Wall Tie Survey

Epiacum

Hi, I'm completely clueless here and need some advice.

My parents took an equity loan out back in 2004. Last year the company sold the portfolio, so we had a structural survey done last month to check maintenance. The report came back with possible wall tie problems (I wasn't completely surprised, as I had clocked the cracking in the summer). So, the next step is getting a full wall tie survey done, but I haven't a clue where to start. I tried doing some research, and it's left me more confused. Am I supposed to hire a chartered surveyor? Or can the wall tie contractors do it? I've read they cost around £400 but have also seen offers for free estimates/surveys. 

To be honest, this all makes me sick because none of us have the money for this. I just paid to have the roof fixed.

FreeBear

How old is the house ?

I'd be tempted just to rake out any cracked mortar and repoint. No point in investing too much in maintenance, as the equity company will probably take the lot when the house is eventually sold.

Epiacum

FreeBear said:

How old is the house ?

I'd be tempted just to rake out any cracked mortar and repoint. No point in investing too much in maintenance, as the equity company will probably take the lot when the house is eventually sold.

1949. No can do, they want to see the wall tie survey report, and invoice when the work is done. Keeping the house in a good state of repair is in the contract.

My sister and I are thinking of buying the house ourselves when interest rates settle.

stuart45

You can get a free survey, but there is always more chance of the firm finding and quoting for work that isn't needed. 

FreeBear

Epiacum said:

FreeBear said:

How old is the house ?

I'd be tempted just to rake out any cracked mortar and repoint. No point in investing too much in maintenance, as the equity company will probably take the lot when the house is eventually sold.

1949. No can do, they want to see the wall tie survey report, and invoice when the work is done. Keeping the house in a good state of repair is in the contract.

At that age, it will be lime mortar, so a fairly easy task to replace the ties. If you must have them replaced, try and get them to use a lime mortar rather than a cement based one, especially if you have soft facing bricks.

Murmansk

I had my wall ties replaced in a 1930 brick built 3 bed semi about 15 years ago

The symptoms were cracks running horizontally about every metre looking vertically up the house. At the corners I could see through the corner of the house.

The work involved drilling into where the old ties were - they'd rusted and expanded as they rusted, making the bricks rise apart. They put polyurethane foam in to isolate the ties and fill the newly created gap between the ties and the brick.

They then drilled centrally into the bricks and inserted new stainless steel ties about every metre vertically and horizontally. They filled the holes for these with red mortar to match the bricks.

It cost £1,600 as I remember and took one man one day.

stuart45

Built in 1949 I'd say it's more likely to be a cement mortar, although they usually drill through the centre of the bricks so it doesn't make much difference. It depends on the type of original ties whether they need isolating/removing or just left in.

stripling

Epiacum said:

Hi, I'm completely clueless here and need some advice.

My parents took an equity loan out back in 2004. Last year the company sold the portfolio, so we had a structural survey done last month to check maintenance. The report came back with possible wall tie problems (I wasn't completely surprised, as I had clocked the cracking in the summer). So, the next step is getting a full wall tie survey done, but I haven't a clue where to start. I tried doing some research, and it's left me more confused. Am I supposed to hire a chartered surveyor? Or can the wall tie contractors do it? I've read they cost around £400 but have also seen offers for free estimates/surveys. 

To be honest, this all makes me sick because none of us have the money for this. I just paid to have the roof fixed.

First find local companies that are registered with the Wall Tie Federation. Don't use anyone else. The !!!!!! website lists them by area.

!!!!!! builders are vetted and backed by an insurance company 25 year guarantee. This is needed if there are any problems further down the line; house sales (buyers will insist), buildings insurance issues and so on. Do NOT accept a builder's 'guarantee' they are not worth the paper they are written on.

When you have your !!!!!! builders list - ask about surveys and costs, get quotes. OR you can get an independent survey but as some builders deduct the survey cost from the final bill this may not be worth it.

Generally, a local !!!!!! builder will be cheaper than national companies but maybe get quotes from both. You may not need all the walls done, it depends on the survey, how exposed the walls are etc.

Ask your quoting builders if any 'making good' is included in the price - this varies depending on whether walls are rendered or not. Get a breakdown of the quote.

Cost will vary depending on: a) what type of wall ties need replacing - some have to be removed which is more costly, some don't; b) height of property- scaffolding or not; c) number of walls that need doing.

I had one wall done this past summer, my builders were fine with ladder working, they dabbed paint I gave them over the insertion points on the rendered walls, they showed me their exploratory findings, type of wall tie etc., removed a brick (on a non-rendered part of the wall) to investigate as well as using a camera. I was lucky I had the leave-in-place wall ties so it wasn't cheap but it could've been worse. If you have the 'fish tale' type they have to be removed.

Wall ties hold cavity walls together so it is a job that has to be done or else after the tell-tale horizontal cracks appear you may start to get bulges and structural problems.

Hope this helps.

stripling

Lol.... the stupid exclamation marks in my post are because of the acronym for the WALL TIE FEDERATION. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂😂😂