'Idle Hollow' in Noke, near Oxford is a Grade II listed cottage constructed in the early 18thCentury. The original part of this historic, stone built, thatched cottage required sympathetic stabilisation as it was suffering from cracking, outward movement and bowing of the front elevation. The challenge was to find a reliable repair solution that would not compromise the building’s structural integrity and also satisfy the scrutiny of the local conservation officer.

The slim, flexible and non-disruptive nature of Helifix's repair products and their concealed installation techniques overcame the officer’s concerns. Combined with Helifix’s considerable experience in securing listed and heritage buildings, she was satisfied that the repair scheme, devised by Helifix and structural engineers, Hannah Reed Associates, and undertaken by Approved Installer, Red Brick Structural Solutions, would reliably restore the structural integrity of the property without affecting its aesthetic appearance.


The primary cause of the movement was the loss of lateral restraint for the 500mm thick stone wall, partly due to historic structural alterations and extension works combined with general aging. The outward movement, which was on-going, had also resulted in the loss of bearing for a high percentage of the first floor joists. Cracking had also occurred on an internal wall (the end wall of the original property) above an opening that had been created.

To minimise vibrations and prevent further disturbance to the unstable front elevation, the bowed area of the stone wall was consolidated using grouted 1.5m HeliBars in a 450mm x 450mm grid. They were installed through the joints in the rubble filled wall, returned along both the internal and external faces and bonded into mortar beds in a ‘U’ shape. A deep masonry beam was created across the front elevation, between the ground and first floor windows, using long series HeliBars bonded into the irregular mortar joints at three levels. This secured and reinforced the masonry and aided in the distribution of the lateral restraint load between the floor joists, which were also reconnected to the front elevation. Single, 1m bonded HeliBars were used to effectively stitch cracks in both the internal and external walls. On completion of the work the listed cottage was fully stabilised but visibly unaltered.

For further information contact Tel. 020 8735 5200 or Email: marketing@helifix.co.uk or Visit: www.helifix.co.uk