Walking past some homes you might notice the odd crack in the brickwork and think nothing of it. You might put it down to age, partial subsidence or just bad workmanship, but in effect what you could be looking at is what is known as ‘failure of the cavity wall tie’. Wall ties are generally made from galvanized steel and the most common form of tie is known as the ‘fishtail’. However, as time went on homes began to develop cracks due to the failure of the ties which began to rust. This, in turn caused water to seep into the brick work on many homes and cause cracking and warping. This leads to serious corrosion, which in turn can force the cement joints apart and cause an entire wall to collapse.
Nowadays there are rules that state that any home that was constructed during the twentieth century and shows such signs of collapse or deterioration should be examined and investigated before any further and serious damage happens. Because of this reason, it is no longer legal or appropriate to use galvanized steel ties in new build homes. Instead stainless steel is used and this has proven, thus far, to be a far more solid practice and far more satisfactory. Also, additional ties can be used and are generally used around the holes left for windows and door frames.
If I own a home with a crack, what do I do?
Most of the Eastbourne homes that were built prior to the early twenty-first century might need to be checked for cracks in the brick work. If your own home or a home you are currently living in is showing signs of cracking along a horizontal line you might want to inform the landlord or if you are the home owner, call in a specialist. You might need a survey done to establish exactly the condition of the cavity walls, insulation and ties and examine their condition to assess if you need to do repairs. Some walls can be so severely damaged as to require pinning and rebuilding, so get a professional to give an exact run-down of the work needing done and the cost to you.
For wall tie replacements by the experts, CavityTech Systems Ltd provide wall tie replacements throughout the Eastbourne, UK.