1930’s wall tie?

[SeverenceCrook]

I am removing a non load bearing wall. Got a couple of courses down and found embedded in the wall a long wall tie of some sort. It appears to run from the interior leaf of the exterior wall. What I wanted to do was try and understand the immediate ramifications for removing it. The house is 1938 ish. Where the wall being removed meets the exterior wall has been toothed in. So is this tie actually to help keep the single skin interior wall from moving laterally? Rather than to stop the house exterior wall from going outward? My worry is in some way it forms a function for the exterior wall.  Does it? Anybody have any thoughts.  Thank you. 

[Conor]

Hate to be a bore, but you need to ask your SE, it could be doing nothing, or holding the whole house together.

[Gus Potter]

On 30/08/2025 at 13:23, SeverenceCrook said:

I am removing a non load bearing wall.

Welcome to Buildhub and well done for posting a great question. 

 

What you have is a little different. Is your house circa 1950 to 1967? Here, after the war there was a drive for "non traditional construction" and the house builders were experimenting with leaner design. 

 

14 minutes ago, Conor said:

Hate to be a bore, but you need to ask your SE, it could be doing nothing, or holding the whole house together.

Conner, good spot!

 

Agree with Conner in that this tie could be holding the external wall head in place and the toothing is there primarily to turn the internal wall into what we call a shear or racking wall. 

 

I can't say much more at the moment but if you want post a photo of your external elevation and put a line on it where you want to take the wall down that would generate more comments that might help you. Also changing the size of the opening in the external wall will lickely have a marked effect on the wall stability.