Bricklaying Services
Bricklaying in Consett
What is under the ground shapes bricklaying in Consett more than most people expect, because a lot of Consett is built on ground that was worked, tipped or reclaimed, so made ground and variable bearing capacity are genuine possibilities and a trial hole is often money well spent before anyone prices a foundation. Consett is a hilltop former steel town, high and exposed, where a large area of the old works has been redeveloped for housing and employment since the plant closed in 1980.
Call 07854 366464Get a Free QuoteBricklaying done properly in Consett
We have been building across this part of the county for over 25 years, and every Consett enquiry gets a site visit and a written, no obligation quote before anyone commits to anything.
Bricklaying Services
Our bricklaying in Consett cover
- Garden and boundary walls: foundations, brickwork, copings and piers built to last rather than to look right for a season
- Brick matching: sourcing the closest available brick and proving the match before ordering the load
- Chimney building and repair: rebuilding, repointing and reflaunching where the stack has weathered
- Stonework and stone cladding: natural and reconstituted stone laid to match the surrounding work
- Making good: tidy joints, clean faces and a site left properly at the end of each day
- Repointing: raking out and repointing in a mortar mix suited to the wall rather than the strongest available
Local Knowledge
Local considerations for bricklaying in Consett
Consett falls under Durham County Council for both planning and building control, which is the practical starting point for bricklaying here. Consett sits well over 200 metres above sea level and Durham County Council applies the same building regulations here as anywhere, but exposure grading for driving rain is the detail that actually changes the specification of a wall. None of that is a reason not to do the work. It is a reason to establish the constraint before a design is finalised rather than after it has been drawn twice.
Ground conditions are the second thing we look at. A lot of Consett is built on ground that was worked, tipped or reclaimed, so made ground and variable bearing capacity are genuine possibilities and a trial hole is often money well spent before anyone prices a foundation. On brickwork this shows up in the footing rather than the wall, and the footing is the part nobody sees and everybody regrets skimping on.
Property types vary across Consett more than the name of the town suggests. Around Blackhill, Delves Lane, Leadgate you will typically find terraced streets built for the steelworks and the surrounding pit villages, while further out there is later housing on and around the reclaimed steelworks site. For bricklaying, the older stock generally needs a lime based or weaker mortar so the joint fails before the brick does, whereas the newer housing takes a standard modern mix. The town is exposed enough that winter delivery and lift days need planning around the forecast, which we flag at quoting stage rather than mid job. None of this changes how we price, since every Consett job is quoted in writing after a visit, but it does change what goes on the van and how the week is planned.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work in Consett
Site visit first
The first step is a site visit. Nothing gets priced in Consett until we have seen what we are actually being asked to build.
A written quote
You get a written, no obligation quote that states the scope. If something is excluded, it says so rather than leaving it to be argued about later.
Regulations handled
Most brickwork is a building regulations question rather than a planning one, but free standing walls have their own height rules at a boundary, and repointing a property in a conservation area can attract more scrutiny than the same job on the next street.
Kept informed
Expect to know what is happening each week. Clear communication is what most of our work in Consett comes from, because people pass it on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bricklaying in Consett: your questions
Can you match the existing brick on my house?
We take a sample and source the closest available match before ordering. On Victorian and Edwardian property an exact match is rarely available, so the joint profile and mortar colour do a lot of the work in making the new blend with the old.
Which council handles bricklaying applications in Consett?
Consett comes under Durham County Council for both planning and building control. That is where a building regulations application is made and where the inspector who signs the work off comes from. Boundary wall height rules and, in conservation areas, mortar and joint specification is what they will be looking for.
Do garden walls need foundations?
Yes. A wall without an adequate foundation will move, and on clay ground it will move noticeably within a couple of winters. The foundation depth depends on the wall height and the ground it is sitting on.
Is your brickwork guaranteed?
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed for an agreed period which we confirm in writing before starting.
How high can I build a garden wall without planning permission?
As a general rule a wall up to two metres is permitted, dropping to one metre where it adjoins a highway used by vehicles or a footpath beside one. Different limits apply to listed buildings and some conservation areas, so it is worth confirming before the foundation goes in.
Can you repair a chimney rather than rebuild it?
Often yes. If the brickwork below the roofline is sound, a rebuild above the roofline plus new flaunching and flashings is the usual and much less disruptive option.
Are there any planning restrictions I should know about in Consett?
Possibly, depending on exactly where the property sits. Consett sits well over 200 metres above sea level and Durham County Council applies the same building regulations here as anywhere, but exposure grading for driving rain is the detail that actually changes the specification of a wall. If your property is affected, the design is shaped around that from the start rather than revised afterwards.
What sort of properties do you carry out bricklaying on in Consett?
All of them. Around Blackhill and Delves Lane the stock is mostly terraced streets built for the steelworks and the surrounding pit villages, and further out Consett has later housing on and around the reclaimed steelworks site. The right approach depends far more on the age and construction of the individual property than on the town.
Do you cover the areas around Consett as well, such as Stanley and Langley Park and Rowlands Gill?
Yes. Alongside Consett we regularly carry out bricklaying in Stanley, Langley Park, Rowlands Gill and across the wider North East, working from our base in Blaydon-on-Tyne.
Do ground conditions in Consett affect bricklaying?
They can. A lot of Consett is built on ground that was worked, tipped or reclaimed, so made ground and variable bearing capacity are genuine possibilities and a trial hole is often money well spent before anyone prices a foundation. We raise it at the quote stage rather than after the digger arrives, so you know whether an investigation or an assessment is likely to be needed.
Also covering near Consett
We carry out bricklaying across the surrounding area as well as in Consett itself.
Other building services in Consett
Whatever else the project needs, it is the same team and the same standard.
Planning bricklaying in Consett?
Send over the details or give us a ring. We will visit the property, talk through the options for bricklaying in Consett and put a written quote in front of you with nothing hidden in the small print.
Call 07854 366464Request a Quote