Boston · Lincolnshire
Wall tie replacement in Boston
Horizontal cracking on a Boston house is easy to mistake for subsidence. Rusting wall ties leave a much more regular pattern, though, and telling the two apart early saves time, money and an unnecessary insurance claim.
Guide price from£1,750per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE21
- Population
- about 45,000
- Area
- Lincolnshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
Is Lincolnshire prone to ground movement?
Boston (PE21) has around 45,000 residents and sits in Lincolnshire. Nearby places we cover include Spalding (14 miles), Sleaford (16 miles) and Skegness (19 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Lincolnshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Lincolnshire: Victorian terraces in Lincoln and Grimsby, fenland brick houses, seaside bungalows and post-war estates.
Wall tie replacement prices in Boston
For Boston we use East Midlands rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace houseest. | £1,750 – £3,450 | per house |
| Semi-detached house | £2,450 – £4,900 | per house |
| Detached houseest. | £3,450 – £6,850 | per house |
| Scaffolding where neededest. | £590 – £1,750 | per elevation |
How we usually approach 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
What happens during wall tie replacement, step by step?
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.
What to look for before calling about wall tie replacement
- Cracked render with a regular horizontal pattern
- The roof edge or verge lifting slightly above the brickwork
- Mortar joints that look wider or opened up on one 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.
Questions about wall tie replacement in Boston
How much will wall tie replacement cost in Boston?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Boston start from about £1,750 per house, including VAT, on East Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Boston?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Boston, including PE21, and from nearby places such as Spalding and Sleaford. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in Lincolnshire prone to subsidence?
Lincolnshire has Lias, Oxford and Kimmeridge clays on the vales, chalk on the Wolds and soft silts and peat in the fens around Boston and Spalding. Fen ground and clay can both settle or shrink in dry years. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
Is wall tie failure covered by insurance?
Usually not, because insurers treat it as gradual deterioration. Damage caused by a sudden event, such as part of a wall collapsing in a storm, may be treated differently under some policies. Check your policy wording, and tell your insurer if you are unsure.
Other structural repairs in Boston
Wall tie replacement near Boston
Send photos of any horizontal cracking at your Boston property and we will tell you whether a wall tie survey looks worthwhile.