A Woolaway house is a type of non-standard prefabricated concrete house built in the UK in the mid-20th century. The houses were constructed using a precast concrete frame and concrete wall panels and were originally marketed as being quick to build and long-lasting.
The name “Woolaway” comes from the manufacturer, John Laing & Son, who developed the system in collaboration with Woolaway Construction Ltd in the 1940s. These houses were primarily built to address the drastic housing shortage after World War II, and the system was used in several parts of the country, mainly in the South West of England. An estimated 5,000 properties were built using this non-standard building method.
However, over time, many Woolaway houses have been found to have construction defects, including corrosion and cracking of the concrete, and issues with damp and insulation. As a result, many of these houses have been designated as defective under the Housing Act 1985, making it more difficult to secure a mortgage for these concrete built houses.
Woolaway also built bungalows using the same technique, these were not classed as defective, although most mortgage lenders will offer a mortgage as long as a certificate stating that the PRC Woolaway walls have been replaced with traditional brick and block construction.
