Gravesend · Kent
Wall tie replacement in Gravesend
If a mortgage valuation on a Gravesend property has flagged possible wall tie failure, the next step is a tie survey and a written quote. We explain what the borescope found on each elevation and price only the walls that need work.
Guide price from£2,000per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- DA11, DA12
- Population
- about 54,000
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
What is the ground like in Kent?
Postcode districts DA11, DA12 cover Gravesend, a Kent town of about 54,000 people. If you are just outside Gravesend, we also cover Swanscombe (3 miles), Longfield (4 miles) and Strood (6 miles).
Much of Kent sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. 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.
Which repair method suits a home in Gravesend?
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
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
What happens when we carry out wall tie replacement in Gravesend?
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.
Access
Ties are fitted across the whole of each affected elevation, so scaffold or a tower is usually needed above ground floor. We plan access around conservatories, extensions, neighbours’ land and any parking that must be suspended.
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.
Signs you may need wall tie replacement
- A house built before the 1980s on an exposed or coastal site
- Cracked render with a regular horizontal pattern
- Outer brickwork bowing or bulging, often worst near the top
How much will wall tie replacement cost in Gravesend?
These are guide prices for Gravesend, using South East rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| 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.
Wall tie replacement in Gravesend: questions and answers
How much should I budget for wall tie replacement in Gravesend?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Gravesend 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 Gravesend?
Yes, Gravesend is covered, along with postcode districts DA11, DA12. We also cover nearby Swanscombe and Longfield.
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.
Which houses are most at risk of wall tie failure?
Cavity-walled houses built before the 1980s are most at risk, especially those with mild steel ties, black ash mortar or an exposed position. Coastal and hilltop houses, and elevations facing the prevailing weather, tend to fail first.
Will a mortgage lender accept wall tie replacement?
Lenders generally accept properly carried out tie replacement, but they may want to see the survey, the quote or a record of the completed work. If a valuation has flagged wall ties, a written report and itemised quote are usually what the lender or buyer needs next.
Related work in Gravesend
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Crack stitching
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
Wall tie replacement near Gravesend
Our no-obligation written quote for wall ties in Gravesend shows each elevation and the scaffold on its own line, so nothing is bundled together.