Subsidence had caused separation of the bays from the main structure resulting in vertical cracking, lintel failure and bowing of the front elevation due to the lack of lateral restraint.

The brick pillars were also covered with ivy which the owner was keen to retain. The owners had initially been told that the whole of the front of their house would have to be dismantled and rebuilt - an extremely expensive, disruptive and, in fact, unnecessary course of action.

To stabilise the brickwork, ASRS installed pairs of stainless steel HeliBars around the bays and back into the main structure.

These formed masonry beams which secured the brickwork, stitched cracks and distributed the structural loads away from the areas of subsidence. Failed wall ties were replaced with DryFix ties and the existing brick lintels reinstated using a combination of concealed HeliBars and grouted CemTies.

To provide lateral restraint and secure the front elevation, BowTies were installed through clearance holes into the floor joists and then bonded into the masonry. The cracked bricks were filled with epoxy resin and tinted to match the original brick colour and following re-pointing, there was little evidence of the major works which had been undertaken as the ivy was also retained.

The job was completed much more quickly and efficiently than initial proposals and at a fraction of the cost.