There is a chance that you are thinking about what a survey of your wall tie is and why you might require one, or might be asking yourself what a tie is even a thing… In any scenario, before we get into the Wall Tie Survey the basics, let’s go over the fundamentals…
What exactly are Cavity Wall Ties?
Wall ties are basically the invisible metal components between cavity walls. They are constructed inside the wall in the building process and are a crucial component in the safety and stability of the cavity wall.
A wall tie is utilized to join the internal and outer leaf, referring to the two components in a cavity wall. they extend across the cavity and connect the external and internal walls of blockwork or bricks to each other, locking them on the mortar. An essential element to the strength and stability of the wall the cavity wall ties act as an ’emergency line’ for what could otherwise be an unstable and unsteady structure instead, they connect the two leaves making a single unit. They also stop water from flowing between the outer and inside of the leaves.
We now have a good understanding of the cavity wall ties and we can move to…
What is a cavity wall tie report?
Wall tie surveys may be described as a specialist survey where trained surveyors evaluate what the wall connections installed within the structure can effectively tie the two leaves and serving their function.
Why do you require the Cavity Wall Tie Survey?
In older homes, the metal ties might rust, and they may no anymore be able to complete their job properly, putting danger to the structure as well. This is known as wall tie corrosion. If corrosion of the wall tie is suspected an inspection of the tie could be an precaution to determine whether there is a problem.
In older structures constructed in cavity with wall ties on steel tie is both inevitable and inevitable as is the durability of ties determined by the kind of tieand its coat along with the chemical process that could promote corrosion, especially for houses with cavities for wall insulation as the insulation traps moisture and water. In particular, this kind of corrosion can happen in walls that are more exposed to weather. The existing ties need to be addressed as continual corrosion could cause structural damage to structures. The corrosion could cause expansion of the metallic encased within the leaf on the wall. Although a sudden failure is not likely to happen, it’s wise to correct the issue when it is discovered that the issue could impact the value and resale potential of the house. If the systems are identified prior to the damage has gotten too extensive, the walls could be repaired instead of being replaced. Insufficient ties within the cavity wall significantly reduces the strength and durability of the wall. its resistance to winds is diminished and failure due to this reason is likely.
The corrosion of wall tie is usually identified when there signs of movement within the structure. This could manifest as cracks in the wall an incline, or other signs that indicate the wall tie is not functioning properly. The issue could be discovered by the homeowner or is usually an issue raised by an expert surveyor.
What exactly does an Wall Tie Survey involve?
The process of conducting the wall tie survey typically requires between 1 and 3 hours when the wall tie surveyor arrives. However, the exact duration of the process can be contingent on several factors such as whether the cavity has cavity wall insulation or if the building is being rendered.
On arrival the wall tie surveyor will perform an external evaluation of the home to determine whether there is the presence of a cavity wall, and in the event that there are cavity wall insulations as well as constriction information, and whether there are any flaws that are present in the property, like signs of movement of brickwork and cracks that are staggered or step. This will help determine the next step, which is using a metal detector in order to determine where the existing wall ties for cavity walls are located within the structure and building. After locating them the surveyor will then create an inspection hole, or take out bricks, if necessary, close to the wall tie they plan to check, which permits the surveyor to utilize borescope. The borescope comes with a viewing window so that your surveyor will be able to look at the ties within the wall cavity to determine whether they’re in good condition or not. First, the surveyor will examine the physical state of the wall ties to determine if they’re in danger, taking into account the extent of corrosion that ranges from shiny to rusty, or perhaps detached. Other aspects, such as problems with structures, kind of wall tie being used and if there are sufficient wall ties in place as well as cavity wall insulation aid in the surveyor’s judgment on the condition of the condition of your cavity wall tie.
Visibility issues, usually caused by the insulation of the cavity walls, could result in a more aggressive method of conducting the survey of the cavity wall in order for the surveyor to view the wall tie completely, instead of just via the borescope.
If you are in need of replacing your wall tie after locating the old ties with an electronic sensor the next step is replacing a suitable repair fixing that is resistant to corrosion and then the isolation of the original ties to stop any further damage to the exterior leaf.
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