Michael Mcneil wrote:

A 30 year old house will be sitting on a concrete pad if there is no
rock to base a foundation on. It's pretty nearly total building practice
in the UK these days. Inspection is going to be a problem if you
have cavities that have been filled with heat insulation. Inspection
means taking a brick or block our of a corner and looking inside.
Obviously tere are high tech ways of doing it these days that do little
damage. I don't know what they are.

It's 70 years old (1930s), no concrete pad, no cavity.


If the problem is not the foundations then it is almost definitely the
ties. The roof is pushing the wall outwards and the floors are holding
it all back; the joists are countering the force of the rafters only if
the walls are tied. Unfortunately, joists are not usually tied into the
walls but just rest in situ.

Not sure about the roof theory. The wall is bulging most at 1st
floor floor level, not 1st floor ceiling level.


Once it has been established that you are in danger you may be forced to
leave. The house may even be condemned. I hope that doesn't happen to
you and if the bow isn't too serious this is all the more reason to get
it surveyed ASAP.

As I said, rebuilding wouldn't be such a bad thing. As long as
it's justified.

--
Grunff