Spalling brickwork,pointing & masonry Archives

Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

Failing Stone Corbel Supports & Distorted Bay Window

The first floor masonry of this 1930s mock Tudor house in Hounslow, West London, was being supported with temporary props. The 2 stone corbels that are vital to support the jettied first floor masonry were failing, leaving the upper storey without adequate support.

Cracks had formed inside and outside the property and the masonry was becoming distorted.

The Structural Problem

crumbling support corbels - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

failing support corbels - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

Hounslow corbel failing - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

stone corbel failing - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

Crumbling Support Corbels

Failing Support Corbels

Corbel Failing

Stone Corbel Failing

This West London home was in a serious condition when AWT was called in. Temporary props were in place to support the upper storey masonry because the stone supports had failed. The mild steel within the corbel stones had rusted and expanded causing these vital supports to crumble. The knock-on effect of the failing corbels included distortion and cracking around the bay window.

As with many properties that AWT is called in to repair, the property showed signs of previous cosmetic repairs that had failed to address the structural issues.

The Structural Repair Solution

corbel structural repairs - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

mock tudor corbel replacement - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

new stone corbels - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

london corbel replacement - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

replacement stone corbel - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property

Corbel Structural Repairs

Mock Tudor Corbel Replacement

New Stone Corbels

Corbel Replacement London

Replacement Stone Corbel

The corbels – the stone support brackets – were beyond repair. The team at AWT made replacement masonry corbel stones that replicated the shape of the originals. The new corbel stones were manufactured in cast limestone with high-quality stainless steel reinforcing bars to provide a long lasting solution that will resist spalling.

AWT installed additional temporary supports before removing the old corbels stones, checking the surrounding brickwork and making it ready for the replacement stones. Despite the serious nature of the structural defect, the impact on the internal finishes was kept to a minimum. The ground floor front room wall and ceiling, including sections of the fibrous cornice, were cut away in the immediate area of the corbels to accommodate the repair works.

The new supports were then installed, the disturbed brickwork was repointed and the small area of disturbed render was repaired. Internally the areas of disturbed plaster were made good, leaving it ready for redecoration.

Bed joint reinforcement was also employed to restore the structural integrity of the bay window brickwork that had suffered distortion due to the inadequately supported weight of the upper storey masonry.

failing stone supports 300x225 - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property — Before Corbel Repairs

stone corbel replaced 300x225 - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property — After Corbel Repairs

West london tudor bay repairs 300x225 - Crumbling Stone Corbels on Mock Tudor Property — After Reinforcement & Crack Repairs

Action Wall Ties are specialist structural repair contractors with the skills required to replace failing stone corbel supports on period and heritage properties. AWT works 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.

Bay Window with Severe Deterioration

The brickwork of this mid-terraced Victorian/Edwardian era home in the Stratford, E11 area of London had reached a critical condition. The severe nature of the building’s defects required a combination of specialist structural repair techniques.

The Structural Problem

Without urgent structural repairs, the bay window masonry of this period property would collapse. Symptoms of the severe masonry defects were:

Front bay windows visibly bowing outward
Severe deterioration of bricks in the bay window pillars
Crumbling, spalling bricks
Distorted cracked stonework
Cracking brickwork
Failing, spalled pointing
Cracked front entrance concrete step
Significant cracking and dropping of brick arch lintels

The problems had been caused by ageing, seasonal moisture, thermal expansion and contraction and inadequate restraining of the masonry due to the building methods of the era.

The Structural Repair Solution

Traditional building methods would have required major deconstruction and rebuilding works. AWTs advanced methods allowed the property to be repaired with only one brick pillar requiring rebuilding. This saved the property owner from long, disruptive building works. The property was able to be occupied throughout the repair works. AWT provided a long-lasting, cost-effective structural repair.

Temporary supports were installed to the underside of the ground floor bay window lintels and capital to enable the removal of the right hand column up to the stone capital and the cracked distorted brick corner below the cill.

Stainless steel corded joint reinforcements were installed to form a deep masonry beam. This redistributes the upper-storey loads and restrains diagonal cracking and bulging tendencies.

The bay window brickwork was reconnected to the main brickwork by the installation of remedial grouted helical bars. An angled steel spine reinforcing with welded ties to restrain the rebuilt brickwork column was fabricated and installed. The brickwork column was realigned and rebuilt with all new bricks.

