Sales & Technical: +44 (0)20 8735 5200 | ROI: +353 (01) 695 0726 | [email protected]

Delicate repairs stabilise listed stone building

Client:	The Royal Hotel
Location:	Heysham, Lancs.
Approved Installer:	Facades
Reference No:	CS165

This historic, Grade II listed, hotel and public house, dating from the 18th century, was undergoing extensive refurbishment and extension, including the conversion of listed stone outbuildings. However, age, weathering, water ingress and the lack of lateral restraint had caused structural problems.

In the coach house the 600mm thick rubble-filled gable stone wall was bulging, bowing and cracking. This needed to be stabilised, consolidated and reinforced before sequential concrete underpinning and needling works could take place.

The Helifix Solution

The repair and stabilisation works were delicate operations and had to be fully concealed due to the listed nature of the buildings. Helifix provided a complete turnkey package, designing the repair scheme, manufacturing suitable systems on a bespoke basis and facilitating installation via an experienced, trained, Approved Installer. This reduced the risks and pressure on the main contractor and other involved parties.

â— To reinforce the stonework, provide lateral restraint and create load bearing beams, twin HeliBars were bonded into specified mortar beds across the front elevation of the cottage and the coach house gable end, both internally and externally.

â— To stitch various cracks, single HeliBars were bonded into channelled-out mortar beds while others were used to secure internal cross walls to the external elevations.

â— Fully grouted CemTies were installed through the cottage side wall to secure it to the front elevation; through an internal block wall to secure it to the original stone wall; from inner to outer leaves to consolidate the rubble-filled stone walls.

â— Specially manufactured heavy duty SockFix ties were installed in a grid pattern across the bulging coach house gable end where their expanded grout-filled socks stabilised the wall.

Once completed, the unobtrusive repairs stabilised and reinforced the rubble-filled walls, retained the aesthetics of these listed buildings and enabled the underpinning and needling works to proceed.