Remedial Wall Ties: Strength & Stability

In the early 1980s, it was discovered that the corrosion and subsequent failure of wall ties was becoming a common and widespread problem across the UK. This led to a dramatic, lasting increase in the need for remedial wall ties: Twistfix continue to supply a comprehensive collection of high-quality stainless steel remedial wall ties designed to suit all relevant applications.

Before the 1980s, British Standard wall ties were primarily manufactured from mild steel that was protected by a sacrificial zinc coating. Though these ties were predicted to last for as long as the building's lifetime, it was later discovered that they could easily become corroded and cause a major structural issue in as short a time as 26 years.

Wall ties installed prior to the 1980s were generally of two major types.

• Wire Butterfly Ties. Formed by twisting wires of a small diameter into a double loop, wire butterfly ties have little mass. This means that, when they corrode, they usually break up completely without any immediately visible symptoms of structural defect: a bow in the wall is often the first sign that the walls are no longer connected and functioning as a single unit.
• Vertical Twist Ties. Manufactured from heavy flat-steel plate, often with a distinctive 'fishtail' end, vertical twist ties can expand up to seven times their original thickness due to corrosion. This unstoppable expansion can cause brick walls to split and crack in a horizontal direction along the mortar joints, causing serious damage and negatively impacting on structural stability. 

When corrosion (or other issue such as improper installation) causes an existing wall tie system to fail, replacement wall ties represent a crucial aspect of a remedial solution. Twistfix are expert suppliers of all kinds of stainless-steel remedial wall ties designed to strengthen and stabilise vulnerable cavity wall structures.

As part of our 'British Made for the Building Trade' range of products, you can discover the complete collection of wall ties available from Twistfix on our website. You may also find our Professional Guide to Wall Tie Replacement useful reading.