Cavity Wall Tie Replacement Kent provide specialist cavity wall tie surveys throughout Kent. Call us on 01304 746041 to arrange your free, no-obligation cavity wall tie survey.
We provide Wall Tie surveys and quotations for homeowners, prospective home buyers and property professionals where cavity wall tie failure or associated structural defects are suspected.
Our surveys can investigate wall tie failure, cracking, bowing walls, gable end movement and other defects to determine whether remedial work is required.
We are full members of the Wall Tie Installers Federation (WTIF) and can provide 25-year insurance-backed warranties for qualifying remedial works.
Wall tie concerns are often raised during a property survey, particularly when a home is being bought, sold or remortgaged. A mortgage lender may request a report from a suitably qualified wall tie specialist before agreeing to lend on the property such as on this property in Dover – recent case study available here.
1. With the home owners permission or by prior arrangement with the Estate Agent our survey initially involves viewing all elevations of brickwork from ground level. Our observations are based on any patterns to visible cracking of the mortar bed or render and undulations / bulging to the surface of the brickwork.
2. We will then locate the position of existing wall ties using a handheld wall tie detector and where accessible ascertain if any crack positions seen correspond to the location of the existing wall ties.
3. We will then drill a small 10mm diameter hole through the mortar bed next to the existing tie to allow us to insert a borescope (endoscope) and view the condition of the existing tie within the cavity for any surface corrosion. The drill hole is filled with mortar on completion.
4. We then assess and compare the level of corrosion seen with BRE Report 401 Table 2. This clearly states what level of remedial work is required dependent on the level of wall tie corrosion seen.
5. Our comprehensive Wall Tie Report is then typically issued within 24 hours. This provides a clear assessment of the existing wall ties as seen during the survey, supporting photographs taken during our survey and details of any remedial work that are deemed as required.
6. Where qualifying works are then completed by ourselves, a separate 25-year insurance-backed warranty is also available, providing meaningful independent protection that can be retained with the property documents.
Over time the process of corrosion of existing mild steel cavity wall ties causes the original cavity wall ties to expand in size. This expansion has the effect of forcing apart the bricks above and below the bed joints in which the failing wall ties are laid.
This produces a pattern of horizontal cracks coinciding with the brick tie positions approximately every six courses apart.
The corrosion and failure of the existing cavity wall ties or the lack of sufficient cavity wall ties used in the original construction can mean that many properties require replacement wall ties to be inserted and the original cavity wall ties to be isolated or removed to prevent further damage from corrosion.
Our inspection can also determine whether crack stitching using helical reinforcing bars may also resolve structural crack issues, the need to add lateral restraint to prevent bowing walls and the repair of brick arch lintels using helical bar.
We carry out wall tie surveys and Wall Tie replacement throughout Kent including in Dover, Deal, Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney, Ashford, Canterbury, Margate, Ramsgate, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Medway and Maidstone.
All of our works are covered by a 25 year company guarantee. A separate 25 year insurance backed warranty is also available.