Common Q&A about Property Structural issues

There are so many questions to ask when it comes to structural damage. We want to take the time to answer some of those questions to put your mind at ease. There is not a lot worse than the thought, 'is my home safe?'

What is considered a structural problem?

Simply put, structural problems can be anything that affects the structural reliability of your house. They can be caused by anything from a poor design or build, to structural faults developed since your house was built.  Subsidence, wall movement and cracking can happen over time.

 

How do I know if my property has structural damage?

Your property likely has structural damage if you notice the following: Doors and windows won't open or close smoothly. Doors and windows won't lock properly. Doors and windows are separating from the wall.

Who can assess for structural damage?

If the building has been subjected to abnormal loads from flooding or impact, the condition of the structure and its ability to continue supporting normal loads should be assessed by a structural engineer. 

Can structural issues be fixed?

Fixing structural issues can be very expensive if left to get worse. Though you might not have to pay the whole cost yourself. If you have homeowners insurance, your insurer might be obligated to cover some of this.  There are many methods to cater for each kind of structural issue. We specialize in manufacturing and installing structural repair solutions and have done for over 30 years. Take a look at some of the solutions here on this link, structural solutions.

Can you claim structural damage on insurance?

Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your property. Garages, sheds and fences are also covered, as well as the cost of replacing items such as pipes, cables and drains. Your insurance should cover the full cost of rebuilding your house.  However make sure to check your policy thoroughly. 

 If you have any questions for the team feel free to email seanqueenan@targetfixings.co.uk call up for a chat about any structural issues or go to the Technical Forum and ask any technical questions that you would like to enquire about.

This week on the Road with Target Structural Cotswolds

This week me and Harry have been working at Swindon Magistrates Court.  The internal courtyard required crack stitching as you can see in the pictures below.  Crack stitching is a fantastic way to stop further cracking and subsidence. This is the work we were referring to in last weeks blog that was using Calcium Silicate Bricks. We started by cutting with my Makita 9 inch angle grinder. It is perfect for this work, I cut a slot of between 25 mm - 35 mm and making sure there is a distance of at least 500 mm each side of the cracks.  As you can see below I was installing over the top of windows as well to reinforce the masonry to stop the pressure from effecting that fixture due to cracking.  When cutting I use a vacuum attached to the grinder to stop unwanted dust being expelled everywhere.  For this I use the Starmix Safeplus I Pulse Certified M Class Vacuum attached to a dust free grinder hood. Does the job a treat and saves on tidy up, so would highly recommend!

After this I hoover out the slots to remove the dust and then wash the slots out so no residue is left. Then it is time to cut the Bar Flex and dry fit it to make sure of a good application. For this job I am using 6 mm Bar Flex which I cut to size and when I know it is a good fit, it is time to install. For this I run a bead of Bond Flex into the back of the slot. Bar Flex has a CE Declaration of Performance and UKCA Declaration of Performance so it really does the job! I then fit the Bar Flex in and using the Bond Flex Gun again seal it with a layer over the top over the bar.  Then using my pointing trowel, point up and hey presto! The reinforcement is in place, the pointing makes it look like no work has been done and the masonry is reinforced. 

My team and I used this technique all round the courtyard, it took 5 days to get the whole job done.  This was an add on job due to how good the job we done with the wall tie replacement and it is always great to get a job done!

Thursday I took a trip over to Lechlade to perform a survey for a Lintel repair over a PVC window.  These can be interesting jobs as with Bar Flex you can reinforce the failed lintel without having to replace it! So I look forward to giving the solution the clients structural issues to make sure they have their masonry sorted out! 

Friday I took a trip up to Thame at The Oxfordshire Golf and Spa Hotel to attend a CPD Event put on by Target Structural Chiltern Regional Director Chris Knight, with a presentation from Target Fixings Director Christian Hall. A really good presentation with free breakfast to go with it! It is always great to meet others in the same industry, like minded and good conversation on the trade.

I had a lovely end to the week going to the Cotswolds Wildlife Park, which I would also highly recommend!

This week brings new Surveys for Bowing Walls, a Drain Survey, Quarterly meetings and all the usual fun for a Regional Director!  Look forward to speaking to you next week, have a good week everyone!

Robert Balanel

Cotswolds Regional Director 

A week in the life of Target Structural Cotswolds

I am Robert Balanel and I am the Regional Director for Target Structural Cotswolds.  We cover Wiltshire and Gloucestershire performing Structural repairs to all kinds of properties.

The last 7 days we have been working at Swindon Magistrates Court.  Because of the nature of what happens there works can only take place at night.  We have been carrying out the replacement of wall ties which we have been using Target Fixings Dri Flex which is perfect for wall tie replacement.  This week began with one of my team Harry and myself repairing the silicone around all of the windows and doors.  Where the existing wall ties had failed it had caused movement as moisture and vapour had got in. We stripped all of the old silicone and replaced it all. This took 3 days to carry out.

We then moved onto the task of filling all the holes from previous wall ties and the holes from the scaffolding.  For this we used Target Fixings Polyester Resin while also using brick dust to colour match the wall leaving no cosmetic damage and is aesthetically pleasing.  This was approximately 500 holes to fill with Resin and is an important job as the moisture and vapour can cause mould. On Friday we were rectifying protruding wall ties.  To do this remove the brick chopping out and pull the wall tie out. We then replace the brick back in place and re-point so it looks like no works have been carried out!

This week going forward we are looking forward to working in the internal courtyard at the magistrates court.  We will be performing Crack Stitching on the walls installing Target Fixings 6mm Bar Flex & Non Shrink Grout Bond Flex which is perfect for the job! The bricks are Calcium Silicate which are manufactured by mixing lime, sand and/or crushed silicaceous or flint stone together with enough water to allow the mixture to be moulded under high pressure. They are light weight and have good thermal properties.  We will be working all week on this and can't wait to get started tonight! We look forward to letting you know how it went next week! Have a good week everyone!

Check out our Insta - Target Structural Cotswolds 

                Facebook - Target Structural Cotswolds                                      

                  YouTube - Target Structural 

                    TikTok - Target_Structural_uk 

                 Linkedin - Target Structural

                                   For Daily Content!