What are walls made of?
What walls are made from is largely determined by what basic category they fall into – whether framed wall or solid wall.
Framed walls transfer structural loads to the foundation through columns, studs or posts. In addition to the structural element, they also include insulation and finish elements or surfaces, such as cladding panels.
Solid walls are constructed from a single skin of a solid material, such as masonry, concrete, brick, timber, rammed earth, straw bales, etc. They do not include a cavity between the interior and exterior.
A cavity wall is not framed, but is constructed from two skins of masonry, the outer skin of which can be brickwork, blockwork, or stone, and the inner skin of which is generally of blockwork. These skins (or leaves), are separated by a cavity to prevent the penetration of moisture and to allow for the installation of thermal insulation.
Wall ties span the cavity and tie the internal and external walls of bricks or blockwork together.
For more information, see Cavity wall.
Internal, or partition, walls can be constructed in a number of ways. They are typically constructed from brick or blockwork, or framed, sometimes referred to as stud walls. Stud walls can be constructed from timber, steel or aluminium frames clad with boarding such as plasterboard, timber, metal or fibreboard. They may also be glazed.
For more information, see Partition walls.
Exterior walls can be finished with a wide array of materials and techniques. The term 'cladding' refers to components that are attached to the primary structure of a building to form non-structural, external surfaces. This is as opposed to buildings in which the external surfaces are formed by structural elements, such as masonry walls, or applied surfaces such as render, screed, paint, plaster, natural stone, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and so on.
Cladding materials can include:
- Glazing.
- Aluminium.
- Stainless steel.
- Zinc.
- Composites.
- Timber.
- Tensile fabric coverings.
- Brick slips.
- Tile hanging.
- Shakes and shingle.
- uPVC.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
ECA skills recharge at the House of Commons
Electrical sector feels skills shortage bite.
The impact of pandemic and new legislation on courses
CIOB Academy’s course take-up inked to external factors.
An artist, philanthropist and ex-Army helicopter pilot
Q and A with self-representing artist, Hannah Shergold.
Building Safety Regulator appoints permanent director
And publishes three-year strategic plan.
Update on the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
Introducing changes to make it more effective from 2024.
2023 CIOB photography competition
Shortlist announced for 2023 public choice award vote.
The last of the Victorians. Book review.
Grimsby's Kasbah: where’s that?
An exotic name that is shrouded in mystery.
This weeks guest editor, Ankita Dwivedi of Firstplanit.
Fropm practice to research and the business of materials.
Terms, histories, theories and practices.
Types of work to existing buildings - repurposing of buildings
Alteration and everything else before demolition.
2023 HSE data on workplace injuries and ill health
And CIOB's response.
Building Safety Act and Secondary Legislation
Presidential update from CIAT's Eddie Weir PCIAT.
Starting pistol Statement for an election campaign?
Rates freeze, NI cuts, full expensing; early election?
Positive pressure or positive input ventilation
Could this be a remedy for condensation, damp or mould?
Unlocking a Healthier Tomorrow
Report on Social housing retrofit in Scotland 2023
Call for ministerial group and National Retrofit Delivery Plan.