Depth of wall

[bob]

I live in a terraced house in London which was built about 100 years ago. There is no cavity in the walls, they are just plaster and brick.

I need to drill into the walls which my house shares with our next door neighbour, and I do not want to drill too far so as to give them a nasty surprise. I have been told variously that the wall may be either one brick in depth; or that it may be one, one and a half, or two bricks in depth. Total depth has been given as between 4-6 inches, or up to 18 inches in the case of a two brick wall.

What wisdom can you impart as to the likely depth of wall and avoidance of drilling too far? I've tried the local council's building control department and they have no information on building works on our road to be able to offer precise information as to depth of wall.

[Nigel Molesworth]

Why not measure it?

[bob]

Because it's the wall to the neighbours' house, and I don't want to bother the neighbours.

[Adrian C]

Have a peek in your loft. You might have a space near to your roofing materials that you can poke the L shaped end of a steel measuring tape and get your measurement. Assuming that part of the wall is built the same as way down.

Would there be any reason to drill deeper than the width of a housebrick anyway. What are your trying to hang?

-- Adrian C

[Peter Crosland]

Depending on what work you are doing you may be legally obliged to notify them under the Party Wall Act. In any case measurement is the only answer for which you need your neighbour's cooperation.

Peter Crosland

[John Rumm]

I guess they would be less bothered by you measuring than by your SDS emerging through their Anaglypter!

How about measuring from the party wall to the front room window reveal, then measuring between your and your neighbours front window reveals - that should not be too intrusive for them. Subtract twice the first distance from the second and you should be left with the wall thickness (assuming the window placement is symmetrical!)

[Lobster]

No one's yet asked the question, what do you want to drill the holes for? Do you really need to drill more than a brick's depth anyway?

David

[Rob Morley]

You must have missed this then:

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Have a look at the wall construction where you can see it without plaster. Lift a floorboard or check the cellar or roof void, etc. A nine inch thick wall will have some header bricks going through it to tie it together.