Cavity Wall Houses

This site has been designed with our domestic customers in mind, we have much more detailed technical information on our main commercial/trade website.

Cavity walls were first used in the 1900s but didn’t became common until after the 2nd world war. Some of the structural problems common to these types of houses are:

A survey by AWT will establish the cause of the problem. AWT will then recommend remedial work and provide a quotation.

The good news is that AWT has cost effective ways of repairing your home with the minimum of disruption.

Wall Tie Problems

Historically, wall ties were made from cast or wrought iron, mild steel or copper. When steel  wall ties become corroded they expand to several times their original size. This lifts the brickwork causing  the surrounding brickwork to crack and or bow and destabilises the walls of your house. If not dealt with quickly enough the entire wall will need to be rebuilt.

 

AWT can fit new non-rusting stainless steel wall ties and isolate old corroded wall ties to prevent further damage. AWT always match replacement bricks and pointing as closely as possible to the existing finish.

Wall Tie Life Expectancy

All mild steel wall ties will corrode and require replacing. The table below gives a guide to how long your wall ties should last. AWT only use non-rusting stainless steel wall ties.

 Construction Date  Wall Tie type  Life expectancy
Before 1945 All types  Difficult to predict
1945- 1964  Strip ties  31 – 61 years
 1945- 1964  Wire Ties  15 – 31 years
 1964 – 1981  Strip Ties  23 – 46 years
  1964 – 1981   Wire Ties  13 – 26 years