Wall ties are not components of a building which are visible but that does not mean that they are not an important structural necessity. Brick ties are insignificant, often a metal strap, but if it wasn’t for them the building would quickly suffer structural damage. Wall ties in Eastbourne are used to share the load that is carried by the interior wall; the ties span the gap between the two walls and are imbedded in the mortar courses during construction. Although in the majority of cases the ties span between an exterior brick façade and an interior hollow block wall they can just as well be employed when the interior wall is wood or metal framing. The wall ties transfer wind loads and other forces imposed on the exterior wall to the interior, load bearing wall. Wall ties are an absolute necessity in cavity wall construction.
Wall ties in Eastbourne are available in a number of different designs; the design which is chosen for use depends on whether they are used during new construction or whether they are used for retrofit. For new construction when walls are being built from the ground up the ties are usually flat bands of galvanised steel or rigid plastic. As the wall is constructed, ties are built into the mortar joints, they protrude from the inside surface of the exterior wall, span the cavity and then imbedded in the mortar joints of the interior wall. Metal wall ties usually are corrugated at each end; this helps the grip in the mortar joint. The section of the tie that spans the cavity is bent in the shape of a tepee which helps water to drip off the tie and fall harmlessly between the two walls.
Over time the wall ties in Eastbourne will fail. This failure is caused by corrosion of the original ties as well as movement from the ground settling. When the wall ties begin to fail cracks often appear in the mortar of the exterior wall. When this happens it is extremely important that new ties be installed otherwise structural damage can take place. You can visit here to get more details.
Replacing wall ties in Eastbourne is not time consuming or difficult but it is a job that should be left to professionals. A series of holes are drilled in the outer wall, the holes are slightly smaller than the helical shaped replacement tie. The new wall tie is pounded into the hole and held in place by friction. Wall tie replacement does not leave any noticeable imperfections on the wall nor do they have an adverse effect on the cavity insulation.
The wall ties that were used when your house was built can and will corrode and fail. Replacement wall ties in Eastbourne are available from Cavitytech Systems Ltd.