New stainless steel remedial ties were screwed and resin bonded in place to connect the timber frame to the masonry. Steel pins were installed to stitch the brick arches above the rear windows to restore structural integrity.

The stone front step and other stonework had damaged areas cut away and repaired with Flexcrete concrete repair system. Damaged bricks were refaced where possible, badly damaged bricks were replaced and failing pointing was raked out and replaced.

The replacement bricks, pointing style and mortar mixture were matched for both texture and colour. The property was left ready for the stonework to be repainted.

Read our frequently asked questions about bay window structural repairs.

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair, including urgent masonry stabilisation and repair. We provide professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems for homeowners in London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Contact us on 01227 721 255, or email us.

1950s style two-storey semi

Wall tie treatment and weather struck re-pointing to 1950s style two-storey semi-detached house of the type typical of Kent and London.

The subject property comprised a 1950s style two-storey semi-detached house of cavity wall brick construction.

Structural Problems with these wall ties

The existing wall ties viewed were found to be mild steel vertical twist ties, commonly known as fishtail ties. The wall ties were found to be heavily corroded, fractured and delaminated.

The corrosion of the embedded mild steel wall ties had resulted in the forming of ferrous oxide, which had expanded to many times its original thickness, lifting and cracking the brickwork.

Solution for a wall tie repair and replacement

AWT completed a remedial programme providing a viable repair through the introduction of a pattern of remedial wall ties and isolating the existing ties, together with general brickwork repairs and weather struck re-pointing.

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair, providing professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems in Kent and London. Contact us on 01227 721 255, or email us.

Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing

Grade 2 Listed Building Remedial Reinforcing

Grade 2* listed Spa Green Estate in London EC1, designed by Bertholt Lubetkin. Extensive remedial reinforcing including work to the hit and miss vents, brick slips and widespread brickwork repairs.

Spa Green Estate is a public housing estate in central London designed by Bertholt Lubetkin and Grade 2* listed in 1998.

It is widely viewed as being the finest example of public housing of its type, but remedial works were required and Action Wall Ties were engaged to undertake elements of the project.

Extensive remedial reinforcing was required including work to the hit and miss vents, brick slips and widespread brickwork repairs.

AWT operatives were made aware of the importance of the buildings and accordingly ensured that all works were carried out with the appropriate level of care and respect for the structure, and were completed to be sympathetic with the Grade II* facade all to the approval of English Heritage.

Long Lasting Structural Repairs

The After photos in the gallery below shows the building 14 years after the work was completed. This shows the quality of workmanship provided by AWT.

SpaGreen Listed works 300x225 - Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing — During Remedial Work

SpaGreen Listed C1 300x225 - Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing — After Remedial Work

SpaGreen Listed C3 300x225 - Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing — After Remedial Work

SpaGreen Listed C2 225x300 - Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing — After Remedial Work

SpaGreen Listed C4 225x300 - Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing — After Remedial Work

SpaGreen Listed C5 225x300 - Grade 2 listed building remedial reinforcing — After Remedial Work

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair, providing professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems on Grade 2 Listed Buildings in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London. Contact us on 01227 721 255, or email us.

Bay window with cracking and spalled pointing

Victorian terraced house bay window problems with cracking and spalled pointing – bed joint reinforcement beaming, lateral restraints, grout tie injection and resin bonded ties and repointing

The subject building was a traditionally built mid-terraced domestic Victorian/Edwardian residence with cracking to the front bay window and spalling pointing to the rear elevation.

Bay Window Problem

Some visible rotational bulging and cracking movement was noted to the front bay window, distortion and spreading of the supporting brickwork, and the dropping and cracking of masonry lintels was also noted.

The movement noted was clearly progressive, due to ineffective and inadequate restraining.

Bay Window Repair Solution

AWT’s remedial scheme provided a viable repair by introducing bed joint reinforcement beaming, lateral restraints, grout tie injection and resin bonded ties to reinstate the uniformity of the wall and provide restraint.

As indicated with red double dotted lines on our proposal 1, we introduced two rows of twin 8mm stainless steel corded joint reinforcement, forming a deep masonry beam.

