"Christian McArdle" wrote in message . net...
Myth alert. There are lots of Victorians with cavity walls. Half inch
cavity was a popular standard. The cavity was to reduce dampness, not
for insulation, so half inch was all that was needed. There are lots
of solid wall Vics, but also many cavity wall ones too.

Yes, my parent's 1890s house is very unusual. There is a different
construction on every floor.

lower ground floor: double brick, cavity, single brick
upper ground floor: triple brick
1st floor: double brick
2nd floor: single brick

At the floor level on every set of stairs, there is either a "ramp" or a
useful shelf as the wall gets thinner. I strongly suspect the lower ground
floor cavity is due to the fact that this floor is half buried in the
hillside.

Christian.


Yup. Each section will often be done with whatever they thought they
could get away with. I've also seen one with half inch cavity flemish
bond, stretcher bond, 4" cavity ratbond, rubble, single brick, and a
small section of triple too. It certainly keeps the building costs
down, and enables one to have the nicest brickwork at the front, and
any old cheapass at the back.

I guess nowadays there are too many constraints regarding insulation
and structural strength to mix and match like that.


Regards, NT