TABLE OF CONTENTS In a brick built house, the external walls are loadbearing elements that support the roof, floors and internal walls. These walls are normally cavity walls comprising of two leaves braced with metal ties but older houses will have solid walls, at least 225 mm (9 ?) thick. Bricks are laid with mortar in overlapping bonding patterns to give the wall rigidity and a Damp-Proof Course (DPC) is laid just above ground level to prevent the moisture rising. Window and door openings are spanned above with rigid supporting beams called lintels. The internal walls of a brick built house are either non-loadbearing divisions (made from lightweight blocks, manufactured boards or timber studding) or loadbearing structures made of brick or block.
Modern timber-framed house walls are constructed of vertical timber studs with horizontal top and bottom plates nailed to them. The frames, which are erected on a concrete slab or a suspended timber platform supported by cavity brick walls, are faced on the outside with plywood sheathing to stiffen the structure. Breather paper is fixed over the top to act as a moisture barrier. Insulation quilt is used between studs. Rigid timber lintels at openings carry the weight of the upper floor and roof. Brick cladding is typically used to cover the exterior of the frame. It is attached to the frame with metal ties. Weatherboarding often replaces the brick cladding on upper floors.
Further Info When reading this section, you will probably notice that a few of...
