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Concealed repairs retain properties aesthetics

Client:	Private homeowner
Location:	Pickering, North Yorkshire
Engineers:	Helifix
Approved Installer:	Facades
Reference No:	CS205

This 1960’s detached house with double garage was showing signs of historic cracking, with poor quality attempted repairs, to the front elevation of the property and the gable wall of the garage.

The window openings had ‘wrap arounds’ that were a combination of cast in situ concrete and precast boot lintels. On the main four metre wide front window the corner section was supported by a 210mm diameter column. The concentrated load on this column had resulted in settlement causing diagonal cracking on both return walls.

The window’s concrete ‘frame’ had clearly suffered from water ingress, resulting in corrosion of the internal steelwork while the double garage opening lintel had experienced settlement and / or possible deflection on account of the span. The whole situation was made worse by the external masonry being akin to Fyfe Stone, being a cementitious buff coloured base material which is highly prone to shrinkage and thermal movement.

Cost-effective, reliable and aesthetic repairs were required to stitch cracks, reinforce the masonry and reinstate the concrete window ‘frames’.

The Helifix Solution

Helifix devised a suitable repair scheme using over 100m of stainless steel HeliBar.

To stitch the stepped cracking, pairs of HeliBars were bonded into channelled-out mortar beds, with HeliBond cementitious grout, at three levels above the main window and returned around the side wall. Two further pairs were installed below the window and also returned along the side wall.

Two pairs of HeliBars were installed full width of the garage above the double doors and returned around the side walls. Single HeliBars were used to stitch a full height crack in the garage gable wall.

HeliBars were used to reinforce the window surrounds that required matching mortar repairs and will help resist future shrinkage cracking. Careful restoration meant the majority of surrounds were saved.

The Helifix trained Approved Installer completed the sympathetic repairs quickly, efficiently and economically leaving no visible signs of the concealed structural works that had been undertaken.