Northern Ireland's specialist wall tie surveyor
Wall tie survey specialists across Northern Ireland
Bulging brickwork, rust staining through render, or a surveyor asking questions about tie corrosion: a wall tie survey gives you a written record of the actual condition inside the cavity.
- Proportionate & evidence-led
- Lender-ready reports
- Stainless steel remedial ties
Our specialism
Specialists in Wall tie surveys
Wall ties are the small metal strips or wires that bridge the gap between the outer and inner leaves of a cavity wall, holding the two skins of brick or block together. Older ties, especially those fitted before the 1980s, were often made of mild steel with a thin zinc coating, and over decades that coating wears away. Once rust takes hold, the tie swells inside the mortar joint and stops doing its job. A wall tie survey finds out what is going on inside the cavity: the specialist locates the ties, looks at a sample of them with a small camera and records their condition.
This booking suits Northern Ireland owners of cavity-built homes who have spotted repeating horizontal cracks, buyers whose home report mentions possible tie corrosion, and landlords wanting a clear record of a wall before planning repairs. You book the wall tie survey at a set price, and a local specialist will be in touch to confirm the visit.
When a wall may be telling you about its ties
- Horizontal cracks running along mortar bed joints, particularly in the outer leaf of a cavity wall
- Bulging or bowing on an outer brick face that was previously flat
- A mortgage lender or conveyancer has asked for a wall tie condition report before proceeding
- The property was built between 1920 and 1980, when steel ties prone to corrosion were commonly used
- Cracks or movement that appeared gradually over several years with no obvious structural cause
- A previous owner mentioned wall tie work but left no paperwork confirming what was done
Get it surveyed
Patterns on your wall worth a closer look
Walls do not usually fail without giving some warning first. If you have spotted any of these, a survey will tell you how far the corrosion has progressed.
Signs worth getting checked
- Horizontal cracking that runs along a mortar bed joint rather than cutting diagonally across the brickwork
- A wall or section of wall that appears to be pushing outward or bowing
- Cracked or displaced brickwork at the approximate height where a tie would sit
- Rust staining bleeding through render or pointing in a regular, evenly spaced line
- A wall that sounds hollow or feels loose when gently tapped
- A mortgage lender or surveyor has requested a wall tie survey before the transaction can proceed
What causes wall tie corrosion in Northern Ireland?
Most homes across Northern Ireland built with cavity walls between the 1930s and 1980s were tied together with mild-steel or galvanised wire ties rather than the stainless steel used in modern construction. The most common triggers in this area are:
- Age: mild-steel and wire ties typically begin to corrode within 40 to 60 years of installation
- Coastal and exposed locations, where salt-laden air accelerates the rate of corrosion
- Poor original galvanising, or ties installed at the wrong angle so moisture tracks along them into the inner leaf
- Persistent cavity damp from blocked cavity trays, failed pointing or defective rendering
Why Wall Tie Survey NI
Inspection before any remedial work begins
Wall tie corrosion sounds alarming, but it is a well-understood problem once the cavity has been properly examined. Cavity walls built from roughly the 1930s to the 1980s were tied together with mild-steel or wire ties that corrode over decades; as a tie rusts it expands, and that expansion is what forces cracks through the surrounding brick or render. The specialist confirms which ties have failed, how many need replacing, and carries out the work without disturbing more of the wall than the findings require.
Where bookings run
Towns and areas across Northern Ireland
Find your town below for detail on wall tie survey cover. A specialist is available throughout Northern Ireland.
No pressure
Book a wall tie survey
Give the address and a few lines on the brickwork, and a specialist covering your area will confirm the visit at the set price.