Wall Ties in your property
Property construction changed at the beginning of the 20th Century with the introduction of cavity walls. They were developed to help reduce the loss of heat through walls. They also gave added outdoor protection against the weather.
A crucial part of cavity wall design are wall ties. They basically hold the two walls together so they don’t fall apart. They are set into the wall at set intervals apart and are normally made from zinc or bitumen coated metal.
Unfortunately wall ties don’t last forever. This was clearly an oversight at the time. What seemed to be a great idea can turn into a nightmare when the wall ties deteriorate and no longer offer the service they did of holding walls together. This was apparent in the 1980s when many were found to be failing. Indeed some were only lasting 15 to 20 years. Any wall ties that have failed could cause major damage to a property and should be checked urgently.
SPEAK TO A WALL TIE SPECIALIST NOW 0800 328 1560
Information on Wall Ties…
It is estimated, by the Building Research Establishment, that of the nine million properties with cavity walls in the UK there are about two million with wall tie problems.
Wall ties can fail for various reasons but the main one is inadequate galvanised protection when they were made. This would easily lead to corrosion starting and forcing the wall tie to expand. This causes both stepped and horizontal cracking in the wall. This in turn damages masonry, lifts roof edges and causes walls to bulge. Left untreated the walls can collapse so this is an extremely serious issue.
Damp Stop use specialist tools like boroscopes to identify wall tie failure. We can identify and replace any wall tie easily with a minimum of fuss. The key is to identify any potential wall tie damage early and get expert help.