Cavity Wall Tie Damage in High Winds

Damage to wall ties during high winds can compromise the stability of a building’s wall, potentially leading to significant structural failure.

Below is a breakdown of the problems and what you can do to prevent it:

 

Causes of Cavity Wall tie damage in high winds

Corrosion over time: This is especially true in older properties. Metal wall ties can corrode over time, weakening their ability to hold the wall together. This makes the property’s structure vulnerable to strong winds.

Cracked Mortar Joints: Rust from the wall ties can expand inside the mortar, cracking the mortar between the bricks and reducing their effectiveness.

Incorrectly installed: Incorrectly installed wall ties may fail during high winds. A lack of wall ties has caused many wall failures; the outer leaf of the wall is no longer securely tied to the inner leaf, allowing the wall to move or collapse to wind pressure.

Change of exposure: Wall Ties may weaken due to repeated exposure changes over time, as well as moisture, heat, temperature, and wind exposure.

 

Signs of Cavity Wall Tie Damage

Horizontal Cracks: A good indication of cavity wall tie failure is horizontal cracking or stepped cracks in the brickwork.

Bulging Walls: When the outer leaf of the wall is no longer securely tied to the inner leaf, the wall will start to bow outwards.

Loose bricks: After strong winds, sections of masonry or bricks may loosen or come away from the wall.

For more information on signs of failed cavity wall ties, please visit our previous blog here 

 

Prevention

If you live in an area with frequent strong winds or exposed to harsh weather, we recommend you regularly inspect the walls (This is essential in older buildings).

 

Wall Tie Inspection

If you suspect wall tie failure after strong winds, it is crucial to contact a qualified surveyor to inspect if the current cavity wall ties have been compromised.

At Trustguard Ltd our team of surveyors will assess the property and extent of the damage causes in the strong winds and recommend repairs to restore the walls integrity.

Do not ignore the signs of wall tie failure, it will only lead to escalating damage or even partial wall collapse in further strong winds.

With over 20 years of experience we have seen our fair share of wall tie failures, check out some of our pictures here