Masonry Repairs South West London
Newman’s were called upon by a London based shop fitting contractor who regularly use our specialist services for masonry repairs, to diagnose the cause of cracking and bowing to the masonry of a small shop that they were renovating.
A Structural Survey was carried out by one of our in house surveyors based in our Hammersmith office nearby as time was a key factor in the procurement of the contract which is often the case when working with contractors.
Structural Defects were noted across the property and needed urgent attention to prevent extensive damage to the masonry. Bowing Walls were evident across the gable elevation as well as Lintel Failure and Cracking due to minor settlement of the foundations.
As well as the Lintel Failure and Bowing of the masonry the pointing to the front elevation was in terrible condition along with spalling of the brick faces caused by moisture penetration creating a freeze thaw cycle blowing the brick faces off during the winter months.
Separation of the front elevation from the gable elevation had also occurred requiring reinforcement and tying back to prevent further outward movement and twisting which has the potential to lead to collapse if ignored.
Being a Twistfix registered contractor we have access to a range of products which enable us to carry out modern methods of masonry repair which save time and money compared to traditional remove and rebuild techniques most trades persons prefer to adopt.
The lintel failure was repaired using 9mm Twistfix helical wire reinforcing the Bed Joint essentially creating lintels within the masonry combined with the patented 450mm CD vertical pinning ties which are installed vertically through the bricks in the lintel tying into sound masonry.
The bowing walls were tied into floor joists using Twistfix Lateral Restraint Ties which are installed through the external masonry using only a 12mm drill hole which enabled us to complete the installation of the ties within one day compared to around 3-4 days for traditional methods.
Masonry Beams and Crack Stitches were installed to reinforce the upper corner and to tie the front elevation to the gable elevation as well as distributing structural loads. This method of repair is often used in instances where settlement of the foundations has occurred and movement is no longer on going.
The front elevation was repointed with a specialist lime mortar and the bricks refaced using a hard wearing rapid setting mortar. With the bricks refaced a brick tint was applied ensuring the bricks new brick faces would go barely un-noticed.
To prevent further spalling due to freeze thaw cycle Twistfix stormdry masonry protection cream was applied which provides a permanent barrier repelling water from the façade.
Being one of the only structural repair contractors actually based in London and working on this type of property on a regular basis we were able to complete the contract in only 7 days with 2 of our teams carrying out the works.
Newman’s can help to diagnose structural defects, cracking and movement by arranging a free Structural Survey, contact the South East’s leading structural repair specialists for Help, Advice and peace of mind Call 0333 444 0154 or Email info@newmans.com
