Lintel repair in Kettering
Dropped arches, cracked window heads and rusted lintels on Kettering's Victorian terraces repaired, with the wall propped and the brickwork rebuilt to match. Free quotes.
- 18 years in the trade
- Free quotes
- Victorian arches rebuilt
- Props and needles used
Get a free quote
Send us the details on WhatsApp, or by email if you prefer. We reply with a price or a time to visit.
Prefer to talk? Call 07487 625926
Window heads on older terraces
Most Victorian terraced houses do not have one solid lintel across the front of each window. They have a shallow brick arch, sometimes with timber behind, and over time these can settle and crack.
We repair and replace them through our lintel service. The wall is propped, the failed arch or timber is removed and a modern steel or concrete lintel is put in, with the original bricks relaid in front where possible.
Where the joints across the front are also eroded, we can quote for lime repointing at the same time. If any bricks crack while the arch comes down, we replace them as part of our brickwork repairs.
Lintel prices in Kettering
Priced by lintel length. Move the slider to match your opening and send it to us.
Each price covers the inside and outside lintel, propping, rebuilding the brickwork above and pointing to match. If only one side needs doing, it is half price. Openings under 1 metre or over 4 metres are priced from photos.
See every lintel price
| Lintel length | Inside and out | One side only |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 1.5 metres | £1,850 | £925 |
| 1.5 to 2 metres | £2,150 | £1,075 |
| 2 to 2.5 metres | £2,450 | £1,225 |
| 2.5 to 3 metres | £2,750 | £1,375 |
| 3 to 3.5 metres | £3,150 | £1,575 |
| 3.5 to 4 metres | £3,450 | £1,725 |
Shoemaking-era terraces and their lintels
Kettering's Victorian brick terraces date from its shoemaking era. Houses of that age were built in soft brick and lime, with arches or timber over the openings. Timber hidden behind the outer brick can rot when water gets in, and the arch above then loses its support.
Later changes add to the strain. Wider replacement windows, a front door moved or an old bay taken out can all disturb the head of an opening. We look at what is there now, not just what was built, before deciding on a repair.
Signs the arch or lintel has failed
- Shallow arch flattening or sinking
- Bricks loose in the arch over a window
- Stepped crack from a window corner
- Damp wood showing behind outer brick
- Sash window sticking at the top
- Crack running up above the front door
How we deal with a failed head
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Send us a picture
A clear shot of the arch and the crack tells us most of what we need.
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Support the brickwork
Strong boys and props hold the wall while we take down the old head.
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Install a lintel
A new lintel sized for the opening is bedded with bearing at both ends.
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Rebuild the arch
The arch or brick course is rebuilt in matching brick and pointed to blend in.
A rebuilt arch, before and after
Inside a Kettering lintel quote
- Survey of the opening from photos or a visit
- Temporary support set up first
- Old arch or timber lintel removed
- New steel or concrete lintel fitted
- Cavity tray and weeps where the wall has a cavity
- Arch bricks reused where they are sound
- Mortar matched to the old joints
- Clean finish and props cleared
Lintel help in nearby towns
These pages cover lintel repair in towns around Kettering.
Our services
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Brick repointing
Failing joints raked out and refilled in mortar matched to your brick.
Find out more -
Lime and mortar pointing
Breathable lime or matched mortar for Victorian, Edwardian and older homes.
Find out more -
Lintel repair and replacement
Cracked or sagging window and door heads propped, replaced and rebuilt.
Find out more -
Brickwork repairs
Spalled, cracked and loose bricks cut out and replaced to match.
Find out more -
Bricklaying
Garden walls, boundary walls, piers and small brickwork builds.
Find out more -
Not sure what you need?
Send a photo of the wall and we will tell you what it needs.
Get a free quote
Guides
Kettering lintel questions
What is the price of a lintel replacement in Kettering?
Lintels are priced by length, starting from £1,850 for 1 to 1.5 metres and going up to £3,450 for over 3.5 up to 4 metres. Rebuilding a brick arch, upstairs access or a lot of damaged brick adds to the cost. Where only the outer head has failed, you pay half the band, from £925.
Can my brick arch be kept?
Often, yes. The arch can be taken down and rebuilt over a new lintel, using the same bricks, so the front of the house looks as it did.
Why do Victorian window heads fail?
Soft lime mortar wears, timber behind the brick rots, and the arch settles. Water running down the face from a broken gutter speeds all of this up.
Does replacing a lintel mean damage inside?
There may be some plaster to make good around the window head inside, especially if the inner lintel is replaced. We tell you what to expect when we quote.
Can you do two lintels on the same house at once?
Yes, and it is usually more efficient. Upstairs and downstairs windows on the same wall often fail together, so we price them as one job.
Send a photo of the arch
Free quotes for lintel and arch repairs in Kettering. Message us a photo or call.