Is a 1930's bungalow likely to be cavity wall?

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

I'm looking at a house for sale which is an approximately 1930's bungalow. It is mostly externally rendered, and so I cannot tell how it is constructed. I have asked the vendor via the agent and they don't know either.

The house also has a flat roofed rear extension (possibly 1980's built) that is also rendered on the outside. This was built before the current vendors bought the house and so they don't know how this was constructed either.

How can I find out more details about the construction of the house? Is it all down to the survey...if I paid for a full structural survey how much would this tell me about the house? Would it tell me anything about the footings? Is there any information about how bungalows of this era would have been likely to have been built?

Thanks

 

[Psycho Sonny]

honestly without drilling holes i don't know how anyone would know for sure or removing fixings and seeing what is behind them and to the sides would probably be better.

 

[Buffman]

Do you mean to check if it has a cavity between brick courses (ie not single skin) or check it has cavity wall insulation?

The former i.e. Checking there's two brick courses should be able to roughly estimate at window openings.

The latter i.e. Cavity wall insulation, my house on purchase (1960s)came with a certificate of when it was Retrofitted in circa 1990s. Remember cavity wall insulation can have negative consequences.

You may also be able to see the blown insulation between courses in the loft (you can in my house)

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

As mentioned
Go to external door
Or a window
And measure thickness
If it's more than 10 inches
It's likely got a cavity
1930 could possibly be solid or cavity

 

[SeatIbiza]

Cavity walls came in much earlier than everyone thinks. I have 3 properties of 1890-1892, in Portsmouth, and they are all cavity walls. They're quite narrow mind, but they are cavities!

The 1980s extension is more than likely going to be cavity, block internal with brick external.

As above, you want a width of 250mm. A solid wall will be around 220mm. Post some pics up.

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

Cavity walls came in much earlier than everyone thinks. I have 3 properties of 1890-1892, in Portsmouth, and they are all cavity walls. They're quite narrow mind, but they are cavities!

The 1980s extension is more than likely going to be cavity, block internal with brick external.

As above, you want a width of 250mm. A solid wall will be around 220mm. Post some pics up.

That is early
My thoughts were not long after the victorian era
Nice to learn something new

 

[SeatIbiza]

That is early
My thoughts were not long after the victorian era
Nice to learn something new

Most places were, but Portsmouth was cutting edge at the time (I have no idea why mind!) but they are well built houses!

 

[SeatIbiza]

That is early
My thoughts were not long after the victorian era
Nice to learn something new

https://historicengland.org.uk/imag...arly-cavity-walls/heag083-early-cavity-walls/

This might be of interest to you...

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

https://historicengland.org.uk/imag...arly-cavity-walls/heag083-early-cavity-walls/

This might be of interest to you...

Thanks
Will look once on pc
Phones too small a screen for me
Much prefer my pc

Most places were, but Portsmouth was cutting edge at the time (I have no idea why mind!) but they are well built houses!

Certainly were well built
Used to live in victorian property
Loved the room proportions and coving and features
Unfortunately that one wasn't a cavity wall
So can see why victorians had a fireplace in every room lol

 

[danlightbulb]

As above, you want a width of 250mm. A solid wall will be around 220mm. Post some pics up.

Its hard to see much from this really but this is the closest view of the brickwork i can get at the moment. I 2nd view the house on Sunday.



You can see it has bay windows at the front, and airbricks are visible at just below floor level.

It is also slightly elevated from the road at the front. And you can see the steps up to the doorway as well. I would like to estimate how deep the footings might be as well.

 

[SeatIbiza]

The air bricks are probably venting the floor void.

Get a picture of the bricks tomorrow. You can tell if it's a solid wall by the way the bricks are placed...

I'm going to say solid wall, but it is hard to tell as it's painted over!

 

[danlightbulb]

Yeah the painting is annoying. I noticed it was flaking on first viewing so it would need brushing off and redoing.

I did notice what looked like one complete row of bricks with a round metal cap of some sort attached on the brick face. About an inch diameter. I guess like the head of a rivet. Does anyone recognise this as a special type of brick?

If the best guess is that it is solid walls, does this suggest caution needed or even that I shouldnt buy it?

Will the house have a dpc? I didnt notice thst the floors were wooden when walking inside - normally can tell this? Ill pay more attention sunday.

 

[2004typer]

The air bricks are probably venting the floor void.

Get a picture of the bricks tomorrow. You can tell if it's a solid wall by the way the bricks are placed...

