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party walls
- Thread starter sarah j
- Start date
Johneds
Member
- Messages
- 126
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
Yes, both are common. I would advise having the loft wall blocked up - for general security and also for fire protection. Bricks would be favourite but a partition type wall would be sufficient for fire protection.
Thanks for that my husband is going to build a wall in the loft asap When we moved in we thought the old owner had let all his belongings up their good job we didnt start rooting!!!! Funny had a full survey but nothing was mentioned on the report they must be a law unto themselves?
borischarlton
Member
- Messages
- 71
- Location
- Highworth
I was brought up in a house almost as you describe. It was a terrace of three story town houses and you could walk in the attic along the whole row. It was actually how we were told to escape in the event of a down stairs fire.
Rob
Rob
Yep, both were common right up to relatively recent times - it's cheaper isn't it? And there was not as much concern over noise - no tv or stereo etc.
Mortgage companies usually insist on a loft wall be inserted for fire protection reasons, so there are fewer still like that these days.
The biggest problem is noise in a single skin party wall. Look up the noise reduction items in the archive. I heard good things about the rubber based sheet one which you glue directly to the wall then fit two plasterboard layers. It takes about 2" to 3" off the room size but apparently can be effective - and because with a single skin party wall the joists usually run parallel to the party wall, you may be able to do the whole house wall without gaps (i.e. including between the floors) which gives better results.
Mortgage companies usually insist on a loft wall be inserted for fire protection reasons, so there are fewer still like that these days.
The biggest problem is noise in a single skin party wall. Look up the noise reduction items in the archive. I heard good things about the rubber based sheet one which you glue directly to the wall then fit two plasterboard layers. It takes about 2" to 3" off the room size but apparently can be effective - and because with a single skin party wall the joists usually run parallel to the party wall, you may be able to do the whole house wall without gaps (i.e. including between the floors) which gives better results.