Farnham · Surrey
Wall tie replacement in Farnham
The first clue to failing wall ties in Farnham is usually a crack pattern: fine horizontal lines every few courses on one elevation. We confirm what is happening inside the cavity with a metal detector and borescope before recommending any new ties.
Guide price from£2,000per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- GU9, GU10
- Population
- about 37,000
- Area
- Surrey
- Pricing region
- South East
Is Surrey prone to ground movement?
Farnham is in Surrey and takes in postcode districts GU9, GU10. About 37,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Aldershot (3 miles), Fleet (5 miles) and Farnborough (6 miles).
Much of Surrey sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Surrey: Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and detached houses in the commuter towns, and post-war estates.
Repair options we may recommend
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
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
What to expect when we carry out wall tie replacement
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.
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.
Is it time for wall tie replacement? Common signs
- Outer brickwork bowing or bulging, often worst near the top
- A house built before the 1980s on an exposed or coastal site
- Mortar joints that look wider or opened up on one elevation
What should you budget for wall tie replacement in Farnham?
The ranges below reflect typical South East 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. | £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.
Your wall tie replacement questions
How much will wall tie replacement cost in Farnham?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Farnham 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.
Do you cover Farnham?
Yes, Farnham is covered, along with postcode districts GU9, GU10. We also cover nearby Aldershot and Fleet.
Is the ground in Surrey prone to subsidence?
North Surrey sits on London Clay, the south on Weald Clay, with chalk along the North Downs and sands in the west. Large gardens with mature trees on clay make seasonal subsidence a familiar problem. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
How do I know if my wall ties have failed?
The clearest sign is horizontal cracking in the mortar joints repeating every few courses, often with a bulge or a lifted roofline. Wire ties can fail with no cracking at all, so a tie survey with a metal detector and borescope is the only reliable check.
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.
Other structural repairs in Farnham
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Underpinning
Wall tie replacement near Farnham
Need a report for a buyer or lender in Farnham? Send us the valuation comment and we will explain what a tie survey and quote would cover.