Disputed wall type

[StevieMc]

A colleague at my work place is adamant that his family home was built with a solid wall, 1 brick thick and a stretcher bond. He also claims it does not have wall ties? I'm no expert but I thought stretcher bond on a solid wall more than 1/2 brick thick wasn't done but at least if it was for building regs it would at least have to have wall ties or something other than mortar between the skins?

[stuart45]

It could be. How old is his house?

[maltaron]

1 brick thick and strecher bond? Unlikely, 1/2 brick and stretcher bond would indicate cavity wall. 1 brick is 9" and if solid wall would have some headers depending on bond. As said, how old is the house? cavity walls were rare before the war i.e. pre 1940.

[RonnyRaygun]

I'm looking at a 215 thk stretcher bond garden wall outside my office right now.
I'd be pretty sure it's got ties in there at the same spacings as you'd use for a cavity wall.

Never seen it done on a house though...but I guess it's possible...

[chappers]

not for the external walls,definitely not but not uncommon for victorian party walls, in workers terraces.
Also worked on some tiny victorian terraces, which were two skins of strecher bond with maybe only 20 headers in the whole elevation

[stuart45]

RonnyRaygun wrote:

I'm looking at a 215 thk stretcher bond garden wall outside my office right now. I'd be pretty sure it's got ties in there at the same spacings as you'd use for a cavity wall. Never seen it done on a house though...but I guess it's possible...

It's the normal way to bond a 9 inch garden wall nowadays, as you can get 2 good faces.
I have worked on some older houses which were 9 inch solid built in stretchers. It was sometimes used, especially in the 20's and 30's.
The bricklayers would often increase the thickness of the wall joint to about an inch to make it easier to lay the inside skin. It was sometimes confused with a cavity wall and was mistakenly called a finger cavity, although in reality it was a solid wall.

[RobinClay]

maltaron wrote:

1 brick thick and strecher bond? cavity walls were rare before the war i.e. pre 1940.

Oh ?!? I thought they came in around 1900 ? Do you have a reference for that ? Just curious....

[stuart45]

RobinClay wrote:

maltaron wrote: 1 brick thick and strecher bond? cavity walls were rare before the war i.e. pre 1940. Oh ?!? I thought they came in around 1900 ? Do you have a reference for that ? Just curious....

It depends on the area. In coastal places such as Southampton they were being built in the 1860's. Inland areas came later.

[RobinClay]

stuart45 wrote:

In coastal places such as Southampton they [cavity walls] were being built in the 1860's. Inland areas came later.

I wonder if you might know of a website that has this sort of historical / architectural information ? Our cottage is listed, and we'd love to know more.

[RonnyRaygun]

RobinClay wrote:

I wonder if you might know of a website that has this sort of historical / architectural information ? Our cottage is listed, and we'd love to know more.

Start here:
https://environment7.uwe.ac.uk/resources/constructionsample/conweb/house_ages/index.htm
And here:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

[RobinClay]

Sorry..... but better late than never - Thank you !

[RobinClay]

Sorry..... but better late than never - Thank you !

[mointainwalker]

Goodness Robin

Having seen a couple of posts today from you, have you been asleep for two years or just re-discovered this site ?

[RobinClay]

Probably.

And pangs of conscience, dear boy