As indicated with green parallel lines on our proposal 1, formation of the beam and reconnecting the bay window elevational brickwork. To accomplish this we diamond drilled a 20mm hole through the right hand elevation, chased into the main elevation and installed a grouted 8mm helical bar.

As indicated with green parallel lines on our proposal 1, we drilled for, and installed, grouted or driven 8mm helical stainless steel pins through the window reveals on both sides at ground floor level to tie back to the main elevation. In accordance with data specification sheet TLR 09 Appendix C.

As indicated with yellow stars on our proposal 1, in conjunction with the beams, we drilled for, and screwed, 8mm stainless steel lateral restraints into the floor joists and resin bonded to the masonry. In accordance with data specification sheet TRB 02 & 04 Appendix C

Making Good – Concrete Repairs

As indicated with blue lines on our proposal 1, we raked out the cracks and made good with, a concrete repair mortar system.

To the cracks to the spandrel brickwork scheduled for reinforcement listed above, we raked out the existing cracked mortar and repaired with new coloured sand and cement mortar to approximately 20mm in depth.

As indicated within the blue lines on our proposal 1, we raked out 20mm of the existing spalling pointing and re-point with coloured sand, lime and cement mortar to approximately 20mm in depth with rubbed-in finish.

Action Wall Ties have developed methods and trained skilled experienced operatives to strive to finish our works to be sympathetic with the existing by attempting to match replacement bricks, pointing style and mortar mixture for texture and colour.

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in structural defect remediation, masonry reinforcement and repair, providing professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems. Greater London, Essex, Sussex and Kent are all covered by the professional structural repair services of Action Wall Ties. Contact us on 01227 721 255, or email us.

Cracking Museum Courtyard Walls

This Grade II listed mansion in London W1 is now a national museum housing the Wallace Collection. AWT were called in to repair cracked brickwork in the courtyard walls. The brickwork repairs on this heritage building needed to provide a cost effective, long term solution while preserving the appearance of the red brick and render walls.

The subject building in central London, known as Hertford House, dates from the 1770s and features red brick and render courtyard walls.

As part of a major refurbishment cracking to the front courtyard walls was to be addressed.

Working with the main contractor and architects we proposed and completed remedial works including bed joint reinforcement, brickwork repairs and render finish repairs.

AWT used their specialist structural repair techniques to restore structural integrity without the need for visible fixings or slow, costly rebuilding work. The beauty of the red brick and render finish was preserved.

Action Wall Ties are structural repair contractors with the specialist skills required for listed buildings. AWT work along with architects, project managers and local authorities to preserve historic buildings.

AWT are available for large and small projects in London, Kent, 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.

Replacement of Failing Timber Lintels

This low rise apartment block in the North West of London had severe distortion in 2 of the large support lintels. These failing wooden lintels were supporting the stone corbels and brickwork above. There was also deterioration of the brickwork piers including cracked and spalled bricks and cracks in the plinth render.

Failing Timber Lintels in Occupied Apartment Block

The remedial work on entrance hall of this London Soho low rise apartment block was carried out with the residents still in situ. The work was carefully planned to ensure the safety and security of the residents.

Temporary support was provided by specialist props and bracing. This required removal of a section of the stone cornice with a specialist diamond chain saw. The stone cornice and timber beams were then removed.

Installation of New Timber Beams

The remedial work included:

Installation of new timber beams
Realignment of the stone cornice & making good the disturbed brickwork
Spalled bricks were resurfaced
Defective pointing was replaced with colour matched mortar
Damaged render on the plinths was cut away and made good with a specialist concrete repair mortar system.

AWT provided a long lasting and cost effective structural repair with the minimum of inconvenience to the residents. The buildings facade was left ready for decoration to restore it to its former glory.

AWT provide structural repairs for low rise blocks of flats and period properties in London plus the whole of Essex, Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Contact AWT today to discuss how our structural repair skills could save you time and money in the long term compared to cosmetic repairs by a traditional builder. To book a time for one of our surveyors to visit your property, call us today on 01227 721255, email us at enquiries@actionwallties.co.uk or use our contact form to get in touch.

Rendered Victorian Terrace with Bulging and Sagging Brickwork

Victorian Terrace with Bulging and Dropping Brickwork

This Victorian terraced home with rendered brickwork in Walthamstow, East London was suffering with dropping and outward bowing of the brickwork.

