The Challenge
We were contacted in March 2022 by an estate agent in Barnstaple,
Devon regarding an issue with a property in Ilfracombe, Devon. Our South
West branch went to investigate the issue and found that the gable end
of the property was suffering from a lack of lateral restraint which, if left
untreated, could lead to the collapse of the wall. The floor joists running
perpendicular to the wall provided some friction connection, but a nearby
staircase meant that this only spanned half the wall. Further up the wall,
where floor joists ran parallel to the wall, there was no restraint at all.