Ashford · Kent
Wall tie replacement in Ashford
For landlords with older housing stock in Ashford, wall ties are worth checking before the cracks appear. A short survey on each elevation gives you a clear record and a priced plan if replacement is needed.
Guide price from£2,000per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TN23, TN24
- Population
- about 63,000
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
Why does the ground in Kent matter for wall tie replacement?
Ashford (TN23, TN24) has around 63,000 residents and sits in Kent. If you are just outside Ashford, we also cover Faversham (12 miles), Canterbury (13 miles) and Folkestone (13 miles).
Kent is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Parts of Kent lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Kent: Victorian terraces in the Medway towns, weatherboarded and Wealden houses, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows.
Methods for wall tie replacement
Partial rebuild of the outer leaf
If a section of the outer leaf has bulged too far to be tied back, it is carefully taken down and rebuilt with new ties built in as the work goes up. This is uncommon, and is usually limited to a gable top, a parapet or a panel under a window.
Best for: Outer leaf too distorted to tie back safely
Remedial tie installation
New stainless ties are drilled through the outer leaf into the inner leaf, then fixed by mechanical expansion or resin, depending on the masonry. They are placed to a set grid across each elevation, with extra ties around openings and at the edges. Holes are made good in matching mortar.
Best for: Walls where the original ties have failed or are missing
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.
Report and quote
You receive a written summary of what the survey found on each elevation, which walls need new ties, whether old ties should be isolated or removed, and a no-obligation written quote with scaffold shown separately.
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
- The roof edge or verge lifting slightly above the brickwork
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Ashford
Prices in Ashford are worked out on South East rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace houseest. | £2,000 – £3,900 | per house |
| Semi-detached house | £2,800 – £5,600 | per house |
| Detached houseest. | £3,900 – £7,850 | per house |
| Scaffolding where neededest. | £670 – £2,000 | per elevation |
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
How much should I budget for wall tie replacement in Ashford?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Ashford start from about £2,000 per house, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Ashford?
Yes, Ashford is covered, along with postcode districts TN23, TN24. We also cover nearby Faversham and Canterbury.
Why do houses in Kent crack?
North Kent sits on London Clay, central Kent on Gault and Weald Clays and the Downs on chalk, so shrinkable clay is widespread. East Kent around Deal and Dover had a small deep coalfield, worked until the late 1980s. 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.
Can wall ties be replaced on a rendered house?
Yes, new ties can be fitted through render, with each drill hole made good afterwards. The repairs can show on painted render, so redecoration of the affected elevation is often worth including. Render can also hide the cracking pattern, so a survey matters more.
Related work in Ashford
- Brick arch repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
Wall tie replacement near Ashford
Suspect failed wall ties in Ashford? We offer a free initial assessment from your photos or a call, and a fixed price after the tie survey.