In home construction, there are only two design styles available, the traditional solid wall and the more modern Cavity wall construction.

The traditional solid wall was popular until the 1920s, when it was replaced by the cavity wall. The cavity wall, in turn, was used unchanged until the 1970s, when it underwent a significant design change when insulation was added to the construction.

In the older traditional method, the walls would be built in a single solid wall, usually 500mm thick. This single wall would perform all the necessary tasks of supporting the roof and upper floors, preventing water from entering the living areas and keeping the interior of the property warm.

Too often, while the traditional method had no difficulty accomplishing the first of these three tasks, the job of keeping moisture out and heat in was outside the solid wall design parameter, especially on the smaller, cheaper properties. , where the workforce was and remains. very poor quality.

Older properties (with the exception of larger and more expensive properties that were normally very well built) often suffer from groundwater penetration problems resulting in damp walls or rotting beams in floors or ceiling spaces and, while in the summer the thick walls provided a cool atmosphere. and cozy interior, in the winter months the lack of insulation on the exterior walls resulted in a drafty and very cold living space, which was costly to maintain heating.

As a direct result of these problems, the cavity wall was born. The advantages of using hollow wall construction are many. First, the cavity prevents water from entering the property, which immediately solves the problem of damp walls. Second, the addition of moisture protection methods ensures that there are no more problems with water ingress from the floor or ceiling.

The cavity design also offered another benefit, as insulation could be added to the cavity (although this did not go into effect until the 1970s) helping to retain heat in indoor living spaces. In today’s energy conscious society, there is an even greater requirement to overinsulate our homes.

One point to keep in mind is that while cavity construction has ensured a lasting place in the construction of our homes, there is and has not been any legislation to enforce this common design.

The use of solid walls has some benefits that should not be ignored. The first of these is the dough. The greater depth of the wall offers its own natural insulation and has the natural property of keeping the property cool in hot weather. The wider extension of the wall load also makes the property stronger and the foundation is less likely to fail.

The higher construction cost and additional design considerations of foundation, dpc, and other waterproofing elements are the main reason this form of construction is no longer used in everyday home construction.

Solid wall construction can also be combined with wood frame construction or, as in the case of straw bale construction, it can be constructed entirely of straw. The options are endless.