GLOSSARY · ADELAIDE
Cavity wall ties
Plain English
Metal connectors holding the inner and outer leaves of a cavity wall together. Can corrode and fail, especially in coastal or older homes.
Cavity wall construction (1920s-1970s in Adelaide) uses two leaves of brick separated by an air cavity. Metal wall ties span the cavity to keep both leaves stable.
Older or coastal homes can have corroded wall ties. As ties fail, the outer leaf can bulge outward, develop horizontal cracks at regular intervals (matching the tie spacing), or in extreme cases collapse.
Inspectors look for horizontal cracking at consistent intervals (typically 450mm or 600mm spacing), external wall bulging, or visible signs of internal tie corrosion.
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