Crumbling Garden Wall

[CK]

I'm looking for some advice;

My red brick 2 leaf garden party wall is crumbling. Most of the mortar is blown, and you can pick any of the bricks from the top layer as there is no longer any bond with them and the wall.

I'm not sure is is salvagable. I was thinking of putting a cement cap running allong the top to stop the rain penitrating. Any thoughts on this working?

My gardener says it has character and to try to keep it.
I'm trying to find how to attach a photo.

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[Ian Bond]

I'd repair using a lime mortar for bedding, pointing.

Please see the post about trying to remove cement render from soft red bricks below, for a good reason to avoid hard modern cement.

How high's the wall by the way?

Once it's safe and stable, perhaps you could put stone or brick coping on top?

Here's a link to a very helpful fella's website, with some examples:
http://www.pavingexpert.com/featur03.htm

Of course, the methods and materials illustrated are modern, which leads me to...

btw: if the wall is old and lovely, I'd do whatever I can to conserve its character and original materials, still with safety paramount.

 

[skier-hughes]

I'm trying to find how to attach a photo.

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Have a read of the test section for more help on this.

Graham

 

[arl]

oh that sounds just like mine! i have no idea what holds parts of it up, think i may have structural ivy. I eventually intend to patch and repoint

 

[NT]

Crumbling mortar with ok bricks is a good combination for keeping, as all you need to do is replace the mortar. This is much easier than rebuilding, and you can do bits as and when if you prefer. Do use lime rather than cement, cement causes damage to the bricks in time.

Structural ivy is a real help on a job like this. You'll have to work round it and only remove it for the remaining work once the rest of the mortar is well set, and the wall stable and strong.


NT

 

[CK]

I wish I could attach a photo as I took one this morning for this site. i can't access the external site recommended on the "test Me" page.

Anyway, thanks for the responses. I think Bondy, you've helped me before with an article regarding shutters & casing, which I've started to re-instate and they look fantastic. There is nothing like the slow grown pitch pine from southern US from 200 years ago for a beautiful colour. It is a really tough job, because they were made so precisly, I've had to re-hang the shutters 3 times for one of the windows. holes allover the walls. I'd attach a photo but alas . .

The wall is 6 foot high where some of the bricks are gone and 7 foot in others. As you say SAFETY - makes me think I should knock it. It looks very unstable - but I've run at it and it doesn't fall. . . how do I know? Well . . the top looks very unstable. there is a pier in it too.

The bricks also crumble in your hand and you could almost poke your finger through them.

 

[Ian Bond]

Hi CK

Glad to hear the shutter projects going well - it's not easy getting things to hang right again after removal is it!

If putfile won't work (you need to register) you could try http://www.myonlineimages.com/free_image_hosting.aspx?tre=2

Again, you need to register to use it.

The wall - at 6 to 7 foot I wouldn't advise using brute force to test it, unless you have an 8 foot pole and no one's on the other side!

It would be a shame to lose the wall -are all the bricks falling to dust? Perhaps it can be rebuilt lower with some salvaged bricks if you really do have to take it down?

If it's a party wall you'll need to sort all this out with your neighbour before doing anything.

How old's the house / garden - could be an original old wall - is the house listed?

Bondy

 

[CK]

I'm trying again to link in the images;

http://www.MyOnlineImages.com/Members/CK/images/Belv%20Garden May 30 2006 001.jpg[img]

[img]http://www.MyOnlineImages.com/Members/CK/images/Belv%20Garden%20May%2030%202006%20002.jpg[img]

 

[Ian Bond]

Still can't see the image, CK

If you press the Img button it will automatically insert the code in square brackets.

It also puts the correct /img for you, to complete the pair (of codes) surrounding your image URL.


You had a pair of img codes, instead of an img at the start and a /img at the end (hope that makes sense)

In the 2nd attempt you had an img plus /img at the end, instead of just /img once.


Please have another go!

 

[mark_j_k]

if you cut and paste the url into the address bar and remove the bracketed bits you can view them, but here they are!

 

[mark_j_k]

A friends garden boundary wall (cicra 1900) isn't this bad but if you lean on it it does wobble a bit.

It's a bit of a strange one as 1/2 the wall is only seen by next door as the ground levels differ by like 3 foot is some places, so we're not sure who's responsibility it is.

 

[NT]

Are all the bricks knackered or just some? If the majority are ok there should be enough of a solid network once its repointed on both sides to make it strong and stable. It certainly has plenty of character, would be nicer to keep it. I've seen walls looking like that that were stable, despite the considerable damage.

Replacing bits that are too far gone with similar bricks or stones is also an option.


NT

 

[Ian Bond]

Great - pictures!

What a lovely wall that is - I hope that it can be made safe and kept.

I'd love to have a walled garden, 10 ft high all the way 'around (and a nice oak gate).

Keep the riff-raff (uPVC window salesmen) out

 

[NT]

Great - pictures!

What a lovely wall that is - I hope that it can be made safe and kept.

yes, even if it needed a row of iron supports sticking out at an angle to the ground to stabilise it I'd keep it.

I hope the OP is sorting out the mortar already. With luck thats all it needs.


NT