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Most modern homes built after the 1930s feature cavity walls—an inner leaf of brick or blockwork and an outer leaf of brickwork, with a gap in between for insulation and weather protection. To keep the structure stable, these two walls are held together by metal wall ties.
Over time, especially in older properties or coastal areas, the original mild steel wall ties can corrode and rust. As they degrade, they lose their strength, endangering the structural stability of the outer wall. In severe cases, rust expansion can cause the outer brickwork to bulge, crack, or even collapse. Replacing failed ties is vital to keeping your home safe and structurally sound.
Warning Signs
Because wall ties are completely hidden inside the cavity, identifying failure early requires looking for specific structural clues on the exterior of your property.
As steel ties rust, they expand to several times their original size. This lifting force causes distinct, regular horizontal cracks to appear in the external mortar joints, typically every 4 to 6 courses of brickwork.
When ties snap or completely lose their grip due to corrosion, the outer brick leaf is no longer pulled tight against the inner structure. Wind pressure and structural load can cause the external wall to bow outward.
Severely corroded ties can accumulate rust flakes within the cavity or sag downwards. This creates a bridge for water to travel directly from the wet outer wall straight through to your internal plaster.
If you notice gaps opening up between the brickwork and your external window or door casings, it can indicate that the outer leaf of brickwork is shifting away from the building.
How We Do It
Replacing wall ties doesn't mean pulling down your walls. We use modern, non-disruptive specialist techniques to install new, corrosion-resistant stainless steel ties and safely isolate the old ones.
We begin by drilling tiny, discrete pilot holes into the mortar joints. Using a high-definition borescope camera inserted into the cavity, we inspect the condition of the existing ties to confirm the level of corrosion and map out the layout.
We map out a precise grid across your property to ensure optimal structural support. Small holes are drilled through the outer brick leaf and into the inner leaf at exact angles, ready for the new ties.
Depending on your property's construction, we install high-grade stainless steel ties. These are typically either mechanical expansion ties or chemical resin-anchored ties that bind securely to both walls, completely restoring structural stability.
To prevent the old, rusting ties from continuing to expand and crack your brickwork, we locate and isolate them. This is usually done by carefully cutting them or installing foam sleeves around them to neutralise further expansion damage.
Random pull-out testing is conducted on the newly installed ties using a specialist gauge to ensure they meet strict British Standards for load-bearing capacity.
Finally, we inject colour-matched mortar into all the small drill holes. The repair is virtually invisible, leaving your walls completely secure and your property looking exactly as it did before we arrived.
We exclusively use Grade 304 or 316 stainless steel replacements. Unlike the original mild steel ties used by mid-century builders, these modern ties are completely impervious to rust and moisture, guaranteeing a permanent fix for the lifetime of the building.
Get a free, no-obligation quote for cavity wall tie replacement across Dorset and Hampshire.
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