Wall ties and cavity insulation
The gable bulges and the survey mentions possible tie failure without opening the cavity. What investigation has been asked for rather than completed?
An investigation of the wall ties has been asked for rather than completed. The gable bulges, and the survey mentions possible tie failure. The cavity was not opened, so no tie was seen, tested or counted. Possible is the word for a cause that fits a bulge and has not been checked. The investigation that would confirm or rule out failed ties is the thing still to do. The survey has not done it. It has recorded a bulging gable and a suspicion. Completing that investigation would mean a separate look into the cavity, which this visit did not carry out.
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?
Cavity wall ties hold the two leaves together. If they corrode, a leaf can bulge, and a gable is a place that shows it. The outside of the bulge is all a visual survey has. The ties sit in the cavity. Mentioning them without opening up is a prompt, not a result. Nobody has counted the ties or ruled out another cause, such as the roof bearing on the wall. The report leaves that investigation undone. It is not a finished diagnosis.
If you proceed, instruct someone who can find the ties, and give them the limit: bulge seen, cavity not opened, ties not tested. Tell the solicitor the tie comment is unresolved. Do not tell a lender the ties have failed, and do not tell them the ties are fine. Neither has been shown. Do not start replacement on the word possible. The investigation is still ahead of you.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the cavity opened anywhere on this bulging gable?
- Were any wall ties seen or tested, or only mentioned as possible?
- What investigation are you leaving for someone else to complete?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat possible tie failure as uninvestigated, not as a result.
- Do not tell the lender the ties have failed or have passed.
- Instruct a separate tie investigation if you need the cavity opened.
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
If the bulge is slight, has the tie question been answered?
No. A slight bulge is still a bulge, and the cavity was still not opened. The size changes how urgent a specialist may think the look is. It does not complete the investigation. Possible tie failure remains possible until someone actually inspects the ties.
Could roof thrust be the cause instead of the ties?
It could, and the survey has not chosen. The cavity was not opened, so tie failure was not confirmed, and no calculation of the roof's push on the gable was done either. The investigation that has not been completed is the one that would separate those causes. The report has not finished that job.