STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE

Building Works

Danford Brewer & Ives are structural maintenance specialists in Yorkshire, Teesside & North East England. Buildings can be damaged through ground movements, subsidence, corrosion, environmental factors and more, so it’s important to understand when your property is in need of structural maintenance or repair work.

If you believe your home is suffering from structural issues, the expert team at Danford, Brewer & Ives is here to help. We can perform structural surveys to identify the cause and extent of the damage, before recommending the best repair options for the building.

Our team can carry out a wide range of structural maintenance work, including cavity wall tie replacement, masonry reinforcement, and more. We can also recommend the services of qualified professionals for any work we cannot carry out.

STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE

Sometimes cracks can appear in buildings because of movement. This can happen for many different reasons, including recent building work, foundation movement, or perhaps the corrosion of cavity wall ties.

Structural damage is a serious issue that needs to be addressed quickly, or else damage can worsen, spread and result in dangerous structural hazards forming within your property.

As there are so many possibilities why the movement has occurred, your property will most likely need to be thoroughly inspected by a fully qualified structural engineer.

Once the engineer has found the cause of the problem, Danford Brewer & Ives will begin work to provide the best solution to the problem.

An example of some of the repair work Danford, Brewer & Ives can undertake is:

  • Cavity Wall Tie Replacement
  • Lateral Restraint for walls, floors and roofs
  • Masonry Reinforcement
  • Lintel Repairs
  • Timber Resin Repairs or Reinforcement

What Can Cause Structural Damage to Buildings?

Structural maintenance may be required for a large number of reasons. Buildings can be damaged by ground movements, by flooding, corrosion, and more, so it’s important that you ensure your home is well maintained, and that you look for early signs of damage.

The most common causes of structural damage to buildings include:

  • Ground movement
  • Subsidence
  • Broken, damaged or corroded cavity wall ties
  • Flooding or water ingress
  • Decaying or broken timbers
  • Damaged or corroded masonry or brickwork
  • Impacts or collisions
  • Wet or dry rot
  • Rising or penetrating damp

How Can You Spot Structural Damage?

In the case of impact events or fierce storms, structural damage may appear quickly and be easily identifiable. After all, it will be obvious if you have roof tiles hanging loose or holes in your wall.

In most cases however, structural damage to a home is more likely to be caused by gradual subsidence or ground movement, the slow corrosion of support structures such as cavity wall ties or the decay of timbers.

This is much more difficult to spot, so it’s important to understand what could be a sign of structural damage, and what needs the attention of structural maintenance specialists such as Danford Brewer & Ives.

Here are the most common signs of structural damage to look for:

  • Cracks in the walls or plaster
  • Disturbed masonry or bricks
  • Crumbling concrete or masonry
  • Broken or decaying timbers
  • Bulging or uneven walls, ceilings or floors
  • Doors or windows failing to close properly
  • Signs of damp or mould

There may be one single cause for the problem or a number of mitigating factors contributing to the damage. The team at Danford Brewer & Ives can arrange for a thorough survey of your home if you suspect that structural maintenance work might be needed.

What Structural Maintenance Work Can Be Carried Out?

Buildings of all ages are subject to movement or have design or workmanship defects. Such problems can result in unstable facades or cracked and damaged structural members. Danford Brewer & Ives offers a range of proven repair options that, if introduced in good time, can help you avoid the need for costly rebuilding.

Our strengthening and restraint methodologies are applicable for all types of brick structures including traditional load-bearing brickwork and modern brick-clad buildings. In determining the correct method of repair, we take account of the variable nature of the base materials and utilise appropriate fixing technologies to ensure that loads are properly transferred between the structural elements.

Let’s take a look at the most common structural maintenance work in more detail.

Cavity Wall Tie Replacement

Cavity wall ties are used to connect inner and outer walls together, and they are essential components of a structurally sound building. However, cavity wall ties can corrode or shift position over time, leading to bulging walls, cracked brickwork or worse. If cavity wall ties are damaged, they need to be replaced by a professional.

Lateral Restraints

Lateral restraints are supports (often made from timber) that can be used to strengthen walls that are suffering from what’s called ‘lateral movement’. This occurs when walls begin to bow or move away from their intended position. Lateral restraints provide extra support that halts further movement and strengthens the structure of a building.

Masonry Reinforcement

Masonry Reinforcement is a type of repair work that provides walls with extra support against subsidence, ground movement, or anything else that can cause masonry to shift. There are several different reinforcement options available, and a professional can suggest the best solution for your needs.

Lintel Repairs

Lintels are installed around openings in masonry walls, such as windows or doors, providing strength and support to these weakened areas of a structure. Lintels may be constructed from masonry, timbers, metals or other sturdy materials. If lintels fail, they can cause structures to shift or even collapse, so it’s essential that they are repaired or replaced when necessary.

Timber Resin Repairs or Reinforcement

Timbers are an important structural element of many buildings, but over time they can fail, decay or suffer damage. If important timbers start to sag or break completely, you can be faced with serious structural issues. If caught early on, many timbers can be repaired and strengthened through the use of ‘timber resins’. Additional timbers can also be installed to provide added support to a building. In extreme cases, timbers that have failed need to be removed and replaced entirely.

If you have any concerns about the structural state of your home, please contact Danford Brewer & Ives for our expert advice.

Qualified structural engineers can be recommended or arranged by Danford Brewer & Ives. Their services will be quoted for prior to surveys being carried out.

Book Your Site Survey With Danford Brewer & Ives Now

OUR BUILDING WORKS PROCESS

contact

CONTACT US

Complete the enquiry form below or call us directly to discuss your damp or timber problem. On this call, we will arrange to visit you and survey your property. There is a small fee for the site survey, which will be confirmed on the call. If you proceed with the full works, this fee is refundable against any further works carried out.

survey

SITE SURVEY

One of our qualified team will visit your property at an agreed time and date. We will assess the problem and determine the best solution. Once we understand the root cause of the problem we can creat a suitable plan to fix it. Following the site survey we will provide you with a written report and quotation.

fix

WE FIX IT

Once you are happy for the works to proceed we will then arrange a convenient time and date with you to carry out the specialist works as per the quotation. Most specialist works are usually completed within a couple of days and involve minimal disruption. Our team will keep you fully up to date on the works progress during this time.

after care

AFTERCARE

In order for the guarantee to be activated all of the specialist works need to be signed off. A comprehensive checklist will be completed and signed off by both our team & yourself to make sure you are fully satisfied with the works. Following the sign off, where appropriate, the works can be fully guaranteed.

AREAS WE COVER:

We have regional staff in Yorkshire, Teesside, and North East.
  • DARLINGTON
  • HALIFAX
  • HARROGATE
  • HUDDERSFIELD
  • ILKLEY
  • STOCKTON-ON-TEES
  • MIDDLESBROUGH
  • RIPON
  • SELBY
  • SKIPTON
  • WAKEFIELD
  • YORK