How thick are my party walls

[oscarthecat91]

I am trying to ascertain thickness of the party walls. The house is a 1910 built Edwardian Terrace. The external walls are an early cavity type with brick walls inner and solid stone on the outside of the property.

The only place I can examine the party wall brickwork is the loft and bathroom which is currently back to brick for refurb (photos attached). The bricks seem to be all running the same way and my understanding is that there are supposed to be some bricks placed sideways in the wall for it to be double brick thickness?

We have recently had new neighbours on one side and are hearing a lot more from next door than we used to

 

[cdbe]

Measure in from a window.

 

[stuart45]

You've got courses of headers in the bathroom.

 

[oscarthecat91]

Measure in from a window.

Total thickness inside to out on the external walls is 37cm - but pretty sure there is a cavity in there somewhere as the internal faces are brick and external stone

 

[oscarthecat91]

You've got courses of headers in the bathroom.

Ah yes - I thought you had headers in every row of bricks uaually?

Does this indicate the walls are double brick (9inch) thick ?

 

[stuart45]

They are probably 9 inch. Headers can be every course, every other, every 4 or so on. They can be snapped headers in face work to match a bond, but in a party wall usually indicate a solid 9inch wall.

 

[^woody^]

One brick solid

 

[oscarthecat91]

Thanks for all the replies. So the clarify, the presence of headers (in the bathroom wall at least) means the party walls are likely to be 9inch thick (two brick widths when laid lengthways)? Not 4.5 inch thick (width of one single brick)

 

[^woody^]

"One brick thick" when describing a wall is one brick lengthways ie 230mm or 9" , as opposed to "half a brick thick" which is a brick widthways ie 102mm or 4".

Party walls were invariably solid 9" and only started to change to cavity in the late 1920's and early 30's, and houses with early cavity external walls still had solid party walls for a while

 

[oscarthecat91]

Thanks, that makes sense now!

So the absence of headers in the loft space may mean that wall is only half a brick thick? Is it common to have less thickness in the loft ?

 

[^woody^]

Thanks, that makes sense now!

So the absence of headers in the loft space may mean that wall is only half a brick thick? Is it common to have less thickness in the loft ?

Yes. Its common for cavity party walls to be reduced to 9", and 9" walls reduced to 4½" for the fire break wall