I need to know what something is called?

[Craig]

Hi all knowledgable people...

What is the name for that part of the party wall that rises up above the roof on terraced houses?

Many thanks
Craig

 

[Craig]

Does no-one know?

 

[Nemesis]

Do you mean above the roof or the bit in the loft above the ceiling?

And blimey... give folks a chance!

 

[Craig]

The bit that sticks out above the roof in the fresh air.

& sorry...

 

[Nemesis]

Well I'm busy looking in The English Terraced House - I'm sure it has a name but as yet have not found it!!!

 

[Gervase]

Dunno, but I had to repoint one last year and it was a b*gger of a job.

 

[Craig]

We are probably going to be re-rendering/re-pointing or re-building ours, and they are a long way up in the air...

Not much fun but if it keeps the rain out and stops them falling off the house, then it'll be a good thing.

Just hard when one is constantly having to explain about what you are actually talking about.

 

[Nemesis]

Falling off??? You mean coping stones?

I suppose the wall part, if it rises above the roof, is a sort of mini gable ot jutting parapetty thing... but on the plans in The English Terrced House not a peep!

 

[Mark]

We had one of them. Parapet ?

Ours slid off (quite impressive) when the builder prodded it.

 

[Nemesis]

Eaves? Possibly not.

 

[chuckey]

I always referred to it as a fire wall!!! (yeh even before the advent of computers). They are present in London and I am constantly surprised by the lack of them else where in the country.
frank

 

[Nemesis]

Well - the terraced house came in many guises and not all had a continuous loft. Not all had a raised small gable bit either above the roof line, even if the loft or attic was divided internally.

The English Terraced House Stefan Muthesius is the standard history.

 

[Gervase]

Nah, not a parapet - it's where a terrace is built on a slope, so each roof rises a bit higher than the one next door. So, if you need to work on it, it's inevitable that you work from next door's roof.

 

[Tom]

So what's 'falling off' then? I don't know about anyone else but I could do with a pic!!

Jaqy

 

[Nemesis]

I know it's not a parapet - it's sort of short gable, but I can't find any ref as to a technical name as yet!

Some also are wider and have coping stones on for a bit of fancy. Sometimes they are simply a roof division, and not where there is a slope.

Stiil who cares - they'll all be Pathfindered soon...

 

[Craig]

No slope, but they are indeed firewalls - they divide the roof space and also act to seperate the timbers of each house so that a fire would not spread so fast.

Not quite a gable - thats at the end...

Not a parapet - thats front and back...

Will work on a few shots. And also of the cracked window arch...

 

[Nemesis]

With yours, it is possibly a result of one of the London Building Acts. But terraces are many and varied in design and have a considerable history.

 

[Craig]

Here is the wall:

 

[Craig]

Yes, agree - the result of the building acts.

Anyway, at the front, our arch has suffered. Somebody repaired this but not very well...

 

[Juju]

Well I'm probably on the wrong track here but I'm just writing my assignment for an architecture course*, and I've just read about how houses in Islington in 1830s, etc were built with this extra bit on the roof cos it was originally planned to have an extra storey. Probably irrelevant to the discussion but I thought it was an interesting fact!


*In case anyone's looking to do a basic architectural history course, I can recommend this one! Online, no entry requirements, 3 months, romp through western architecture, Oxford Uni.