Garden Wall Repair

[MatthewC]

I have a new neighbour (not the other half of the semi but the other side). They have done a phenominal amount of work on their place in a very short space of time (mostly based on the right principles).

One of the things they have done was to remove the huge amount of ivy on the 18" thick roughly squared limestone wall in the garden between their property and mine. Sadly, this has revealed that the wall is not in as good a condition as I thought. Part of the wall was clear of ivy and is indeed in pretty good condition; however, the 5 linear metres of wall under the ivy is very poor with lots of loose stones, poor pointing and ivy disappearing into the wall. Moreover the wall is leaning in their direction by possibly 8 or 10 inches...

The trouble is that the wall is pretty big. My side is about 8 ft high, and their garden is probably about 3 ft lower than mine, so they have an 11ft wall towering over their patio. A major rebuild is definitely needed; legally I think it's their wall, but it's my ivy. Both houses are listed and in a conservation area. A like-for-like repair does not need LBC, but the question is whether any building regs apply? I think there is a rule about having to be authorised if the wall is over a certain height (2 metres above highest ground?) but does that apply to repairs or just construction?

Truth be told, it's so high that I think I'll find someone anyway, rather than do it myself as next year's project. I wouldn't want the responsibility if it fell over later.

 

[88v8]

That's quite a wall.
18" blocks are going to be pretty heavy.

How far down does the looseness go? If you only have to remove a course or two then I'm sure you can just go ahead.

However, is it leaning at the top due to perished mortar, or leaning from the bottom because the foundations (if any) have failed?

A 10" lean means it's still within its own footprint so not in imminent danger, but I can understand someone feeling less relaxed if they're on the wrong side of it.

Ivor

 

[MatthewC]

In fact, having removed a lot of the ivy, the wall is of a quite mixed construction. There are blocks (which I am sure don't go right through) where it was clear, but along the top and under the ivy to the side it is coursed random rubble. The whole is capped by 4" limestone slabs, 18" wide and about 30" long; these seem to have been set with a small slope for drainage which has now increased a lot in places. (I don't have an clinometer so I can't measure it.) It seems to be the rubble bit, going down about 3 or 4 ft, where the mortar has been disappearing and there are loose stones in the first couple of feet down from the top.

I'm pretty sure that the lean is within the wall rather than anything with the foundations, as it seems to curve slightly and then seems to get worse near the top; the pointing lower down seems fine. Of course, I can't be sure of anything - it is quite an old wall and I've not yet been able to inspect my neightbours' side...

 

[Pennyviz]

You probably know this Mathew, but just in case - only remove the superficial ivy, the rest of it is probably holding the wall together .....

 

[Zebra]

Could you.....
Ask your neighbours if you can come round and have a look.
Build some sort of temporary superstructure to support the wall from falling while you do the repairs - maybe a timber rail propped on the neighbours side?
Decide what sort of mortar to use - maybe NHL5 - and buy it yourself and have it ready.
Find someone who's worked in lime before and pay them on a day rate to repoint it?
I also don't know who owns the boundary walls to my house but I've taken on the task of repairing them myself so that they're done the way I think they should be....

 

[MatthewC]

I've at last got round to updating my blog, where I have put some photos of this wall. See http://houseintheenchantedforest.blogspot.com/.

I've also had my friendly builder look at it - he is pretty knowledgeable and au fait with lime - and he agrees that it needs a decent chunk of rebuilding with NHL5, so we have pencilled that in for next spring. Now I have to break the news to my new neighbours, as it is their wall (but I'll be happy to pay some of it, just to stay friendly).