Removing wallpaper uncovered strange brickwork

[robhellfire]

First time poster after a few months of viewing since putting in offer on this house

Got keys a week ago and started removing the old old wallpaper as a job I could do before I get in plumber and electrician for works required.

Anyhow I had expected there to be some loose plaster areas on house built ~1910 but a supporting wall contained large format bricks and timber that I wasn't expecting.

I've attached a few images to see if anyone could identify whether this is standard or something previous owner bodged, only other work I have seen they did was pretty rubbish but wasn't a major issue.

Untitled

• robhellfire
• 24 Feb 2013
• 2

Untitled

• robhellfire
• 24 Feb 2013
• 1

Untitled

• robhellfire
• 24 Feb 2013
• 1

thanks for any help and apologies if there's a more suitable forum for this post

Rob

 

[stuart45]

It was quite common back then to infill the timber studwork with brickwork, instead of using laths for the plaster.
The bricks are not that big, just laid on edge.

 

[robhellfire]

Thanks very much for the quick reply

First house, and as much as I can read before I start it seems there'll always be things to surprise me

Sure i'll be back with something else eventually

but again thanks


Rob

 

[Nige F]

Interesting house - high ceilings , nice bannister , those walls more solid than lath ( noise transmission ). You might have a quality place there

 

[robhellfire]

Thanks Nige,

I do hope so, that bannister is remarkably sturdy but looking along the ?spindles? they're up to about 25mm from all being level.

I assume it's not intentional (having never built one myself) but it adds character so whatever

2.8 Mtr ceilings up and down and a lot of old featuring in hallway and architraves + Skirts (most places). Attractive but adds to my job list and makes stripping wallpaper that bit more c**p

 

[tony1851]

That dividing wall between the landing and bedroom is a standard brick-on-edge partition wall, stiffened with timber studding. As Noseall pointed out, it was a fairly standard way of building partitions in the late 19th/early 20th century. Using the bricks on their thinner faces obviously makes the wall thinner and saves weight.
It was regarded as a more acceptable way of building partitions, one of the advantages being that there is no space for vermin to inhabit, unlike hollow lath-and-plaster partitions.