Stevenage · Hertfordshire
Wall tie replacement in Stevenage
Plenty of cavity-walled houses, in Stevenage as elsewhere, were built when galvanised steel ties were standard, and those ties are now reaching the end of their life. A survey shows whether yours are sound, thinning or actively swelling and cracking the brickwork.
Guide price from£1,900per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SG1, SG2
- Population
- about 92,000
- Area
- Hertfordshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
Why does the ground in Hertfordshire matter for wall tie replacement?
We cover Stevenage and its postcode districts SG1, SG2, part of Hertfordshire, with a population of roughly 92,000. We also take enquiries from nearby Hitchin (5 miles), Letchworth Garden City (5 miles) and Welwyn Garden City (7 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Hertfordshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Hertfordshire: Garden-city houses in Letchworth and Welwyn, 1930s semis, Victorian terraces and post-war new-town estates.
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Stevenage
The ranges below reflect typical East of England costs for wall tie replacement, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace houseest. | £1,900 – £3,700 | per house |
| Semi-detached house | £2,600 – £5,250 | per house |
| Detached houseest. | £3,700 – £7,350 | per house |
| Scaffolding where neededest. | £630 – £1,900 | per elevation |
Methods for wall tie replacement
Removing old ties and rebedding
On badly cracked elevations the old ties are cut out from the outer face, the joints raked and rebedded, and the brickwork repointed. It is more work than isolation but removes the source of expansion entirely. An engineer or the survey report usually specifies where this is needed.
Best for: Elevations with severe cracking or lifting
Isolating the old ties
Where the old ties are swelling and cracking the brickwork, fitting new ties alone may not stop further damage. Each old tie can be isolated, usually by cutting it through within the cavity or sleeving its outer end, so it can no longer lift the outer leaf as it continues to corrode.
Best for: Thick mild steel ties still causing horizontal cracking
From first photo to finished repair
Tie survey
A metal detector locates the existing ties and shows their pattern. Small holes are then drilled at sample points and a borescope passed into the cavity to see the tie condition, type and embedment. The holes are made good afterwards.
Install the new ties
New stainless ties are drilled and fixed to the specified grid, with closer spacing around windows, doors and the roofline. Sample ties can be pull-tested to confirm they are holding in your particular brick and block.
Deal with the old ties and make good
Old ties are isolated or removed where the report calls for it, cracked joints are raked out and repointed, and drilled holes are filled in matching mortar. A written note of tie positions and findings goes in your property file.
Symptoms that point to wall tie replacement
- Outer brickwork bowing or bulging, often worst near the top
- Horizontal cracks along mortar joints, repeating every few brick courses
- A house built before the 1980s on an exposed or coastal site
Rules for wall tie replacement in England
Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of wall tie replacement in Stevenage?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Stevenage start from about £1,900 per house, including VAT, on East of England rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out wall tie replacement in Stevenage?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Stevenage, including SG1, SG2, and from nearby places such as Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Stevenage cause cracking?
South Hertfordshire around Watford, Borehamwood and Potters Bar is London Clay, while the north and west are chalk with clay-with-flints and the east has boulder clay. The clay areas are prone to seasonal subsidence near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Do the old wall ties have to be removed?
Not always, because thin wire ties that cannot swell are usually left in place once new ties are fitted. Thicker ties that are still expanding and cracking the wall are isolated or removed so they stop causing damage. The survey decides which applies.
Do all walls of the house need new ties?
Not necessarily, because ties often fail on one exposed elevation long before the others. The survey checks each wall, and the quote covers only the elevations where ties have failed or are close to it. Sheltered walls may simply be noted for future checks.
More repairs we carry out in Stevenage
Wall tie replacement near Stevenage
Send photos of any horizontal cracking at your Stevenage property and we will tell you whether a wall tie survey looks worthwhile.