Surprisingly thin wall

[JoceAndChris]

I was under the impression that all the interior walls here were nice and thick, and the Georgians didn't make thin walls. But in mounting a switch in the dining room just now, one of the nice deep switches by Jim Lawrence, we've gone through to the other side, which is currently an airing cupboard.

I'd conclude that the wall is a modern partition but the plaster we've cut out for the switch is full of horsehair and the wooden joists (right word?) inside the wall look and smell old. Then, the cornice running round the dining room seems original to the property.

I'm wondering if we've hit a spot where a door used to be, connecting the dining room to whatever the airing cupboard and bathroom used to be.

Or maybe the Georgians sometimes just did crappy thin walls. There's no way to find out except for a lot more destruction of the dining room door, which wouldn't be desirable, so I guess we'll just be left puzzling on this one.

 

[worms]

Not sure that it applies, but I've seen something similar in an 1880's house between the dining room and what might have once been the maid's/butler's pantry, except that in this case the cupboard was in the dining room, with an original 4-panel door and the plain wall on the other side. Presumably the back of the cupboard was simply plastered over when that access to the dining room was no longer needed.

 

[JoceAndChris]

That is helpful - I think that might be what is was, as there are changes and lines in the wall that could indicate a door. It seems odd that they'd come from the basement kitchen with trays of food up a twisting staircase, through a door at the top of the staircase, through another door into what's now the bathroom, and through another door into the dining room, but perhaps negotiating doors with food in the dark was not out of the norm back then.

 

[worms]

But if that route avoided the staff from being seen by the guests...! Its also possible that what is now the bathroom was used to lay out all the food in advance, so when it came to the bit, there was less running up and down during the meal.

 

[Schoolmarm]

I think Nigel once said that his house had walls downstairs like that, sort of partitions rather than solid walls. And they were built on top of the floorboards.

Calling Nigel!!! Lol!

 

[Lime]

I won't mention Part P of the building regulations...I'll assume it was a direct replacement.

 

[AMc]

Our previous Victorian or perhaps Edwardian town house/terrace had large dividing doors between the front room and the dining room.
The walls either side were just stud work with lath and plaster - as I discovered when I moved a power point and found nothing much to fix it to

 

[JoceAndChris]

Very interesting - thank you!

 

[Penners]

maybe the Georgians sometimes just did crappy thin walls.

I think every age has done crappy thin walls, at some time or another. When money was short and there seemed no apparent necessity for a substantial wall, corners were cut.

It's far from unusual to find studwork partition walls that consist of just one layer of laths, plastered on one or both sides.

It sounds as though you'll have to fit the switch in a surface box of suitable depth, and it would be best to mount the box with a backing board on the other side of the wall. Make sure there's an earth terminal in the box, so you can "park" the earth conductor.

 

[Feltwell]

Ugh - plastic pattresses (surface boxes), my pet hate. I'm sure many of you have them, my house has them everywhere - they say "the cobbler's children are the worst shod", I dealt in electrical accessories until recently! They are gradually getting replaced with proper recessed back boxes as I re-decorate each room - which will take years to complete.

I think I'd prefer to have the back of the box showing on the airing cupboard side and the switch sitting flush in the room as intended. Unless a suitable "old style" surface mounted switch would look OK.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-2-Way-Bakel...al_Electrical_Fittings_MJ&hash=item3c9f3be1d1

Yes, that looks much better, nice and old, almost authentically Georgian :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thank you both! There is room for a recessed back box and a flush switch fortunately.

Feltwell, I love the style of the switches in your link - Bakelite is fab. But this is the light: http://www.uk.thechandeliercompany.com/classical-hand-crafted-chandelier_481.html
and I think it needs a dimmer switch, and the choice of dimmer switches is pretty limited, so we've gone for this in Antiqued Brass: http://www.jim-lawrence.co.uk/ProductDetail/6227/1-Gang-Rotary-Dimmer-Switch-with-Bevelled-Plate

Saving up for matching sockets, had it with Georgian style Screwfix sockets!

 

[Penners]

I'm sorry, but the business of using old-style electrical fittings in a Georgian house is every bit as anachronistic as using a modern ones.

If you can find me some authentic Georgian electric switches, I'll happily use them. If not, it makes no difference what period they represent.

 

[Flyfisher]

Agreed. Where there is no historical precedent it must surely come down to personal choice.

How about some 'retro DIY'? http://steampunkworkshop.com/steampunk-home-decor-light-switch-plates

Or, if you really can't stand modern technology in a period home, there's always the Victorian PC: http://steampunkworkshop.com/victorian-all-one-pc

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: Love it.

I quite agree about the fakeness of period switches and sockets. However, my taste does naturally lean towards fakery, away from the straightforward William Morrisy mantra of SPAB. Charles and I would get along. And in a dark colour scheme, the white plastic that's there currently stands out horribly.

 

[LadyArowana]

I was very tempted by these http://www.forbesandlomax.com/About_us.html but they work best with wallpaper.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Love those and I thought long and hard about them too. I think they might be better with other contempory choices of fabric, paper, furniture, but I'm prepared to be proved wrong on that, if anyone has mixed them with antiques and damask.

 

[Penners]

Interesting - an "invisible" light switch made out of highly polished brass.

Hmmm... :?

I contend that the following is the most "invisible" style of all - it's so ubiquitous that nobody even sees it:

 

[JoceAndChris]

If it works for you...at least it matches all the other horrible white plastic things we're forced to have - smoke alarms, plugs, remote controls. But I notice each and every one of those, and they upset me profoundly. I wish they could all be made out of nice mellow Bakelite, or possibly soothing greeny yellow bronze.

 

[Lime]

Anyone fitted any of these?

http://www.produktgesellschaft.de/en/Switch-Systems/Porcelain-Switch.html?x64720=c4vf8v8plrqre39bft4h2406afg1k53k
or
http://www.produktgesellschaft.de/en/Switch-Systems/Bakelite-Switch.html
or even
http://www.produktgesellschaft.de/en/Switch-Systems/Bakelite-Switch-With-Glass-Covering.html

Lots of different variations to chose from.
http://www.produktgesellschaft.de/en/Switch-Systems.html

I think they look much better than the old square things.

 

[philpjuk100]

just a thought! how about a bathroom/ceiling pull cord switch with the cord replaced with brocade/tassles/servant summoning type pull with the dome painted to match the ceiling? might not be quite so obvious.phil.