Could anyone tell me how old these walls are? (Photos)

ripplyuk

My MiL is getting a shower installed and the workmen had to strip the walls back to the brick due to the damage done by a leak in the roof (apparently now fixed, but was leaking for years). My partner and I are interested in the history of the house which we believe was built in late Victorian times.

However, these walls show a cavity, I think(?) and I'm wondering whether this is original or not. I thought cavity walls only started being used in the 1930's. Also, I'm not sure if that is original cement between the bricks. We believe the property has not had any work done at all since at least the late 1940's, if not earlier. Any advice/thoughts on this would be appreciated.

leveller2911

the Lathes are machine sawn lathes. If they were hand split ones then that would pre date the industrial revolution.

My guess ,looking at the brickwork and lathes I would guess post WWI so anything from 1918 to 1950.

What age is the house? probably original plaster ...

phill99

Lath and plaster walls were used extensively up to the start of world war 2, although a 2 coat wet system was starting to be used from the early 1930's in some areas. The header-stretcher bond of the walls suggests there is no cavity, so this would pre-date about 1922.

ripplyuk

Many Thanks for your replies.

I'm totally clueless about this sort of thing. Are they not cavity walls then? A gap between the walls and plaster made me think it might be, though I have no idea what a cavity wall usually looks like. The house is freezing cold so the walls not being cavity would make sense.

From records we've found, my partners family purchased the house in the 1920's, but we know it's older than that as there is stonework below the windows saying 1910. The whole area was owned by an Earl and his family who lived nearby and built the town starting in the late 1700's. This part of the town was built last.

phill99

The cavity isn't the gap between the wall and the plaster. a cavity wall is where there is a gap (typically 50mm or more) between an inner brick wall and an outer brick wall.

prosaver

go outside and look at the brickwork:)

transgression1

As a side not to the original question, is there a way to see if a house has cavity wall insulation? I've just bought a house built around 1932, and the brickwork indicates its a cavity wall (looking at the above post) but im unsure if its been insulated since been built.

maninthestreet

transgression1 wrote: »

As a side not to the original question, is there a way to see if a house has cavity wall insulation? I've just bought a house built around 1932, and the brickwork indicates its a cavity wall (looking at the above post) but im unsure if its been insulated since been built.

Look for the round holes where the bricks were drilled to inject the CWI - they would be filled with cement after the CWI was in all place.

surbitonian

maninthestreet wrote: »

Look for the round holes where the bricks were drilled to inject the CWI - they would be filled with cement after the CWI was in all place.

In particular, look for drill holes in the mortar courses just below any windows. Usually that's the easiest place to spot them.

Also some Victorian houses were built with cavity walls. Known as 'finger cavities' they were very narrow and are not suitable for cavity insulation.

Biggles

prosaver wrote: »

go outside and look at the brickwork

That's a good guide but not a foolproof test.

Especially in the early days of cavity walls, the 'better quality' houses (mine was built in 1925) were built with half-bricks inserted to imitate the older-style brickwork.

Furts

Biggles wrote: »

That's a good guide but not a foolproof test.

Especially in the early days of cavity walls, the 'better quality' houses (mine was built in 1925) were built with half-bricks inserted to imitate the older-style brickwork.

I live and learn. I have not come across your brickwork.

I assume the headers were snapped by the brickies, and half bricks were not made for this purpose. I ask because brickworks were local affairs so who knows what was made nearby? Have you ever peeped in the cavity to see this?

Equally you may be a regional style, which prompts a question - what part of the country is your home in?