Melksham · Wiltshire
Wall tie replacement in Melksham
Plenty of cavity-walled houses, in Melksham 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£1,850per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SN12
- Population
- about 19,000
- Area
- Wiltshire
- Pricing region
- South West
What should you know about the ground under Melksham?
We cover Melksham and its postcode districts SN12, part of Wiltshire, with a population of roughly 19,000. We also take enquiries from nearby Trowbridge (5 miles), Chippenham (6 miles) and Devizes (6 miles).
Wiltshire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Wiltshire: stone cottages, railway terraces in Swindon, and large post-war and new-build estates.
How we usually approach wall tie replacement
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
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
What happens during wall tie replacement, step by step?
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.
What to look for before calling about wall tie replacement
- The roof edge or verge lifting slightly above the brickwork
- Mortar joints that look wider or opened up on one elevation
- Outer brickwork bowing or bulging, often worst near the top
Wall tie replacement prices in Melksham
The ranges below reflect typical South West 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. | £1,850 – £3,600 | per house |
| Semi-detached house | £2,600 – £5,150 | per house |
| Detached houseest. | £3,600 – £7,200 | per house |
| Scaffolding where neededest. | £620 – £1,850 | 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.
Questions about wall tie replacement in Melksham
What is the price of wall tie replacement in Melksham?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Melksham start from about £1,850 per house, including VAT, on South West 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 Melksham?
Yes, Melksham is covered, along with postcode districts SN12. We also cover nearby Trowbridge and Chippenham.
Does the ground around Melksham cause cracking?
Southern Wiltshire is chalk, while the north around Swindon, Chippenham and Trowbridge sits on Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays that are prone to seasonal movement near trees. Bath stone was mined underground around Corsham. 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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Melksham
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Roof structure repairs
- Crack stitching
Wall tie replacement near Melksham
Suspect failed wall ties in Melksham? We offer a free initial assessment from your photos or a call, and a fixed price after the tie survey.