BUILDING BRIEFING:
1930s Houses
Style and Structure
In this article, third in a four-part series for Building Briefing, Trevor Yorke looks at the style and structure of 1930s houses.
The interwar years (1918-1939) have left us an image of extreme contrast. This was the time of the General Strike, the Jarrow March and the Great Depression, with stark black and white photographs recording the events and the ill effects of mass unemployment. Yet this was also a period of lavish Hollywood movies, jazz and wild parties, while streamlined trains, aeroplanes and cars reflected speed and modernity. These seemingly opposing images are, to a degree, the cause and reaction to the other. However, on a local scale your chances of success in the 1930s depended very much on where you lived. Towns and cities dependant upon old heavy industries struggled, while those which welcomed the production of cars, electrical goods or chemicals boomed, the latter mainly concentrated in the West Midlands and South East, especially London. It is here that the largest concentration of housing from this period will be found, estates distinctive in their layout and the appearance of the buildings contained within.
'Homes for Heroes'
In the Edwardian period the first attempts at social housing had usually been undertaken by private individuals, but after the First World War the pressure from hundreds of thousands of returning soldiers and the threat of revolution forced the Government to take the lead. Under the banner of ‘Homes for Heroes’ they put finance in place to fund local authority housing in the first large-scale attempts to clear the slums. These new council estates contained houses that were spacious, hygienic and had their own toilets - a vast improvement for the lucky ones who could afford to live there. Despite some changes to the structure, the most cost saving in construction came from the scale of the operation and, as a result, the rent was still higher than that charged in the old urban areas. Some who moved in could not keep up payments, disliked the rules enforced by inspectors or missed the social life and slipped back under the cover of night to the slums!
It was not long before private house builders benefited from Government finance too, with the majority of housing in the late 20s and throughout the 30s erected by them, a large portion of which being bought with mortgages rather than rented as had been the norm before. These were very different from straight rows of terraces laid out over the past century. As railways, trams and cars enabled workers to commute from a distance, suburbs developed on the edge of towns or along arterial roads. Unrestricted and relentless growth swallowed up great swathes of cheaper farmland, meaning the houses built upon it could have a larger ground plan and spacious gardens. Borrowing many ideas from Letchworth and the Garden Suburbs before the war, these estates of avenues, crescents and cul-de-sacs had their curving roads lined with trees and interspersed with greens as builders used potent images of rural life to sell these village-style developments.
International Style
Some houses were clad with mock timber frames, hanging tiles and roughcast, imitating Tudor houses, while others had plain, symmetrical facades in a Neo-Georgian style that fell from favour in the private sector as it was adopted in the public during the 1930s. The most distinctive houses of the period are those that were branded ‘International Style’, which took some of the features from modernist architecture and applied it to the familiar semis. Rounded bays, white rendered exteriors with streamline bands, curved concrete storm porches and metal framed windows with a strong horizontal emphasis were popular features that conjured up images seen in Hollywood films. Many of these houses were offered with flat roofs, but most seem to have taken up the option to have a pitched one fitted as part of the original structure.
Layout
There were big changes to the layout of houses these styles were applied to. Now that middle class families were less likely to have a live-in maid, and with improvements in drainage and services, the rear extension, which formerly contained the scullery, fell from favour and a new kitchen in which the cooking and washing were both done was incorporated within the main body of the house. Within this new room, the traditional range, set in a large central fireplace, was being replaced by easier to operate gas and electric cookers and freestanding hot water boilers, which only required a thin flue - usually in the corner. In most rooms heating was still provided by coal fires, often with a smaller projecting tiled fireplace with matching enamelled grate rather than large wooden surround, while in some modern properties, especially flats, wall-mounted electric heaters were fitted. The wider plots also enabled a more spacious hallway to be incorporated to welcome visitors with the stairs brought forward so that banisters could make an impressive display. Front doors were usually positioned on the outer edge of a pair of semis, the opposite of those from a few decades earlier, giving the owner greater privacy from neighbours. As ceilings were now lower, and the hall wider, a window to the side of the door illuminated this space behind, rather than a fan light above.
