North West rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Leigh?
We do. Leigh and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Tyldesley and Westhoughton. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Why do houses in Greater Manchester crack?
Greater Manchester is mostly glacial till over sandstone and mudstone, with the Lancashire coalfield beneath much of Wigan, Bolton, Salford and parts of the east. Historic mine workings, made ground and old mill sites are common. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
How far apart are helical bars placed?
Helical bars are usually placed every few courses up the full height of the crack, each one running well past the crack into sound brickwork. Spacing and bar length depend on the wall and the crack width, and where an engineer has specified the repair, their drawing sets them.
Does crack stitching stop a wall moving?
No, crack stitching reconnects cracked masonry but does not stop the movement that caused it. If the ground is still shrinking, a drain is still leaking or ties are still rusting, a stitched wall can crack again nearby. The cause has to be identified and dealt with first.
Related work in Leigh
- Roof structure repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Brick arch repairs
Crack stitching near Leigh
Try our online quote tool for a stitching guide price in Leigh, or send photos and we will check whether stitching is the right repair at all.