Structural Repairs to Old & Stone Buildings
Cracked, leaning, bulging or moving? We stop old and period buildings falling apart — crack stitching, underpinning, tie bars, rebuilding and consolidation — fixing the cause, to conservation standards.
Fix what's moving — before it gets worse
Cracks, leaning walls, bulging masonry, sagging openings — on an old building these are warnings, and they only get worse (and dearer) the longer they're left. The key is to find out what's actually moving and why, then fix the cause — not just fill the crack and hope.
We carry out the full range of structural repairs on stone, brick and period buildings, in lime and to conservation standards where needed. Often we can save and stabilise a structure that others would want to demolish — keeping the character, and the cost, down.
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Structural repairs we carry out
Crack stitching
Stainless-steel helical bars bonded into the joints to tie cracked masonry back together.
Underpinning
Repairing and deepening failed or undermined foundations so walls stop moving.
Rebuilding failed sections
Taking down and rebuilding collapsed or bulged walls in matching stone or brick.
Wall ties & tie bars
Tying leaning, bulging or separating walls back to the structure.
Lintel & beam replacement
Replacing failed lintels over windows and doors, safely propped and made good.
Consolidation
Stabilising fragile old and protected masonry to conservation standards.
Trusted with the toughest structural jobs
We were entrusted with the consolidation and structural repair of Grange Castle in Dublin — a fragile, protected medieval tower house — as part of its €1.2m restoration. On our Mullingar and Swords restorations we replaced failing window lintels, stitched cracks and rebuilt walls that were close to falling.
If we can safely stabilise a medieval castle and bring cracked, near-derelict houses back to sound, we can sort the structural problems on your building.
See our restoration work →
Underpinning stone walls & old foundations
Most old stone walls in Ireland were never given a foundation in the modern sense. They were built straight off the ground, or onto a shallow spread of stone — which was fine for a century or more, until something changes underneath them. Trees and hedging drawing moisture out of the subsoil, a drain or gutter washing ground away, a new driveway or trench dug alongside, or simply years of wet winters can all undermine the base and set the wall moving.
The tell-tale signs are a wall that leans or rotates outwards, stepped cracking that follows the mortar joints, or one section visibly dropping lower than the rest. Repointing a wall like that is wasted money — the pointing will simply crack again, because the problem is underneath, not on the face.
Underpinning fixes the cause. We excavate beneath the wall in short sections at a time — never the whole length at once — so the wall stays supported while each bay is taken down to firm ground and built back up, in mass concrete or matched masonry depending on the wall and what's required. Done in sequence like this, the wall is stabilised without being taken down. On anything significant, or where a structure is listed or protected, we work alongside a structural engineer so the repair is specified and signed off properly.
Once the base is sound, the wall itself is put right — rebuilding any failed sections and repointing in a mortar that suits the building, so the finished repair disappears into the original stonework.
Get a free structural assessment →The warning signs — and how we put it right
Old, and even not-so-old, buildings move, and the trick is telling harmless age from a real problem. Some things are worth a proper look: stair-step cracks running through brick or block joints, a wall that's bulging or leaning out of plumb, a lintel or arch that's dropped over a window or door, gaps opening where an extension meets the original house, or doors and windows that suddenly won't close square. Cracks that are widening, or wide enough to push a coin into, are the ones to act on.
We diagnose before we repair. The same crack can come from a failed lintel, rusting wall ties expanding inside the wall, lateral thrust from a spreading roof, washed-out foundations or ground movement — and each needs a different fix. We work out the actual cause first, bring in a structural engineer where the situation calls for it, and only then price the right repair, so you're not paying to patch a symptom while the cause keeps working.
The repairs themselves. Replacing failed or undersized lintels, stitching cracks with helical bars bonded across the break, installing lateral restraint ties to pin bulging walls back to the structure, rebuilding sections that are too far gone, re-supporting spreading roofs, and repointing in lime so old walls can breathe and dry instead of trapping damp.
We've carried out structural repair as part of full restorations like our Mullingar and Swords projects — rebuilding window openings, replacing failing lintels and stabilising walls — so the building is sound for the long term, not just tidied over. If you're worried about a crack or a leaning wall, send us a photo and we'll tell you straight whether it needs action.
Get it looked at →How it works
Free assessment
We look at what's moving, find the cause and tell you honestly.
Clear quote
An itemised plan and price — with an engineer where needed.
The repair
Stitched, tied, underpinned or rebuilt — the cause fixed properly.
Made good
Repaired, repointed and left sound for the long term.
What our customers say
"Arthur and his team fixed these faults for me. They went above and beyond to leave me a house that I could live in... Their work is first class and the team is highly professional."
Beverley Bate · Google review"I would like to thank this firm for the stonework on a large project. Both the work and the employees were of the highest quality and did more than expected of them."
Kimmage Hardware · Google reviewStructural repairs — your questions answered
Can an old stone wall be underpinned?
Yes, and it's one of the most common fixes we do on old walls. Because most old stone walls sit on little or no proper foundation, we excavate beneath them in short sections at a time — never the whole length at once — so the wall stays supported while each bay is taken down to firm ground and rebuilt. Once the base is sound the wall is rebuilt and repointed above it. On larger or protected structures we work alongside a structural engineer.
What structural repairs do you carry out?
Crack stitching with stainless-steel helical bars, underpinning of failed foundations, rebuilding collapsed and bulging sections, installing wall ties and tie bars, replacing failed lintels, propping and needling, and consolidating old and fragile masonry — all to keep a building sound.
My old wall is cracked, leaning or bulging — can you fix it?
Usually, yes, without taking the whole thing down. Cracked walls can be stitched and tied back together with helical bars bonded into the joints; leaning or bulging walls can be reset, re-tied or partly rebuilt. We fix the cause, not just the crack.
Do you replace failing lintels over openings?
Yes. Where the lintels over windows and doors have decayed and are no longer carrying the load, we prop safely, take them out and replace them, and make the opening good — as we did on a recent whole-house restoration in Mullingar.
Do you work on protected and heritage structures?
Yes, to conservation standards and in lime. We consolidated and structurally repaired the historic Grange Castle in Dublin, a protected medieval structure — so we're experienced with sensitive, high-stakes structural work.
Do you give free assessments?
Yes. A free site visit, an honest opinion on what's happening and what it needs, and a clear, itemised quote. We can work with a structural engineer where one is required.
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Worried about cracks or movement?
Don't leave it — the sooner it's looked at, the cheaper and simpler the fix. We'll call out for free and tell you honestly what it needs.