Pinging noises from wall?

[MartynS5]

Hi all,

I live in an end terrace that my partner and I moved into five months ago. Since then I've noticed the end wall makes an intermittent metallic "pinging" sound. It's a standard brick cavity wall with insulation.

There is no plumbing anywhere near the end wall. There are no signs of structural issues up to the roof line, but above that the gable is an issue as it leans out. We believe that's historic.

The only thing I can see it being is a wall tie? Or ties? They would be the only metallic components nearby, apart from the gable restraint straps. The noise is keeping me up at night, more from worry than volume.

 

[JohnD]

Photo of this leaning wall may be helpful.

And any overhead cables, TV aerial, gutters, roof.

Have you looked in the loft?

 

[johnny2007]

A drip from gutter onto something metallic?
We had the same issue for months, then I found it was my neighbour gutter leaking on an aluminium gully cover.

 

[tony1851]

A rat within the cavity?

 

[MartynS5]

Pinging occurs even (possibly only) in dry weather, so dripping is unlikely. There's no obvious external metallic structures near the roof.

Photo of this leaning wall may be helpful.

And any overhead cables, TV aerial, gutters, roof.

Have you looked in the loft?

Hmm, the restraining straps?

Photo from inside:

The gable lean is significant - at least 80 mm - and consistent across the rafters, party wall and indeed entire terrace. Structural engineers recommendations were that it's an artefact of construction, and some extra bracing between the rafters is sufficient (we tried to get that done on first moving, but no joy getting builders).

Got an unpleasant that's a new roof... although if that is the cause of the ping, at least there's only one thing wrong.

 

[bernardgreen]

in dry weather, so dripping is unlikely.

could be an overflow pipe dripping

 

[^woody^]

Mine does this in the bedroom, early mornings when it's warm and gets the direct sun. It's a tie in the cavity. It tends to be just one ping, sometimes two when it's a bit warmer, and it's the same tie/location no others.

 

[MartynS5]

Mine does this in the bedroom, early mornings when it's warm and gets the direct sun. It's a tie in the cavity. It tends to be just one ping, sometimes two when it's a bit warmer, and it's the same tie/location no others.

That would be the ideal, a bit annoying but not structural.

How did you determine this? Just triangulating the sound with mk1 ears?

 

[^woody^]

That would be the ideal, a bit annoying but not structural.

How did you determine this? Just triangulating the sound with mk1 ears?

Yes over several years of "what was that", I narrowed it down to only happening early on certain sunny hot mornings, so it indicated an expansion related thing, then determined it was coming from a specific place near the top of the cavity wall where there was nothing else near by that it could be.

 

[JOHNBOY42]

I had a similar thing a few years ago........... imagine lying in bed early hours and the sound of a scaffolding tube being dropped on the grass.....it may have happened during the day but only heard it dead of night......... got used to it in the end and never did find out what it was before moving

 

[johnny2007]

I used to have a laugh with my wife by winding my neighbour up.
In the early hours , everyday I would drop a scaffold post from the bedroom window onto the grass.
He never found out what it was and then eventually he moved out...
Nice fella though

 

[HERTS P&D]

I heard he moved due to his wife getting pregnant after he had the ship, he blamed the neighbor!



Andy

 

[JOHNBOY42]

I used to have a laugh with my wife by winding my neighbour up.
In the early hours , everyday I would drop a scaffold post from the bedroom window onto the grass.
He never found out what it was and then eventually he moved out...
Nice fella though

Ha Ha............... made me smile though