I have opened two of my walls to convert double windows to french doors. Discovered all my stud bays havd been filled to a floor height of two feet with concrete. The house is framed with the studs running to the top sill plate which is on the concrete foundation. In the basement there is 2X8 blocking on the sill. When this is removed there is concrete. The concrete was poured after the shingle nails were placed. The house is 40 -50 years old. Is this some kind of fire stop or is it some kind of bullet proofing? The concrete is much harder to break up than usual foundation concrete. It gives the Hitachi demolition hammer a work out.
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I've never seen it done with concrete but I have seen it in similar aged houses with that cavity filled in with brick. It might be firestopping but I think it's an attempt at insulation.
I've seen it on a few older homes in my area, but never to the depth of 2 ft. Try snaking something through there ;)PaulB
You can't snake through it. It is solid and very tough concrete. It gives the demolition hammer and me a workout. Above it is regular fiberglass insulation, so unlikely to be for insulation.
Tell me about it, that's why I said what I did. And you can snake through it, but boy does it suck.PaulB
And you can snake through it, but boy does it suck.
I'm guessing (and to let kdd "off the hook") that you mean with the laborious abuse of electrical tools and the complete disregard for any sort of expected lifespan for flex bits, right? <G>Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Indeed...with lifespan measured in inches bored (the bits, that is)
But it was a billable expense.PaulB
But it was a billable expense
LoL! Frightening to contemplate the sins carried out under that aegis . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Yep, sounds like old school firestopping and it's always a PIA to deal with. Can't for the life of me imagine why it would extend 2' though. I'm sure someone older and wiser than myself will be along to explain it though.
I've seen it done with brick and plaster up that high.I wonder sometimes if maybe vermin proofing was part of the deal. Kind of a "let's be unfreindly to rats" game
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Good point about the rats.... never thought of that.View Image