Nice drawings!
Tricky isn't it. Doing drawings... I knew that some of my interior walls upstairs are directly above some walls downstairs. Until I got a tape out and found they aren't.
I have so many questions...
Do you think the front wall is now stable?
That chimney support beam must (hopefully) run between the outside wall and the stairs 'cos if it doesn't there is nothing below it to support it. Any suggestion that the chimney is unstable? Cracks or leaning? I ask because if it's not moving you can probably forget about it for the moment. Even if it's not supported properly.
The steel (?) across the kitchen is interesting. I presume it's in the position of an old wall. But as far as I can see there isn't any weight above it. It's just supporting the floor and maybe the bedroom wall to the left. What's that wall made of? Blocks or studding? Anyhow, If there is little weight on it it wouldn't need a massive support to sit on.
I suppose, most importantly, where are the new cracks?
From what you've said I'm reminded of old barns and a few buildings where, to stop the walls bellying out, they put iron rods all the way across with a big cast spreading plate on the outside. Dear old dad told me that in barns they'd wrap straw round the bar and set it alight. Once the bar was hot they did the nuts up so as it cooled it pulled the walls in. Don't know if that's true though.
James
Tricky isn't it. Doing drawings... I knew that some of my interior walls upstairs are directly above some walls downstairs. Until I got a tape out and found they aren't.
I have so many questions...
Do you think the front wall is now stable?
That chimney support beam must (hopefully) run between the outside wall and the stairs 'cos if it doesn't there is nothing below it to support it. Any suggestion that the chimney is unstable? Cracks or leaning? I ask because if it's not moving you can probably forget about it for the moment. Even if it's not supported properly.
The steel (?) across the kitchen is interesting. I presume it's in the position of an old wall. But as far as I can see there isn't any weight above it. It's just supporting the floor and maybe the bedroom wall to the left. What's that wall made of? Blocks or studding? Anyhow, If there is little weight on it it wouldn't need a massive support to sit on.
I suppose, most importantly, where are the new cracks?
From what you've said I'm reminded of old barns and a few buildings where, to stop the walls bellying out, they put iron rods all the way across with a big cast spreading plate on the outside. Dear old dad told me that in barns they'd wrap straw round the bar and set it alight. Once the bar was hot they did the nuts up so as it cooled it pulled the walls in. Don't know if that's true though.
James
