Too much snipped. I was suspicious of how you would safely get the bars hot enough to get decent expansion while they were adjacent to joists and floorboards (assuming no ceilings). More realistic these days with large electrical supplies, but in the old days you might be restricted to charcoal fires or big blowlamps.
My thoughts too. Although I have normally assumed the repairs were typically 19th or early 20th Century, perhaps just about 18th, with the increasing availability of larger bits of iron or steel.
Could it have been cosmetic?
I have no idea of the history, but can't think why anybody would bother doing anything at all internally if it was just for show. The wall was not flat in any plane, which meant that when my friend fitted new kitchen units, some interesting work was necessary.
I guess it was to prevent further movement, rather than pull it back into alignment.
I recall a brick gable end at work which was moving in strong winds. Their quick fix was a couple of RSJs in a cross formation.
Chris
You can still buy them.
Probably they tightened things up in the summertime when the rods expanded, then in winter the walls would be pulled in. Bit like the railways although the rail lengths are long enough to make expansion on sunny days a problem.
Just pack the area around it with asbestos wool. :-)
You've got most of the answers already but here's a rubbish quality clip of Fred Dibnah fitting them to his house a few decades ago.
I don't think that would make much difference. A 60 foot length of rail track would have a gap of less than an inch. That sort of contraction wouldn't make much difference to a visible bulge in a wall.
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