Roofs
Roofs are an important issue with housing from this period. Most were relatively steep pitched and covered in flat clay tiles or profiled pantiles. Although these are durable they are prone to lichen and moss growth, the latter a problem if left unchecked as it prevents water flowing off, so it can work between tiles or make them liable to frost damage. Roofs of this type are very heavy, as substantial timbers, with additional struts and collars to support the purlins, were used. Be wary where these have been removed to create a more convenient loft space, as the roof can start to sag. It is also important to make sure that insulation and clutter in here are not blocking the air gaps around the eaves, which prevent condensation building up on the timbers. Flat roofs were popular on modern houses, occasionally made from a concrete slab poured in situ, but usually from timber joists covered in board and roofing felt and set behind a parapet. These are notorious for requiring maintenance, and it is important to make sure the covering has not cracked, lifted or that drainage holes have not become blocked (they are actually slightly pitched so excessive water or snow can flow off). Ponding can form where the surface is not level, which can lead to cracking of the felt. Many problems arise from condensation as warm air from inside meets the cold upper surface within the structure, causing damp to build upon timbers and the ceiling.
Construction
Not only was the appearance of a 1930s house notably different from that of the previous century - wide rather than tall - but also the way they were constructed changed. Foundations were better, with concrete slabs as a base for the brick to be built upon, although still not as deep as modern standards. In areas of poor subsoil, reinforced concrete could be extended to cover the whole base, forming a raft foundation. In others, it was used to cover the bare soil below the floorboards to reduce rising damp. Damp proof membranes were improved upon but are still an area to be wary of today, as some, like bitumen types, can fail. Venting under the floorboards was better, with honeycomb sleeper walls allowing air to pass more freely beneath, though, as before, damp will build up if these or external air bricks have been blocked by debris or soil.
Cavity walls
The most significant change was the general adoption of cavity walls, with brick skins usually in stretcher bond (staggered courses of long stretchers and no short headers) held together by steel ties. Although better at heat retention than solid walls, many have still had the gap between filled in recent decades with insulation. One problem with this is that areas of the outer leaf prone to damp do not dry out, as warmth percolating from inside is prevented from reaching it, making these areas prone to frost damage. Concrete lintels were generally used above openings, some later types running through to be exposed on the outer face. These can have cracking above as they were only fixed on the inner and can drop down. Metal framed windows were a new innovation and are especially distinctive, with long horizontal glazing bars and curved ends in bays. Unfortunately, rust and increased traffic levels have encouraged owners to replace them with UPVC double glazing, which rarely looks as authentic as the originals.
Bricks
Large scale production of bricks in areas like Bedfordshire (the clay here contained more combustible materials, making firing easier) meant cheaper common bricks were widely available. Although the quality was not the same as the finest Edwardian bricks, many had patterns, like wavy lines, stamped upon them to improve their appearance. They were also used for internal dividing walls as well as load-bearing ones. Breeze or cinder blocks were also used inside, especially upon upper floors. Although they were light, they required floor-to-ceiling timbers to give these dividing walls strength around openings - wooden trim running the full height is a clue that these have been used. It is also worth bearing in mind that asbestos came into general use, and can be found covering timber stud work and in diamond shaped roof tiles. Although it causes no problem while intact, fibres are a health hazard when cracked and its removal must be carried out by professionals.
Deconstruction and repair
1930s houses may not have the quality build of an Edwardian terrace, but, with their large plot of land and spacious accommodation, they are more suited to modern demands. Builders had solved many of the problems that had hindered the provision of better housing for the masses, although this had been achieved through mass production of parts, cheaper land prices and large scale construction rather than any revolution in design. However, just around the corner was a conflict, which, unlike the First World War, directly affected British towns and cities. The problems that faced the Government and builders at the end of the Second World War was not just an increased demand from returning soldiers, but the replacement of more than half a million houses destroyed by German bombs. In the final part of this series we will look at some of the solutions they came up with, the new styles that were fashionable and the problems that can arise with them.