SERVICES - Home Owners
The majority of homes built in the last hundred years consists of cavity wall construction. This means that there are inner and outer walls (known as leaves) linked together with wall ties. This method gives a warmer and drier home compared to the older solid brick construction.
However unless the ties consist of stainless steel or steel which has been very heavily galvanised, there is a tendency for the ties to rust and making the wall less secure. This corrosion can lead to problematic issues such as bowing of the brickwork and could ultimately lead to the demolition of the wall. Rectifying problems such as this can be very costly. Mild steel wall ties have a shorter life span than brickwork and may need replacing before major repair work is necessary.
Most houses built since the 1980's have been constructed of stainless steel, alloy, heavily galvanised steel or other non-corroding materials to avoid corrosion and the above problems. Houses built before 1980 may need an inspection to clarify the materials used and their present state of corrosion, if any.
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This is where the The Wall Tie Installers Federation can help.
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If you need an inspection, we can help you select one of our Registered Installers to inspect your property and, if required, carry out the necessary wall tie remedial work. Our Installers are experienced in both the diagnosis and remedial treatment of wall ties along with any ancillary work that is required. Once the wall-tie work has been completed, an insured 25 year Warranty can be applied for from the Federation. Ask our Registered Installer about the warranty when the property is being inspected.
Our Warranties cover the property and if the property concerned is sold before the warranty expires, the unexpired term of the warranty can be transferred to the buyer, by simply passing the original Guarantee certificate to the new owner. This ensures peace of mind with regards to the wall tie repair work undertaken.
Use the 'Find an Installer' facility to query the Registered Installer database. Enter your postcode to find a WTIF
Registered Installer active in your area.
If you are considering a house-purchase, a wall tie survey by a Registered Installer should certainly be considered in your preliminary investigations before making an offer. In some areas it may be required as a precondition of a loan.
The availability of the WTIF warranty on completed work provides long term security on work, which, by its nature, is not visible to the customer. The warranty is issued jointly by the member and the Federation and gives the property owner peace of mind for 25 years.
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