CAVITY TECH SOLUTIONS LTD

• Structural Stitching/Masonry Reinforcement – Cracking within a building is a common problem. Whatever the cause, we can come up with a solution utilising the most suitable technique and material for your property.

is a form of structural support in the fabric of a building. Positioned over openings, such as for doors and windows, lintels bear the weight of the building above and safely transfer those loads to the rest of the structure.
To serve that function, however, lintels themselves need sufficient support when installed. This is achieved through providing end bearings on either side of the opening. It is important when specifying lintels to be sure that the lintel length is not just the span of the opening but includes the end bearings as well.

Cavity trays are a requirement in modern day construction. They prevent any accumulation of moisture in the cavity from travelling along the lintel and in to the Internal envelope of the building. Cavity trays are necessary in both double leaf masonry construction and masonry cladding to timber frame construction. To prevent rain penetration to the inner leaf, cavity trays are needed: - Where an external wall becomes an internal wall at lower level, eg at roof/wall abutments and parapets.

Repointing is the removal of unsound mortar from the joint and replacement with new sound mortar to match the historic mortar. Mortar consists of sand, cement and water, which chemically reacts to form a hard material. Mortar is the “glue” that holds together masonry units, such as brick, stone and terracotta, so that the assembly is water shedding. When assembling masonry, the mortar is placed full depth and tooled. While mortar is durable, it does weather, and then maintenance is required to keep the wall weathertight.

It is estimated that over 6 million properties in the UK have had cavity wall insulation installed. Cavity wall insulation is considered to be an effective way to reduce heating bills but there can be instances where the insulation doesn’t work as it is supposed to. Insulation that is not working to its full potential means that you aren’t getting the benefits you have invested in. Severe weather conditions, particularly from the winter storms experienced over the last few winters, can take there toll on brickwork and pointing leading to potential water ingress into the cavity. Although wet or damp insulation material will dry out in time, in severe cases and to accelerate the drying out process, insulation material may require removal as part of overall remedial works.
EXAMPLES OF WHY INSULATION MAY NEED TO BE REMOVED

• to remove cavity wall insulation from homes that are unsuitable
• to remove or replace wet or failed insulation
• defective wall ties or external render
• if the property is exposed to wind driven rain which can lead to water entering the cavity through defective pointing or spoiled bricks.
• incorrectly installed insulation or poor installation practices.
• breakdown of old insulation materials such as UF foam

All removed insulation material is bagged up and disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations. Once all other remedial works have been attended to e.g repointing, masonry water repellant application, cavity tray replacement etc, the cavity can then be re-insulated with new insulation material to modern building standards and current BBA Agrement certificates.