internal wall: brick or block?

[RobertL]

We are planning to brick up an opening in an internal wall in our Victoran house. It is where the two main rooms have previously been knocked into one in the 1960s. I am assuming that there is a beam across the opening. We will eventually have a professional plasterer to plaster it at the same time as all the other plastering jobs around the house are done.

What do people advise to use: bricks or blocks? It will not be load bearing and will be built on the pre-existing victorian brickwork which comes up as far as floor level. opening is 2.2m high and 2.6m wide (~4" thick)

many thanks for any aadvice anyone cares to give.

Robert

[Bob Mannix]

Most people would install a stud partition in these circumstances (timber and plasterboard).

[David]

Think suitable-thickness aerated Thermalite blocks and ordinary mortar would do fine and you can cut them fairly precisely with a bowsaw or similar - much better thermal / sound insulation than stud infill and a competent plasterer will neatly cover up all your unsightly blocklaying ! Ideally you should 'key' at least some block courses into the existing masonry in order to avoid any possibility of slight movement and cracking but can't see that it's totally necessary for opening as described although certainly belt and braces.

[RobertL]

Thank you both for yoru replies. yes sound insulation is important.

Robert

[Bob Mannix]

-Thank you both for yoru replies. yes sound insulation is important.

A solid wall will be quieter but you can pack the stud wall with rockwool or double layer the plasterboard. For reception rooms this is usually more than adequate. For bedrooms sometimes not so, as the house is very quiet at night and people can be kept awake by small noises (IMHO).

[RobertL]

That's true, and also a stud wall can be made more sondproof using staggered 'interleaved' studs so that the plasterboard on one side is not attached to the same studs as the one on the other side. In our case its not just the sound insulation though: I prefer to use the same meterials as the rest of the wall - it just seems 'right'.

Robert

[meow2222]

Blocks are quicker than mortar. The block wall should be attached to the existing walls along the side. Use of bits of ss stud (ssthreaded rod) is a lot simpler than interleaving brickwork.

Medium weight blocks give better sound reistance than aerated, and can be used on concrete ground floors.

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

I'd use lightweight blocks for this. Damn site easier to chase for cables etc.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Even lightewight block is way better than stud sound wise.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , [e-mail] writes

I acquired a box of left-over spacer tabs from my sister's timber frame house build. I don't know the proper name but these are stainless and are normally nailed to the inner leaf with the pierced tab cemented into the masonry.

Simply drill, plug and screw to existing wall......

regards

[Lobster]

If it's an opening in an existing solid wall (ie a doorway) that may not work well though - it's very likely that the different underlying wall composition will end up causing cracks in the skim plaster demarking where the old opening was.

I'd definitely go for lightweight blocks - much quicker and no real disadvantage here compared with bricks.

David