Structural Building Repairs | Wall Tie Surveys | Wall Tie Replacement in North Devon
Cavity Wall Tie Inspection, Diagnosis & Repairs Domestic, & Commercial Structural Repairs | Anchor Property Care (Barnstaple)
Anchor Property Care provides structural building repairs wall tie inspections, cavity wall tie surveys and remedial wall tie replacement for domestic and commercial properties across North Devon, including Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Torrington, Tiverton, Bude and Exmoor.
We undertake structural repair works designed to reinstate structural integrity where buildings have suffered movement, deterioration, overloading, or other defects affecting masonry and associated structural elements.
If your property has cracking, bulging brickwork, separation around windows, or other signs associated with wall tie corrosion, we can assess the cavity wall structure and provide a clear specification for remedial works.
📞 01271 327786
✉️ admin@anchorpropertycare.co.uk
Structural repairs
Anchor Property Care are specialists in providing homeowners with damp proofing and timber treatments and a range of structural repairs to keep your home in tip top condition. We are specialists in wall tie replacement and structural repairs and provide cost effective and non-intrusive solutions.
The Importance of structural repairs
Structural repairs should not go un-checked. The longer defects are left the greater the risk of further damage. Using the latest techniques, we offer a range of repair solutions to suit the nature of the defect and the construction of the property. Whether it is wall tie replacement, replacing damaged timbers or a complicated crack stitching repair, Anchor Property Care are there for you and your home.
Structural Damage and Building Defects
Numerous types of structural damage and defects can occur within a structure as the result of one or more causes. Anchor Property Care assesses the symptoms present, considers likely causes, and recommends practical remedial works suited to the building type and site conditions.
Defects Found in Masonry Structures Include:
- Wall Tie Failure –
- Cracking – associated with foundation movement, thermal/moisture movement, lintel failure, overloading, corrosion of steel, frost action and chemical action.
- Bowing or leaning – associated with vibrations from traffic, machinery and blasting, increased floor loads because of change of use, addition of extra storeys, walls that are too slender, and lack of lateral restraint.
- Bond failure – between masonry units associated with defective materials, deterioration, and poor construction.
Specialist Structural Repair Services (What We Do)
Implementing a range of specialist remedial systems, Anchor Property Care can undertake specialist structural repairs to reinstate the structural integrity of buildings, including:
Crack Stitching – Stabilising and reinforcing cracked masonry using specialist reinforcement systems to restore continuity and reduce further deterioration.
Forming Masonry Beams – Creating reinforced masonry beams to support openings and redistribute loads where required.
Lateral Restraints – Installing restraint systems to improve stability, tie structural elements together and reduce movement, particularly where lateral support is limited.
These systems are commonly used as part of structural repair strategies for both residential properties and commercial buildings, including older and traditional structures where sympathetic, practical repairs are essential.
Domestic and Commercial Structural Repairs
We work with:
- Homeowners
- Landlords and letting agents
- Property investors
- Commercial clients and premises managers
Whether the issue affects a single elevation or forms part of a wider remedial scheme, we provide a professional approach from assessment through to completion.
Wall Ties – General Information
Cavity wall construction has almost entirely replaced solid wall construction in the United Kingdom. Evolving in the latter part of the nineteenth century and becoming common in dwellings in northern and western Britain in the early 1900s. It became much more widespread during the building boom of the 1920s, and from 1945 onwards, cavity wall construction has become virtually standard throughout the house building industry.
In the early days, ties were either left unprotected or were given a bitumen coating. During the early 1930s, zinc coated ties or galvanising became more accepted. Houses built before 1945 have an unknown tie life expectancy. Those built between 1945 and 1964 have an expected zinc life of between 30–60 years for strip ties (fishtail) and 15–30 years for wire ties (butterfly). The expected life of ties between 1964 and 1981 is estimated at 23–46 years for strip ties and 13–26 years for wire ties.
Statistics from the 1986 survey of English houses published by HMSO indicated that a total of 11.3 million houses were built between 1919 and 1986, and of these 906,000 required repairs to the wall structure, resulting from corroding wall ties.
ALL mild steel wall ties will eventually corrode — the only question is, when?
Common Causes of Wall Tie Corrosion
- Porosity of brickwork – Bricks vary considerably in their moisture absorption rate. Engineering bricks are almost impervious to moisture and water. Softer bricks, however, behave like sponges.
- Quality of mortar – Weak lime mortars are more porous than dense sand and cement mixes. The chemical action of mortars can vary between two extremes, either pacifying or encouraging corrosion. Ordinary Portland cement mortars are alkaline in nature and as such discourages the corrosion of embedded ferrous metal. Other mortars will contain a proportion of sulphates which, when combined with moisture, create a more aggressive condition than normal.
- Location – The location of any given elevation will determine the life expectancy of the wall tie, e.g. coastal, industrial or locations of persistent driving rain are all vulnerable. The presence of salt within the atmosphere and coastal locations result in accelerated corrosion of wall ties. Industrial conditions will increase the acidity of the moisture reaching the ties, leading to a more aggressive and corrosive condition. Driving rain increases the period at which the wall and its ties may be persistently wet. South and west facing elevations are more vulnerable than those on the north and east of the building.
- Poor design and construction – problems including the lack of an effective damp proof course, blocked cavities, inadequate flashings and lack of cavity trays, are recognised contributing factors to the ingress of moisture.
Symptoms Common to Wall Tie Failure
As wall ties corrode, bed joints widen and the outer leaf grows upwards causing tension in the inner leaf, therefore bending movement in the wall. Outward movement or bulging of the wall usually results, with the inner leaf of the wall often being carried outwards as well as the ties which are normally intact to some degree at this stage.
Other common symptoms include vertical and horizontal cracking, sagging of lintels, upward cambering of window sills, lifting of roof edges, separation of window reveals, and separation of floors.
Whilst these symptoms are common and can be related to wall tie failure, they can also be characteristic of more serious structural defects. If damage exists which is not consistent with wall tie corrosion, a structural engineer should be employed to investigate further. An inspection carried out by Anchor Property Care does not constitute a structural inspection.
Wall Tie Surveys & Inspection Methods
An assessment of existing cavity wall ties within the construction may include the use of various types of specialist equipment, including borescopes, wall tie locators, and metal detectors.
As ties are located, the condition of the wall ties is assessed and any recommendations and/or a specification for remedial action works is submitted, dependent on the severity of the problem and the specific type of wall tie.
Remedial Wall Tie Replacement (Stainless Steel Ties)
Anchor Property Care have an extensive range of high quality stainless steel remedial wall ties to suit all applications and completed to our high cosmetic standard. Where required, remedial works may also include making-good and localised repairs to ensure a neat finish and a sound wall structure.
Areas We Cover
We provide wall tie surveys and remedial wall tie services across North Devon, including Barnstaple, Bideford, Bude, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Torrington, Tiverton and Exmoor, plus surrounding areas.
Book a Wall Tie Inspection (Free Quote)
If you suspect wall tie corrosion or want a professional cavity wall tie assessment, contact Anchor Property Care today.
📞 01271 327786
✉️ admin@anchorpropertycare.co.uk
