Realignment of brick arch & masonry lintels & reinforce Archives - Page 2 of 2

Victorian mid-terrace bay window repair

Victorian mid-terrace house bay window generic repair. Victorian mid-terrace house – Generic subsidence and cracking bay window repair

This building was a traditional two-storey mid-terrace domestic residence of Victorian vintage with a pitched tiled roof.

Problem – cracked bay window

The front bay windows showed visible distortion and distress, accompanied by significant cracking to both the main brickwork and brick entrance arches, which had also dropped.

Causation – subsidence

It was clearly evident that the bay window had rotated away from the main building line, owing to subsidence. The bay window’s foundations were shallow compared with those of the main building. This situation had been exacerbated by the close proximity of a tall tree that was further desiccating the clay subsoil, though the subsidence was not deemed severe enough at the time to warrant underpinning.

Bay window repair Solution

The bay window was tied back to the main elevation using stainless steel bed joint reinforcement. This served also to beam up the brickwork and repair the cracking. In addition, the bay was tied back to the two floors behind to provide proper lateral restraint. The arch was pinned up, using stainless steel pins, and resined into the brickwork above. After installation, pointing was raked out, reinstated and tinted to match the existing (see coloured remedial works on our proposal picture).

Arboricultural works were undertaken on the tree (by others), to reduce the crown and accordingly lower its water demand from the underlying clay.

Read our frequently asked questions about bay window structural repairs.

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

Bay window cracking dropping subsidence

Failing Victorian terraced house bay window cracking dropping subsidence – bed joint reinforcement beaming, crack stitching and brickwork repairs

Victorian bay window subsidence repair.

The subject building was a socially-owned Victorian terraced house with significant bay window cracking and rotational movement reported.

Structural engineers had been engaged and their investigation revealed the bay windows’ footing had been affected by leakage from a damaged drain and repairs instigated.

To avoid costly underpinning and new footing, the structural engineers recommended delaying any further works to allow some recovery of the underlying clay to take place.

Thereafter, they recommended that remedial works should be undertaken to include some rebuilding of the rotated brickwork at ground floor and the reconnecting and restraining of the bay window structure at ground and first floor levels with bed joint reinforcement and lateral restraints.

Action Wall Ties designed and completed the remediation works

Our remedial scheme provided a viable repair by introducing bed joint reinforcement beaming, crack stitching and brickwork repairs to reinstate the uniformity of the structure.

To the basement level of the front bay window we provided temporary support and braced the brickwork columns to accommodate the deconstruction of a sufficient amount of distorted brickwork to accommodate the realignment and reconnection of brickwork and masonry elements onto the existing footing.

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair, providing professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems including Victorian bay window cracks and movement including subsidence and other issues in the South East (around Kent 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.

Realigning Masonry on Victorian Bay Windows

Large cracks were clearly visible in the brickwork around the bay windows of this Victorian period property in South, London. Cracked bricks and dropping brickwork arches above the windows signalled the need for specialist structural repair work.

Bay Window Problems

Common problems with Victorian era bay window properties are dropping and sagging of the brick arches and cracked masonry. Insufficient structural strength allows the bay wall to lean away from the main building.

This Victorian period property in South London had clearly visible structural defects. Specialist structural repairs were necessary to save the decorative Victorian brickwork from eventual collapse.

Expert Bay Window Repairs

Realigning cramping equipment specially developed by AWT was used to support the defective brickwork. Hydraulic rams were then employed to gradually realign the distorted masonry, using our tried and trusted methods, developed over many years working with bay window defects.

The remedial work to the dropping and sagging brickwork included:

Installation of stainless steel corded joint reinforcement
Use of AWT bespoke drilling rig with diamond tipped drills
Installation of stainless steel pins to reinforce the window lintels

When the repointing had been completed the beauty of the original Victorian brickwork could be fully appreciated once more.

The innovative structural repair techniques developed by AWT preserved the original facade without the need for demolition and rebuilding. The end result was a cost effective, long term solution to the problem that preserved the period features of the property.

Action Wall Ties offer structural repair services for period properties for clients in the South East, London, Kent & Surrey

Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in bay window repairs to period properties with bespoke solutions including steel corded joint reinforcement. We also offer professional solutions to a wide variety of other structural issues. Contact us on 01227 721 255, or email us.