1900s brickwork cavities? insulation ?

[stevethebiker]

hi guys and gals, now then, now then..
1908 building, dampness present inside, at skirting level on first floor... one of those tall high street parade type buildings in redbrick with bays and parapets..
first question.. did they use cavities, dpc and insulation then ?

the clues are a vertical hairline crack about a metre high in just about the right place in the outside skin.. but how would it get to inside skin if cavitied ?? would rain even get in as it is v. thin ?

next to a chimney stack.. possibly the other source of water.. dampness showing beside the stack on the flank wall, so it would have to be coming down inside the outside skin and getting across at some point near skirting/floor level

or possibly from roof above the room in question.. but again why at floor level.. getting across a dampcourse ??

the point of this post is to get your best advice for my client as i don't want to be thought to be scaremongering/creating extra work for myself..
so what would your suggested plan of attack be..
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[Nige F]

howzabout that then uurrrrghhhh I`ll bet it`s a build up of pug @ the bottom of the wall bridging the cavity..take a brick out and have a look...PS it`s cavity wall if the bricks are "stretcher" bond like a modern one....other patterns, and 9 inch+ plaster means solid. gotta pic. My best advice for Your client is .Bung me a £20.oo for the info