Upstairs internal masonry walls built on top of floor boards

[markwm]

Mums having some work done in her 1960 detached house. Went round to have a look today as the builder has removed a downstairs wall. Bit shocked to see that ALL the upstairs masonry walls are built right on top of the floor boards, not even directly on top of the downstairs masonry internal walls. No steel lintels anywhere to be seen.

The floor joists are 8x2" and span a far distance, must be at least 6.5metres and they're carrying the weight of the masonry walls upstairs..

Is this common??

 

[Nige F]

yes - cuz the walls are lightweight blocks no problem

 

[IJWS15]

yes - cuz the walls are lightweight blocks no problem

Assumptions are DANGEROUS - are the walls lightweight blocks?

We had a house built in the 70s with a breezeblock (not lightweight) wall built on chipboard between joists. When a plumber fitted central heating he cut along one side of the wall - wall now stood on cantilevered on chipboard ! ! ! !

 

[stuart45]

Iv'e done quite a few in the 70's with 3 inch clinker blocks on sole plates upstairs.

 

[noseall]

Using 3" block partition walls was very common through certain decades as stated.

These would be built off purpose made timber sole plates and would not necessarily coincide with walls below.

The blockwork would typically finish just above ceiling level (protruding into the loft) so that the wall became 'trapped' within the plasterboard ceiling, thus stabilizing the structure somewhat.

 

[stuart45]

Most of the ones I did were put up after the ceilings were tacked, so we pinned them tight to the boards.

 

[Nige F]

yes - cuz the walls are lightweight blocks no problem

Assumptions are DANGEROUS - are the walls lightweight blocks?

We had a house built in the 70s with a breezeblock (not lightweight) wall built on chipboard between joists. When a plumber fitted central heating he cut along one side of the wall - wall now stood on cantilevered on chipboard ! ! ! !

That`s your plumber for you Some of us know better..