Victorian Cavity Walls, damp (and surveyors!)

[stevebamford]

the brickies said this would also take off the top course of bricks - were they spinning me a line by any chance ?

 

[chessspy]

Well, hang on whilst I pick myself up off the floor....
Yes, the rosemary tiles are not cheap, and you need the 'propper' terracota ones, they cover 6" widthways I seem to remember, (Mind I 'seem' to remember they were 50 pence each, that also may have changed) and you want the ones with the lugs on really, you cut them in half and set them across the width of the wall with the broken edges in the middle and a layer with lugs on first then the lugless bits half-bond on top. The mix is 3 to 1, a strong waterproof mix.
The final course of BOE cloaks the space in the middle.
The number of tiles required is (Lx12)+5% where L is the length of the wall in yards

 

[chessspy]

Probably, but~~ (shrugs shoulders) so what, what will be will be

 

[joe-90]

Looks like a great DIY project over the summer. Give it a go - it's pretty easy stuff and you'll save a bundle.

 

[stevebamford]

Looks like a great DIY project over the summer. Give it a go - it's pretty easy stuff and you'll save a bundle.

Thanks for all the help and advice folks. May be a project for next summer....

This summer is

Getting married ....
Central heating
Bathroom
Ensuite
Decorate every room
Front Garden
Back Garden

ho hum

makes me tired just thinking about it (need another beer!)

 

[stevebamford]

The number of tiles required is (Lx12)+5% where L is the length of the wall in yards

Cheers chessspy! Got 35m to do.... plus 20m on the other side which in theory is our new neighbours wall but they're not interested in sorting it out

ps yards > what are they then

Its gonna have to wait for a while but thanks for all the advice - i'll keep note of it until we do get around to doing it - main thing is we got the walls made safe - and repointed

 

[IPK]

For users information cavity walls have been in common use since the 1850's there is no mystery about this.

 

[Nige F]

Thanks for that - I thought they started cavities c.1900 - I believed that since 2008

 

[JohnD]

I think "common use" is an exaggeration.

My 1905 house and my 1925 house both had 9" solid brick walls, so did all the other houses down those roads.

I have seen one 1895 house which had 9" brickwork plus a 4" leaf. It was a large and expensively built house.

 

[IPK]

OK I agree but they're not uncommon. It seems to vary from area to area and I guess from street to street. If one builder was using the technique then possibly not only would everything he built during his lifetime be cavity wall but his influence and reputation would have put him in direct competition with less enlightened builders. I have lived in 3 quite usual Victorian houses built in 1860, 1870 and 1880 all with cavity walls. It would be interesting to know when the first cavity wall house was built in UK. However the issue still remains, is it a good idea to put cavity wall insulation (graphite coated beads) into the cavity wall of a Victorian house or is it simply too risky?

 

[JohnD]

why do you say "graphite coated beads?"

is this a wall with cracks, defective pointing, bridged cavity, spilling gutters? Or is it sound and dry?

 

[IPK]

The walls are totally sound and dry, I am just thinking about improved insulation. I mention graphite coated beads because that is what is recommended on the Victorian eco house project.