How do you check wall ties on a Hargeisa build?

Wall ties are hidden the moment the next course goes down, so any wall ties skills gap in Hargeisa only shows up later, when the wall moves, cracks or bows. A tie holds an outer leaf to an inner leaf across a cavity, so if it is missed, badly bedded or fixed at the wrong spacing, the two leaves act as separate walls. You cannot see the problem after the wall rises, so the check has to happen while the courses are still open.

What does a wall tie actually do in a cavity wall?

A tie transfers wind load and self-weight between the two leaves so they behave as one wall. Take the tie type, the spacing between ties, the embedment depth and the slight fall towards the outer leaf from the project specification or engineer, because exposed coastal walls and inland walls face different wind and salt conditions. When mortar stiffens before a tie is pressed home, the tie sits on the surface of the bed rather than in it. Confirm mortar working time against the project specification and watch how the mason actually beds ties on site. A mason may also push a tie into a bed that has already skinned over, and the tie then grips nothing.

How does a weak tie lead to poor wall restraint?

The failure is usually poor restraint, not a broken tie. A tie that is dropped in dry, covered with dust, or set too far into the inner leaf grips neither leaf. Water then tracks along it, and repeated wetting and drying loosens it further. Watch for ties laid flat with no fall, ties pushed in after the bed has set, ties at uneven spacing, and offcuts or plain bar used instead of a proper tie with a drip. On a supervised site the mason, the supervisor and the client agree one rule: no tie, no next course. Poor wall restraint can also come from missing movement joints, weak mortar or a leaf built out of plumb, so the tie check sits alongside the alignment check rather than replacing it.

How do you inspect wall ties that will be covered?

Inspect before the mortar sets, in daylight, with a tape and a level. Ask the mason to leave a short lift open at each corner so you can count ties per square metre and check the fall. Photograph each lift against a tape measure, note the date and the wall, and keep the set with the drawings. Confirm with the municipal engineer's office which records and inspections apply to the plot, and ask the contractor for the tie product data sheet and any test record for the batch. Where you cannot inspect every lift, agree a written hold point with the supervisor so the mason calls you before the next course goes on. A short walk around a recent completed building in the same area shows how that contractor handles corners, openings and movement joints.

What to do next

Agree one hold point with your mason and supervisor: no next course until the ties in the lift below are counted, photographed and signed off against the specification. Write the spacing, tie type and fall into the site instruction, and ask the municipal engineer's office which inspection records it wants to see. Do this on the first lift, not the last.