What Does Terraced Housing Mean In Construction?
What Does Terraced Housing Mean In Construction?
Terraced housing is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls.
In the United Kingdom, terraced houses have been popular since the 17th century and were originally built as desirable properties for the wealthy.
Terraced housing is distinguished by properties connecting directly to each other in a row, with each house having a wall built at the line of juncture.
Nationwide legislation for terraced housing began to be introduced during the Victorian era, with terraces becoming a solution to demographic changes in England that saw huge urban population growth as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
There is some regional variation in terraced housing, such as the urban mews which tends to be a London style.
What Is The Difference Between A Terraced House And A Detached House?
A terraced house is a type of housing that is connected to other houses by a single wall on either side, forming a row of houses.
A detached house, on the other hand, does not share any walls with another structure and usually has both front and back gardens.
Semi-detached houses are similar to detached houses but they share at least one wall with an existing structure that is separately owned.
End-of-terrace houses are found at the terminal of a row of homes and only have one neighbour instead of two.
What Does A Terraced House Look Like?
A terraced house is a residential property that is part of a row of similar houses, with the houses joined together by a shared wall, side-by-side.
Terraced houses are typically two or three storeys high with a duo pitch gable roof and a small front patio. They were first built in the UK during the 17th century, throughout the Georgian period.
Terraced houses can be further divided into mid-terrace and end-terrace houses. Mid-terraces are connected to multiple other houses on either side, while end-terraces are connected to only one other house.
Terraced houses usually have some kind of garden, with small patios to the front and the main garden usually lying to the rear.
Georgian terraces tend to face onto town or city squares and gardens, while Victorian terraces often feature bay windows and decorative brickwork.
Post-war architects continued to build terraced housing as part of large municipal estates along Garden City lines, with private gardens front and back.
What Are The Problems With Terraced Houses?
Common problems with terraced houses include pests like termites and wood borers due to poor ventilation in the subfloor, damp due to lack of ventilation and heat circulation, crumbling chimneys and soot build up in fireplaces, damage to shared spaces such as alleyways or gardens, roof leaks from neighbouring properties, distortion, dishing or sagging of old roof timbers, neglected chimney stacks with weathered bricks, loose pots and poor flashings, defective masonry to the walls due to weathering or structural movement, poor sub-floor ventilation and noise from neighbouring properties or roads.
Additionally, terraced houses often have no off-street parking, which can lead to busy roads outside long rows of terraces.
It is important for potential buyers of terraced houses to be aware of these issues before making a purchase.
What Are The Features Of A Terrace House?
The main features of a terraced house include a shared wall (party wall) on either side of the property, an individual entrance, a shared driveway, and one to three stories.
Terraced houses typically have identical facades and a similar layout. There is some regional variation in the style of terraced housing, such as the urban mews which is more common in London.
Traditional terraced houses are usually constructed with wood and masonry shells holding wooden beams to form foundations for the upper floors and tiled roofs.
Terraced houses have been popular since the 16th century in Europe, and they are often sought after in Australia due to their proximity to city centres.
During the Victorian period, terraces were used for workers’ housing in industrial cities. In recent decades, inner-city areas with terraced houses have been gentrified.
The appeal of a terrace lies in part with the fact that you are buying not only into a single property but into an entire street or area.
Historic terraces come with period features such as soaring ceilings, grand staircases, fireplaces, and stained glass panes that are hard to find or recreate in modern developments.
