Non-standard construction
Where a report pairs clinker blocks with the inner leaf, what stays open about ties the endoscope was not used to see?
The wall ties stay completely open. Pairing clinker blocks with the inner leaf records a block material on the inside skin. It does not show the ties, because an endoscope was not used and the cavity was not inspected. Clinker blocks do not prove that ties exist, that they are stainless, or that they have corroded. The survey named the inner leaf it could recognise. It has not tested ties and it has not decided cavity-wall stability from the blocks.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Clinker and breeze-type blocks were widely used for inner leaves. They can be soft, they can hold nails poorly, and they can crack around openings, but those traits are about the block, not about the metal ties in the cavity. Ties are judged by seeing them, usually with a borescope, or by a specialist investigation. This visit did not do that. An inner-leaf name and a tie investigation are different jobs that this paragraph must not collapse.
If tie condition matters, instruct a specialist who will actually look in the cavity, and keep that instruction separate from this report. Ask the solicitor whether any previous tie report or cavity-insulation guarantee mentions this wall. Tell a lender the inner leaf was described as clinker block and that ties were not seen because no endoscope was used. Do not let a block name stand in for a tie survey.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the inner leaf named as clinker block without a cavity inspection?
- Was an endoscope not used, so the ties were unseen?
- Has cavity stability been left undecided?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the clinker inner leaf and the unseen ties as separate points.
- Do not brief a lender that the ties were checked.
- Instruct a specialist with cavity access if tie condition is needed.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Are clinker blocks the same product as foamed-slag blocks?
Not necessarily. Both are lighter historic block types, and the names are not interchangeable without looking at the actual leaf. This report pairs clinker blocks with the inner leaf it is describing. It does not reclassify every lightweight block in the house, and it does not use the block name as a tie test.
Does a solid-looking plaster face mean the cavity is bridged?
No. Plaster on the inner leaf hides the block and says nothing about ties or about mortar droppings in the cavity. The endoscope was not used. Bridging, if it is a concern, was not investigated. Treat the plaster as a finish. The tie question stays exactly where the report left it: not seen.