What is going on with this wall?

[gmtfd]

Hello all

I recently removed several layers of old render and plaster from a wall in my bathroom, only to find this:

Untitled

• gmtfd
• 25 Feb 2013
• 1

Untitled

• gmtfd
• 25 Feb 2013
• 1

Basically the brick upper part of the wall seems to be supported by some large blocks which are dark grey in colour and *very* soft. The mortar inbetween them is also extremely soft.

I'm a bit worried because a large part of my house is resting on these blocks! Can anyone help me understand what's going on here? Is this how the house was originally constructed? It's a terrace in East London, built about 1910 I think.

Any assistance very gratefully received!

Regards

Gareth

 

[catlad]

That corner is strange shape is it possible that it is the old fire place.

 

[gmtfd]

Thanks for the reply. We did wonder about that, but it doesn't seem to make sense because the brick wall would originally have been an outside wall, before the house was extended (the bathroom is an extension).

Cheers

Gareth

 

[noseall]

Pretty odd?

Is the bathroom a first floor extension or is it on the ground floor?

If it is first floor then those blocks are at least 3m up from ground level which is odd, on what was once an outside wall.

Was there previously a ground floor room with a lean-to roof before the second storey bathroom extension was added? Or am i guessing completely wrong?

 

[joshuaconix85]

That's a wall, the only thing is that because of old age, the blocks soften due to some moist trapped inside the wall.

 

[joshuaconix85]

That's a wall, the only thing is that because of old age, the blocks soften due to some moist trapped inside the wall.

 

[stuart45]

Was there previously a ground floor room with a lean-to roof before the second storey bathroom extension was added? Or am i guessing completely wrong?

That would be my guess.
Face work started above the roof line.

 

[gmtfd]

thanks loads for all the help with this. sorry, I should have mentioned that the bathroom is on the ground floor. so if the blocks are original and have softened, are they still up to the job of supporting all the brickwork above them? do we need to take special care in re-rendering?

gareth

 

[joe-90]

I'd be looking at those heating pipes if I were you. There is no protection (Denso tape etc) so they can corrode.

 

[dann09]

How do you know that "a large part of my house is resting" on the blockwork? Have you talked to neighbours? Did you retain the house buyers survey report?

If there are no typical signs of structural difficulties then it would appear to be a damp issue - which you could research on here.

Why did you remove the plaster/render in the first place?

As for re-rendering - how soft is soft? Perhaps pay a builder for an opinion, but i would imagine that it's OK to re-render after determining the cause(s) of the damp.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Whoever sat on the radiator must of being very heavy!

Andy

 

[gmtfd]

How do you know that "a large part of my house is resting" on the blockwork? Have you talked to neighbours? Did you retain the house buyers survey report?

What I meant was that there are a lot of bricks on top of the blocks!

If there are no typical signs of structural difficulties then it would appear to be a damp issue - which you could research on here.

I don't think there are any structural difficulties, we have had several surveyors look at the house over the years and none of them have ever mentioned anything.

Why did you remove the plaster/render in the first place?

It's a tiny room, and that wall had about 2cm of gunk on it, including three coats of plaster, making the room even smaller.

As for re-rendering - how soft is soft? Perhaps pay a builder for an opinion, but i would imagine that it's OK to re-render after determining the cause(s) of the damp.

Well, the blocks are soft in the sense that if you rub your finger over them bits fall off, and as you can see from the pictures, when the render was removed some of the surface of the blocks came with it. They don't actually seem damp to me, they're quite dry.

Thanks for your help mate, much appreciated.

Gareth

 

[noseall]

If you chop the face off any 3.5n fibolite block you will find that the structure of the block is quite friable.

You could probably take a bite out of aerated (celcon style) blocks!

 

[gmtfd]

If you chop the face off any 3.5n fibolite block you will find that the structure of the block is quite friable.

You could probably take a bite out of aerated (celcon style) blocks!

That's a relief! So it's still structurally OK even if it seems crumbly?

 

[gmtfd]

Anyone?