Our other sites:

What are starter ties?

What are starter ties?

Wall starter ties used on brick and timber.

If you are looking at adding a new extension to your property and are not familiar with construction terminology then you might find yourself asking what are wall starter ties? To put it simply, wall starter ties are installed into existing masonry walls in order to start a new extension wall. The way they operate is similar to wall ties (also known as brick ties) which are a vital structural element of cavity walls. In this article, we will explain the importance of wall starter ties and how they are used in the construction industry.

What is the difference between wall starter ties and brick ties?

If you are looking for wall starter ties you may come across brick ties (also called wall ties), so what is the difference? As we touched on it earlier, starter wall ties are used to build extension walls off existing walls. Their purpose is to provide structure to the walls leading them to act as a homogenous unit. This is where they are very similar to wall ties, however, wall ties are used to hold the two walls (also called leaves) of a cavity wall together. In most countries all cavity walls must have wall ties in order to meet standard building regulations, they also provide moisture prevention properties to help prolong the life of the walls.

What are the building regulations around building extension walls?

Wall ties attached to an existing wall.

Building regulations are required in order to ensure the safety of construction workers and also to ensure that projects are completed to a minimum standard. When building a new extension wall you may also need to seek planning permission off your local council before work can begin. You should also get a building inspector on site to check whether the wall cavity needs to be maintained. If this is the case then you will be required to cut through the existing wall and continuing the cavity through uninterrupted. One final consideration that you should also discuss with your building inspector is whether anymore protection will be needed over the joint of the existing and new wall such as damp proofing.

Are there any alternatives to wall starter ties?

As technology has advanced there are also different options to consider when looking at building a new wall off an existing masonry wall. Wall starter kits essentially do exactly what they say on the tin and they are relatively easy and quick to install. Although we are classing them as an alternative to wall ties, they do actually include wall ties within the kit so this is more of the complete package.

 

Starter kits also include ‘strips’ or ‘channels’ which are fixed onto the existing wall facing out in the direction of the planned extension wall. These strips or channels will sit central to the new masonry leaf and provide easy points of entry for the wall ties and fixing joints which are included in the kit. When deciding on which starter kit to purchase you should always look at the different height options available, with kits having a maximum wall height capability.

Wonkee Donkee Tools
Logo