What type of wall is my house?

user060916 · 21-10-2023 11:18PM #1

How do you find out what sort of exterior wall a house is?

I presumed the exterior wall would be brick but it's not.

It's a standard 1980 build house, semi detached.

The exterior wall seems to be plasterboard attached to a wooden frame but also sometimes bricks.

Is there a "standard" from that era?

walshtipp · 22-10-2023 12:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058319123/what-type-of-wall-is-my-house

Probably a block wall that has been dry lined.

walshtipp · 22-10-2023 12:13AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269653#Comment_121269653

Yes, it is most common to dry line external walls.

ted1 · 22-10-2023 12:41AM

Drill a hole and check.

my 84 semi d is Red brick, small cavity , 9 inch block, fibre covered in plastic, plasterboard finish

user060916 · 22-10-2023 09:42AM

I've drilled a hole but it varies depending on where I drill.

In my last place it was all brick with plasterboard on top. Here it seems to be different

10-10-20 · 22-10-2023 11:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270014#Comment_121270014

Ok, well, describe it to us. What's the distance between the plasterboard and block? How deep is the block and could it be a cavity block ("breeze-block")? Have you encountered vertical studs (wooden frame) and how far apart are they... etc.

user060916 · 22-10-2023 05:22PM

I was hoping there would be a standard for 1980s houses.

Some go plasterboard then air, some go plasterboard into timber and some go plasterboard into brick. All the same wall

Doop · 23-10-2023 01:07PM

Your external walls are likely to be cavity block for that age or cavity wall construction

The walls may have been drylined or studded out but you will still have block under it, you should know by knocking on it, hollow sound is studded out/drylined. Dull sound is plasterboard/plaster on block.

whizbang · 24-10-2023 11:48PM

Go up into your attic, ideally with a probe camera, otherwise tape your phone onto a stick and take a video of the tops of the walls. There will be timber wall plates along the tops of the blocks, see if theres a gap under these.

user060916 · 30-10-2023 10:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121280879#Comment_121280879

No idea why that didn't cross my mind. Will do thanks

Mr321 · 02-11-2023 12:19PM

Agree with the comments above. 1980s was cavity blocks.

Furze99 · 02-11-2023 01:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058319123/what-type-of-wall-is-my-house

It's possible that the interior wall detail varies according to exposure of the external wall to the elements i.e. sides facing prevailing winds and rain may differ from others.

What type of wall is my house?

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