I'm going to say solid wall, but it is hard to tell as it's painted over!

Correct - will most likely have header and stretcher bond if a solid wall.

If stretcher bond only good indication that the wall will have a cavity.

 

[SeatIbiza]

Yeah the painting is annoying. I noticed it was flaking on first viewing so it would need brushing off and redoing.

I did notice what looked like one complete row of bricks with a round metal cap of some sort attached on the brick face. About an inch diameter. I guess like the head of a rivet. Does anyone recognise this as a special type of brick?

If the best guess is that it is solid walls, does this suggest caution needed or even that I shouldnt buy it?

Will the house have a dpc? I didnt notice thst the floors were wooden when walking inside - normally can tell this? Ill pay more attention sunday.

No reason not to buy it. Yes the house will have a DPC, that age it will be slate, but the problem is finding it as the walls are painted over...I would imagine they are suspended floors, would be very surprised if they aren't...

 

[danlightbulb]

It does have a floor entry toilet soil pipe in the bathroom. I need to investigate this Sunday as if its too far from the wall it will be awkward to fit a replacement toilet easily. Does this indicate anything on the floor type or age?

The 1930s guess was the vendors, it hasnt been substantiated.

Three downstairs rooms have chimney breasts which have been removed above roof level and capped, and bricked up internally. The 80s extension (rear living room) then also has an external chimney breast constructed for a gas fire. The inside of the room is flat.

 

[danlightbulb]

Hi all, got some more photos to share for opinions hopefully.

Here is one of the windows which appear to be hardwood. I assume is some kind of paint or coating that is peeling off, so they all need some sanding back and retreating. Any major concerns with this? What product would you use? As you can see the windows are double glazed but they are very thin units, looks only 6mm. I wouldn't be able to afford to put in uPVC.




The extension has been built with a chimney which Ive never seen done before. Does this help pinpoint the age of the extension?




Here are the lower unrendered sections of the walls. The thickness of the walls at the window and door sections was around 250-280mm give or take. Do you think cavity? I can make out the thicker section of mortar where the DPC is in these pictures. What are the bricks with what look like rivets embedded in them for?

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

looks like they used woodfiller instead of silicone on the windows
not flexible enough is why its all cracked
the "rivets" if only low down wont be cavity wall insulation-probably some sort of damp injection treatment
though i am not a builder or any kind of expert so may be wrong
a photo of the brick work from a little further back would be good
if its all bricks length ways
compared to some being less than a full bricks length--headers and stretchers is probably the term
will tell you if its solid or cavity

 

[danlightbulb]

I assumed it was some sort of cork material or window putty that was used to fit the glazing units into the frame. But yes, it does need replacing. I assume the glass would be loose if I was to scrape out that flaking material, silicone wouldn't be able to properly seat/hold the glazing would it?

Those rivet/nail head things are in a single row of bricks all the way round the house, a few courses up from the ground.

There is a relatively new looking condensing boiler in the kitchen, feeding a vented cylinder and header tank in the loft (pics below). I had originally thought I would replace all this with a simple combi. However, as the boiler seems relatively modern, I could also replace the vented system with an unvented one. Could a 200 litre unvented cylinder go in the loft in the same spot? There is a disused airing cupboard in the bathroom where it could also go, but I was thinking of taking this out to make the bathroom bigger. Do you think the costs of replacing the system with a combi and the unvented cylinder option would be similar? A combi would simplify everything substantially which is an advantage, and then nothing needed in the loft except pipework.

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

yes might be some sort of putty not wood filler
cant see why silicone wouldnt work
as long as its the stuff that stays nice and rubbery-the stuff thats got strong smell of vinegar(acetic acid) usually
some of the silicones have seen are rubbish and go very brittle after a while

know nothing about heating systems but no doubt some one can answer that for you

 

[thezappa]

No reason why it shouldn’t have a cavity, albeit a narrow one given the width although at 250mm wide it would be on the narrow side.
Those plugs at the base of the wall look suspiciously like an injected damp proof course.

Windows look alright, rub them back and redecorate. If they are hardwood have a look at linseed paint, it is significantly better than most others particularly for wood since it penetrates the material. It is more expensive but will last a lot longer.
The bead between the pane and the frame; to be honest you could probably leave until you have the money to replace them, you might be able to find a firm who can recondition them if you’re set on doing something.

The cylinder size will depend on how many people are in your house, a 200L one won’t go too far with four people but if it’s just the two of you it would be ok.