What Does The Wall Tie Surveyor Do?

The requirement for a cavity wall tie survey may be triggered by a variety of reasons.

The house might be old, and the metal ties that are found in older homes may be damaged and rust, so the inspection may just be an extra precaution to ensure whether wall tie corrosion isn’t a problem.

Wall tie corrosion could be a cause for concern, due to cracks in the wall possibly noticed by the owner or a homeowner, but the majority of times, it’s an issue is raised by a surveyor working on behalf of a homeowner or mortgage lender.

There could be a bulge or another issue that suggests that there is a problem. In addition, the wall ties should be checked in order to illuminate in order to identify the root of the motion is identified.

Whatever the motive behind conducting a wall tie inspection the process is simple and typically is less than one hour or less.

What does the Wall Tie Surveyor Do?

Following arrival after a brief introduction, and reassuring conversation with the owner the surveyor (with the permission of the owner) will perform an exterior appraisal of the home; it’s restrictions, if any and whether there is any cavity or if there is any cavity wall insulation in place and are there cracks, and if so, how big and what shape, etc.

After this, he’ll utilize a metal detector in order to determine the location of the wall tie-ups. This usually takes place at the ground level, however occasionally, he might require ladders, especially when cracks exist at a higher levels or if the building is constructed with different materials on the walls, for instance, plain brick at ground level , and rendered stone or brick at higher levels.

After locating connections to examine, a rechargeable drill is utilized to create an inspection hole close to each one. Typically, they are about 12mm in diameter . It is then drilled within the joint of bed (between the stones or bricks when they aren’t protected by render or pebble-dash).

To examine the ties, the boroscope is employed. This is a sturdy variant of the endoscope that is essentially a form of periscope that is contained in 10mm diameter steel tubes that has a viewing window that allows you to see the ties within the cavity as well as an illumination source that illuminates the wall tie in question. In the case of a cavity that isn’t sealed, a stunning sight of walls ties is feasible. Customers and homeowners are invited to shadow our surveyor or even examine the wall tie themselves.

The wall tie inspection was used to be a very personal process. One surveyor’s “failing” tie being judged to be “okay” by a different surveyor. This caused disputes and confusion. Fortunately, in 1995, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) issued guidelines that was in BRE digest number 401 “Installing Wall Ties “, that outlined how to visually evaluate existing wall ties and also what recommendations to make (or not) in based on the state of the ties.

BRE 401 sets out nine categories that describe wall tie corrosion beginning with the first: Shiny and bright No problem, however to the 9th one: extremely damaged and rusty – urgent repair is required. The initial assessment of the condition of the wall tie is used to determine what actions (if any) to take, if any.

But the person conducting the survey will have to think about other elements before a final choice is made.

Are there cracks or movements that are caused by the squeak of old rusty tie?

What kind of wall ties do you have? Thin fishtail type of wire wall tie?

Are there enough wall ties in place during the construction of the house as well as are they placed in proper locations?

Are there any cavities wall insulation or is the installation scheduled for soon?

What is the exposure to wind and the orientation of the structure?

The majority of the time, a decision is taken immediately, but the surveyor will also capture photos of the wall tie through his boroscope, to allow for an additional inspection in the future and to record a note of the results.

The procedure above is the most commonly used method but occasionally, the wall ties could be difficult to spot. Wall insulation in the cavity can block the view of the boroscope, rendering it difficult to see and imaging. Other debris, such as sand or a cavity that is narrow can hinder the boroscope wall tie survey. In these situations, the use of more aggressive methods is required.

Here’s the way…

The wall ties were identified by the metal detector. Currently, one or two small holes is created in the bed-joint precisely where the tie is. The chisel can then be employed to expand the gap until the wall tie can be seen within the bed joint, free of any debris, and accessible to be inspected and photographed. It takes a bit longer than a normal borescope survey. The bed-joint that is damaged is fixed but, in the event when a wall is rendered or pebble-dashed there will be a patch of rendered render, that does not be the same as the original material.

After the completion, and typically the next day the surveyor writes his report on the wall tie.

This Wall Tie Corrosion Report contains all the vital details you require, including:

The wall’s construction.

What kind of cavity wall ties are there as well as whether or not they’re galvanised pitch coated, or stainless steel?

Which condition are they in What condition are they in? Using BRE 401 as a guide.

A few photographs of the ties shot through the boroscope. Annotated to indicate their location, and pictures of the ties exposed at joint joints in the beds, if this method was required.

In the event that the tie does not need any repair work, then it . Job done.

But, if the condition of the tie is in violation that of BRE 401 or, if there are reasons that warrant acceleration of the timeline to replace the wall tie (impending installation of cavity walls,, for instance) A wall tie replacement specifications and a price will be included in the wall tie report.

The information will also include the reason for the suggestions and a full description of the information required and will be included in the quote for the replacement wall tie vital safety information that is required by law because the installation of the tie requires scaffolding and construction work. And of course the quote itself that is always a fixed cost and not an estimate.

The wall tie report is created to conform to BRE 401 so it also provides information about the credentials of the personnel who will install the new wall tie system; their experiences in testing the procedures used to test the new wall tie and the details of the guarantee for wall ties and the insurance plan in place to safeguard the guarantee over its entire period.

There are some exceptions to the above since some houses do not conform to an’standard’ model, and the surveyor might have alter his method in order to make a sound and reliable conclusion.

After that, the surveyor will then repair the holes in the inspection and clean off any dust prior to leaving the the site.