Customer Stories

Urgent Realignment & Reinforcement of Brick Bay Window Columns

When the AWT team inspected this Victorian / Edwardian mid-terrace house in the London Borough of Lambeth it was a familiar story. Previous attempts to repair leaning brick bay window columns, cracked brickwork and dropped brickwork arches had failed. Without appropriate action, the front of the property would collapse.

The failed repairs, including repointing, had only provided a temporary cosmetic repair. The underlying structural issues had not been addressed, so the bay window columns continued to distort, cracks reopened and the brickwork arches sagged again.  A long-term structural repair solution was required.

Read our frequently asked questions about bay window structural repairs.

The Structural Problem

Cracked bay window cills & bricks

Bay window-dropping brick arches

Collapsing brick bay window

Cracking bay window cills

 

Like many bay window period properties in Central London, inadequate restraining of the masonry combined with the effects of ageing had allowed movement and deformation of the brickwork over a long period of time. This property had reached the point where structural collapse was a real risk.

Significant outward rotational movement of the front bay windows’ brickwork and brickwork arches was clearly visible. Wide cracks had opened up in the window cills. Inside the property, cracks had opened up in the walls and ceilings. The outward-leaning brickwork columns together with cracked, fractured and dropped brickwork arches to the first and second-floor bays combined to seriously compromise the structural integrity of the entire front of the property.

The Structural Repair Solution

Like many 3-storey period properties in South London, this mid-terrace had been converted into flats. Any structural repair solution needed to minimise disruption to the tenants.

Reinforced brick bay window columns

Repairs to cracked bay window cills & bricks

Repairs to bay window cracks

Repairs to bay dropping brick arches

 

AWT designed a programme of remedial works that would tackle the underlying structural defects and add tensile strength to the masonry. The work included:

1. Installation of temporary supports
2. Realignment of brickwork columns & arches using AWT-designed hydraulic equipment
3. Installation of stainless steel bed joint reinforcement
4. Reconnecting the bay window  brickwork to the main elevation by precision drilling to install grouted helical bars
5. Installation of steel lateral restraints into the timber joists and resin bonded to the masonry

These structural repairs redistributed the upper-storey loads to those parts of the supporting structure below, which are best able to carry them. They also restrained any diagonal cracking and bulging of the brickwork.

AWT’s specialist techniques preserved the period masonry and stonework. Disturbed areas of mortar were replaced with fresh mortar that matched the existing colour and texture. The decorative stonework was left ready for repainting.

Action Wall Ties are structural repair experts. We have specialist skills in the realignment and reinforcement of period bay window columns. AWT work along with property owners, architects, project managers and local authorities on large and small projects.

AWT are available in Kent, London, Essex, Surrey and Sussex. To arrange a survey or to discuss project details, please use our contact form, email us or call us on 01227 721 255.