The Problem

This rendered Victorian terrace home in Walthamstow, London E17, was suffering with significant distortion of the masonry. It also had dropping and outward bowing movement of the brickwork on the upper floor.

The left hand side external brickwork had bulged outward from the centre first floor. Internal movement to the junction of the dividing wall and external wall was also noted.

If structural repairs are sought early enough, AWTs specialist repair techniques may allow for repairs without removing render/pebble dash finishes. However, due to the advanced structural issues with this property, it was necessary to remove the render.

The Solution

The first step, after the initial survey, was to carefully remove the render finish on the front elevation to expose the underlying brickwork. As well as giving access to the brickwork this also allowed for a secondary survey to ensure there were no further issues with the masonry.

Our remedial work included:

Bed Joint Reinforcement Beaming
Crack Stitching
Fenestration Lintel Repair
Lateral Restraints
Grout Tie Injection
Brickwork Repairs
Realignment and Pinning of the Coping Stones

The repair work was designed to reinstate the uniformity of the walls and provide restraint in order to restore the tensile strength of the brickwork. It was also necessary to reconnect the main elevational brickwork to the brick internal dividing and party walls.

Action Wall Ties used specialist drilling rigs that enable precision drilling. State-of-the-art stainless steel fixings were then installed within the framework of the building. These techniques have been designed to deal with the root cause of structural faults rather than just provide a short-term cosmetic fix.

Carefully matched coloured sand and cement mortar was used to make good the drill holes. As can be seen in the photo, there are no visible fixings once repair works are complete. The exposed brickwork is left clean, tidy and ready for repointing. The facade of the house can either be left as exposed brick or the render can be replaced if desired.

AWT’s specialist skills allowed these serious structural faults to be repaired quickly and economically. No long and costly rebuilding work was required.

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair. AWT can advise on structural repairs to properties with render, pebble dash and spar dash. We provide professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems for home owners in East London as well as the rest of London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Contact us on 01227 721 255, email us or use our contact form.

Bulging and Cracking Ornate Bay Window

This Victorian/Edwardian terraced home in Lewisham SE4 was suffering with structural defects that were causing cracks in the decorative work around the bay windows as well as bowing brickwork.

The Structural Problem

The beautiful decorative moulding around the bay windows of this terraced home in South East London was cracking. Even more worryingly, the brickwork of the bay window was visibly bulging and rotating away from the main part of the house. Inside the house there were cracks appearing in the internal party wall.

Action Wall Ties were called in to find a permanent solution to the structural issues while preserving the period features of the property.

The Structural Repair Solution

The AWT’s survey team diagnosed inadequate restraint of the bay window and a point loading issue with the party wall. Reinforcement of the masonry and a redistribution of the load on the party wall was required.

AWT have an arsenal of techniques at their disposal that are not available to traditional builders. This allows them to repair structural defects without rebuilding works.

Following a thorough survey, the following techniques were selected to restore the structural integrity:

Bed Joint Reinforcement Beaming
Crack Stitching
Grout Tie Injection
Lateral Restraints
Concrete and Brickwork Repairs

The specialist tools and equipment developed by AWT allows them to repair structural defects without compromising the look of a period property such as this.

A twin diamond bladed machine with attached vacuum was used for precision drilling prior to the installation of rows of twin 8mm stainless steel corded joint reinforcements. This helped to redistribute the weight of the upper storey to those parts of the supporting structure best able to carry them. It also assisted in restraining diagonal cracking and bulging.

8mm stainless steel lateral restraints screwed into the floor joists’ bresummer beam and resin bonded to the masonry provided further lateral restraint.

Localised cracks in the brickwork were stitched together using stainless steel fixings embedded out of sight within the brickwork.

Any patches of defective masonry were cut away and the areas were repaired using Flexcrete – a specialist repair substrate.

The finishing touches included colour matching any replacement bricks and ensuring the pointing style and mortar mixture matched the existing texture and colour.

AWT’s specialist skills allowed these serious structural faults to be repaired quickly and economically without damaging the character of the period features.

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair. We provide professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems for home owners in Lewisham and the whole of London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Contact us on 01227 721 255, email us or use our contact form.