How to brace a feature brick wall to wall plate for a vaulted roof All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[LinoBuilder]

Hi,
I'm building a small side return kitchen extension with an approx 1m high vaulted timber roof under permitted development. My structural engineer said there is no need to use collar ties on the roof. Our building inspector will return once the roof is built.

One of my cavity walls has been built with a block outer leaf and a reclaimed stock brick inner leaf as a feature wall.
Because the inner leaf is built up in bricks that are showing, installing straps to the wall plate would look pretty ugly. Had the inner leaf been built in block you would simply render over the straps. By the way I was advised not to fix the wall plate straps inside the cavity.
My builder put half bricks where the straps were to go with the aim of hiding the straps with brick slips later on but I'm not liking the strength of that idea.
Also my plans state a timber ridge beam made up of two 175mm x 50mm C24 joists bolted together with M8 grade 8.8 bolts at 450mm centres with dog toothed connectors.

So my question is, is there an alternative to bracing the wall plate to the brick wall feature?
1. Can I sink each end of the wall plate into the existing building walls and cement them in?
2. Can I fit the wall plate straps horizontally to the wall plate and then to the existing building wall?
3. Drill into the wall plate and into the brick vertically from above?
A combination of all three or some other option?

I've attached a picture of the wall missing the wall plate here to help.
And a YT video with a similar project and problem at 32:40 mins.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zaYbUaGXKbc

Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[stoneyboy]

Hi linobuilder,
You are in a sheltered location and the roof is small. Suggest you talk to the building inspector and see if bolting the first rafter to the existing house wall and fitting wall straps to the return wall would be acceptable. You may have to increase the size of the wall plate. I doubt the small pockets in the feature wall would be of any benefit.
Regards S

[LinoBuilder]

Hi linobuilder,
You are in a sheltered location and the roof is small. Suggest you talk to the building inspector and see if bolting the first rafter to the existing house wall and fitting wall straps to the return wall would be acceptable. You may have to increase the size of the wall plate. I doubt the small pockets in the feature wall would be of any benefit.
Regards S

Hi S
Thanks for your reply. Sorry for my late reply, I had almost given up lol.
Thanks for your suggestions. Bolting the 1st rafter had crossed my mind.
When you say increase the size of the wall plate do you mean its cross section? I was going to use C24/C16 Regularised Sawn 75x100mm timber

Thanks

[stoneyboy]

Hi linobuilder,
Since you have a double ridge plate the wall plates are a fixing feature rather than a structural one so 75x100 in the lowest grade you can buy will be fine.
You will need a rafter in line with the return wall so that you can fit a wall strap down the return wall.
Regards S

[LinoBuilder]

Hi linobuilder,
You are in a sheltered location and the roof is small. Suggest you talk to the building inspector and see if bolting the first rafter to the existing house wall and fitting wall straps to the return wall would be acceptable. You may have to increase the size of the wall plate. I doubt the small pockets in the feature wall would be of any benefit.
Regards S

Hi S
Thanks for your reply. Sorry for my late reply, I had almost given up lol.
Thanks for your suggestions. Bolting the 1st rafter had crossed my mind.
When you say increase the size of the wall plate do you mean its cross section? I was going to use C24/C16 Regularised Sawn 75x100mm timber

Thanks

Hi S,
Thanks a lot for your help , I will follow your advice.