This double storey house with a brick veneer in Ballina, northern NSW, was suffering from a variety of structural problems, most notably a slightly leaning brick facade caused by ground subsidence. It was clear early on that brick veneer stabilisation would be essential to restore structural stability to the home. Not far off, the garage was also flooded — all of the time — raising further concerns about the site’s building conditions and long-term performance.

Unable to find a local builder experienced in working with masonry veneers and remedial repairs, the homeowner eventually called us to investigate and carry out the necessary restoration.

Upon reviewing the ground, we discovered extensive erosion caused by years of water flow beneath the house. Interestingly, the water wasn’t from typical sources like rain, stormwater drains, or internal plumbing. Instead, a faulty subterranean cross-flow system redirected water from the garden, under the structural frame of the house, and down the slope to the garage.

The prolonged saturation compromised the concrete strip footing, leading to subsidence of the exterior brickwork. As a result, the brick veneer began shifting, and the original brick ties—essential for securing the masonry to the timber or steel frame—were close to failure.

Without intervention, the wall cavity could have collapsed, detaching the masonry from the structural frame and threatening the reliable strength of the entire structure.

Our first priority was to stop the brick veneer from sinking or leaning any further by stabilising the ground on which it sat. To do so, we injected our proprietary geopolymer resin solution, GeoPoly™, into the ground to stabilise the wet soil and the wall.

Having stabilised the ground and re-levelled the brick veneer, we were now faced with the next challenge — tying the brick back to the timber structure of the house.

Using our very own 8mm HelicalBars™, we carefully and precisely tied the external brick veneer back into the timber stud wall, improving the wall’s integrity within the wall cavity. The bars acted like concealed anchors, reconnecting the mortar joints between the masonry and internal framing while preserving the look of the original construction.

For years, the owner of this Ballina home was unable to find someone to give him a satisfactory explanation for why water had been pooling in the garage—or to explain the oversaturated nature of the soil in his garden.

Luckily, a local builder who knew about us clued the homeowner in.

With our expertise, we were able to connect the dots. We found the source of the flooding, stabilised the home’s brick veneer, and re-tied the wall to the timber structure within half a day. It’s a great example of the advantages of brick veneer—when issues arise, targeted solutions can be applied without needing to demolish the entire wall system.

The facade is now stable. Seeing signs of leaning walls on your brick veneer home? A free assessment checks the ties and explains what remedial wall ties can do.