Q. I have been told that my house needs new wall ties. I understand that there are several different types of wall tie that could be used so how do I know which one is the best?

Submitted by: CJ 

A. A very good question. You are basically at the mercy of the specialist contractor who will survey your property and decide which wall tie will be the most suitable to use.

The type of wall tie that should be used is predominantly dictated by the materials used to construct the cavity walls of a property. Over the years a variety of materials have been used to construct cavity walls; for example - brick outer skin/light weight block inner skin, stone work outer/brick inner, brick outer/brick inner, brick outer/clinker block inner etc. It does not end there as there are then different types of brick that require special techniques.

Even having established the materials used in construction different manufacturers then have different ‘variations of a theme’ to tackle what is after all the same problem.

Understandably contractors for their own reasons will have ‘preferred’ suppliers. Prior to commissioning wall tie renewal work it is suggested that you ask the contractors tendering for the job to bring with them a selection of the types of wall tie available to them. Ask them to explain the pros and cons of each type so that you are satisfied in your own mind that the type that will be used is the most suitable. A contractor should be able to bring along at least four or five different types as a minimum.

Obviously remedial wall tie installation is very competitive and you should be on your guard against the contractor who makes one type of wall tie ‘do all’ perhaps because he buys it for a cheap price or perhaps it is the easiest to put in.