DO YOU NEED CAVITY WALL TIE REPLACEMENTS?
If you have cavity walls within your property and your walls are cracking or bulging, you may need cavity wall tie replacements.
At Wise Property Care, our structural repairs expertise makes cavity wall tie replacement fairly simple, non intrusive and cost effective. This provides our customers with a quality, long-term solution that should prevent any further cracks appearing within your masonry.
WHAT ARE CAVITY WALL TIES?
Cavity wall ties are commonly made of metal coated in bitumen or zinc. Introduced in the early 20th century, they are used to hold separate walls together to form a “cavity wall system”. Building walls this way offers better protection from the elements as well as reducing the amount of heat lost from a property. However, when these cavity wall ties begin to fail they can compromise the structural integrity of the property, and if left in a state of disrepair for a long period of time, faulty cavity wall ties can lead to very costly structural repairs.
HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE CAVITY WALL TIES?
If you are living in a property you didn’t build yourself, you may be unsure as to whether or not you have cavity wall ties in place. One easy way to tell if the property has cavity walls is by inspecting the placement of the bricks. If the bricks are laid lengthways along the full width of the wall, then this would strongly indicate a cavity wall.
If the brickwork has been laid with one brick lengthways next to another brick laid width ways then this would suggest the wall is solid and not a cavity wall.
WHAT CAUSES WALL TIE DAMAGE OR FAILURE
CORROSION OF WALL TIES
The most common cause of corrosion of wall ties is simply the passage of time. Carbonation causes a chemical change to the mortar beds between brick ties. The mortar begins to attack the walls, causing a significant build up of iron oxide (rust). The built up rust causes the mortar beds to separate which will show visible cracks in the brickwork. If you notice signs of cracks, you may need to consider wall tie replacement.
INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF WALL TIES
Another common cause of wall tie failure is incorrect installation of wall ties during construction. This is normally down to incorrect lengthways which are too short and therefore do not fit far enough into the mortar beds. Alternatively the lengthways may have been the correct size but not placed at the correct spacing. This is why we always recommend using a professionally trained wall tie specialist giving you peace of mind that the wall ties are correctly installed and guaranteed.
REPAIRING AND REPLACING CAVITY WALL TIES
Our cavity wall ties provide a permanent and economical solution to cracked masonry walls and our fully experienced and qualified local surveyors are experts when it comes to installing them. With industry leading technology and expertise, Wise Property Care can repair and stabilise cracked masonry in a straightforward, quick and effective manner.
Using a combination of specialist equipment such as metal detectors, fibre optic borescopes and low impact drills, we can seamlessly detect, find and replace any defective cavity wall ties quickly and easily while minimising the impact of any works on your property.
DO I NEED REMEDIAL CAVITY WALL TIES OR WALL TIE REPLACEMENT?
Wall tie replacement is the recommended course of action when corrosion has caused the original tying system to lose strength. Remedial wall ties are most suitable to reconnect the inner and outer walls of an existing cavity structure.
HOW ARE REMEDIAL CAVITY WALL TIES INSTALLED?
Depending on the condition and type of masonry, there are several wall tie designs; cementitious, resin or drive ties. Existing ties are normally isolated to prevent further corrosion. There’s a range of lengths of remedial wall ties available at different lengths. A drop detail is included in all deigns to prevent water from entering the cavity
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CAVITY WALL TIE REPLACEMENT
To find out more about cavity wall tie replacement, call Wise Property Care today or you can request a property survey online, and get one of our local surveyors to come out and assess your cavity wall ties and recommend a solution.
Remember, with our 10 year structural property repair guarantee, you can have peace of mind that your cavity wall problem will soon be over.
