Crosswall Construction

Beginner_2

Hi all
How good is crosswall? I think some walls are load-bearing & some timber studded???:huh:
I have been looking online and not much there to be honest! apart from big block of flat and stuff.
Are they mortgageable? How long do they last?

lincroft1710

Like the Airey form of construction it was used a lot in local authority built properties and also like Airey it isn't good, but not quite as bad. Would not recommend purchasing crosswall built house. Unfortunately cannot remember exact method of construction but I believe the party/end walls are loadbearing but front and back walls are just "curtain walling" and don't contribute to rigidity of building, but I may be wrong on this.

Beginner_2

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Like the Airey form of construction it was used a lot in local authority built properties and also like Airey it isn't good, but not quite as bad. Would not recommend purchasing crosswall built house. Unfortunately cannot remember exact method of construction but I believe the party/end walls are loadbearing but front and back walls are just "curtain walling" and don't contribute to rigidity of building, but I may be wrong on this.

Yes you are correct, The side walls are Load-Bearing and the Front & Back are Timber studded with plasterboard inside & Cladding outside, I think!

Whats the life span of this type of building?

Is this type of construction structurally sound? Is it same as flats/office blocks?

Looking online Airey Houses have been deemed defective and hard to mortgage, but nothing about crosswall.

Thanks for your help

P.S How are Laing Easiform constructed?

GDB2222

In 1972, my parents bought a 2nd home in N Norfolk built that way. The idea was that it was a modern property and would not need much maintenance. They were right!

There are two substantial brick walls and the ends are infilled with glass/wood and a bit of brick. The brick is at first floor level, with glass below, so I assume there is a reasonable size girder supporting it. It all seems to work ok. One point is that the span between the two main walls is not huge. Also, there are some blockwork walls at ground floor level to help support the first floor - there's the integral garage and the kitchen. The rest is open-plan downstairs.

If done properly, I can't see anything wrong with that sort of construction. Thermal insulation may not be too good, though.

PasturesNew

Firstly, houses built of this construction type will be cheaper than a seemingly identical house next door that is made of traditional build materials.

If you are looking at a house to buy that has this construction and you are doing it only because it is the cheapest house in your area and therefore you want it as it is the only house you can afford, then this is not likely to have a successful outcome for you.

Mortgage companies will either refuse to lend, or will want HUGE deposits; far in excess of deposits normally required.

People buying these houses have to know what they are taking on. People buying these houses will usually be either cash buyers who just want a cheap house, or developers with a huge cash pot to do the refurbishment/changes.

Houses of this type of construction rely heavily on the original structure remaining intact. Any alterations may weaken the structure (e.g. internal layouts, and any new windows/doors).

Many of this type of construction have high asbestos levels in them.
They often have very poor insulation.
You must not make any new holes in the exterior walls.
If the neighbour has made new openings/changed the internal layout, this might have an effect on the stability of your part too (assuming a semi)

This type of building is cheap, quick to construct and if used for its original purpose can serve the owner well. Many years down the line though, changes having taken place on an ad-hoc basis, indiscriminate care taken with ongoing maintenance, can render the whole building pretty worthless.

If you are pursuing this idea because you want to be a developer and have a big pot of cash handy and lots of skills and tradspeople you can call upon and rely on, then continue to find out. If you wanted to buy a house like this because you're poor and it's all you can afford, the best thing to do is walk away now.

GDB2222

Doing a quick search, I get the impression that Crosswall is some sort of concrete construction, so maybe not the same as above?

PasturesNew

GDB2222 wrote: »

Doing a quick search, I get the impression that Crosswall is some sort of concrete construction, so maybe not the same as above?

Yes, it is pre-cast concrete blocks which provide the main structure.
Then infilled with varying materials (depending on the manufacturer).

Beginner_2

GDB2222 wrote: »

Doing a quick search, I get the impression that Crosswall is some sort of concrete construction, so maybe not the same as above?

Crosswall is what the surveyor said it was called, But described it as the two party walls are the main load-bearing walls, front/back are non load-bearing (the houses have windows all the way across the front and back, From one side to the other, so are not load-bearing)
So as long as the party walls stay intact should be stable?
They are terraced so more stable?