Protecting new/old garden wall
Discussion
Hi there
I had one of our old garden walls rebuilt a few years back and the cost of the replacement stocks has started the fade! The old wall was falling down but it was one of the reasons we loved the back garden so seemed only right to put it back.
Anyway, I was giving the garden a tidy up this weekend and cleaning the top of the wall and noticed that a section of the mortar on the top of the wall betyween the bricks is pretty crumbly/powedery. I'd say around 1m of the 8m on the wall, so I am guessing a weak mix was used for that section of the wall for whatever reason. I obviously want to stop this getting worse - my thoughts on options are:
i) Try one of the waterproofing creams on the top of the wall. I would apply it to the top and sides of the top course of bricks for the affected section - this shouldn't trap water in the wall given the rest of the wall isn't treated, and the it's only the top of the wall that seems to be affected.
ii) Run a zinc/powder coated wall capping down the wall to protect all of it from the weather. This seems a bit OTT but equally I guess protects the wall for the long term.
iii) Look at some period copings, although I haven't found many options looking around.
Be interested if anyone has tried any of the above approaches! Soft London stocks and wet weather never seem like a match made in heaven, but there a lot of them in the country so we should be able to figure something out!
I had one of our old garden walls rebuilt a few years back and the cost of the replacement stocks has started the fade! The old wall was falling down but it was one of the reasons we loved the back garden so seemed only right to put it back.
Anyway, I was giving the garden a tidy up this weekend and cleaning the top of the wall and noticed that a section of the mortar on the top of the wall betyween the bricks is pretty crumbly/powedery. I'd say around 1m of the 8m on the wall, so I am guessing a weak mix was used for that section of the wall for whatever reason. I obviously want to stop this getting worse - my thoughts on options are:
i) Try one of the waterproofing creams on the top of the wall. I would apply it to the top and sides of the top course of bricks for the affected section - this shouldn't trap water in the wall given the rest of the wall isn't treated, and the it's only the top of the wall that seems to be affected.
ii) Run a zinc/powder coated wall capping down the wall to protect all of it from the weather. This seems a bit OTT but equally I guess protects the wall for the long term.
iii) Look at some period copings, although I haven't found many options looking around.
Be interested if anyone has tried any of the above approaches! Soft London stocks and wet weather never seem like a match made in heaven, but there a lot of them in the country so we should be able to figure something out!
londonpob said:
Hi there
I had one of our old garden walls rebuilt a few years back and the cost of the replacement stocks has started the fade! The old wall was falling down but it was one of the reasons we loved the back garden so seemed only right to put it back.
Anyway, I was giving the garden a tidy up this weekend and cleaning the top of the wall and noticed that a section of the mortar on the top of the wall betyween the bricks is pretty crumbly/powedery. I'd say around 1m of the 8m on the wall, so I am guessing a weak mix was used for that section of the wall for whatever reason. I obviously want to stop this getting worse - my thoughts on options are:
i) Try one of the waterproofing creams on the top of the wall. I would apply it to the top and sides of the top course of bricks for the affected section - this shouldn't trap water in the wall given the rest of the wall isn't treated, and the it's only the top of the wall that seems to be affected.
ii) Run a zinc/powder coated wall capping down the wall to protect all of it from the weather. This seems a bit OTT but equally I guess protects the wall for the long term.
iii) Look at some period copings, although I haven't found many options looking around.
Be interested if anyone has tried any of the above approaches! Soft London stocks and wet weather never seem like a match made in heaven, but there a lot of them in the country so we should be able to figure something out!
best on the market is Properla masonary creme as its breathable , will soak 17mm into the brickwork and as its super hydrophobic will not let water ingress into the brick but allow it to dry out I had one of our old garden walls rebuilt a few years back and the cost of the replacement stocks has started the fade! The old wall was falling down but it was one of the reasons we loved the back garden so seemed only right to put it back.
Anyway, I was giving the garden a tidy up this weekend and cleaning the top of the wall and noticed that a section of the mortar on the top of the wall betyween the bricks is pretty crumbly/powedery. I'd say around 1m of the 8m on the wall, so I am guessing a weak mix was used for that section of the wall for whatever reason. I obviously want to stop this getting worse - my thoughts on options are:
i) Try one of the waterproofing creams on the top of the wall. I would apply it to the top and sides of the top course of bricks for the affected section - this shouldn't trap water in the wall given the rest of the wall isn't treated, and the it's only the top of the wall that seems to be affected.
ii) Run a zinc/powder coated wall capping down the wall to protect all of it from the weather. This seems a bit OTT but equally I guess protects the wall for the long term.
iii) Look at some period copings, although I haven't found many options looking around.
Be interested if anyone has tried any of the above approaches! Soft London stocks and wet weather never seem like a match made in heaven, but there a lot of them in the country so we should be able to figure something out!
it is expensive mind ( £150 plus vat a tub) and you would need an installer to apply it but once on you get 20 years guarantee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JobKjl6AD6c
edit
on the period copings have a look at reclamation yards loads about and usually well priced
Thanks for the responses, completely forgot I had posted this (the dangers of evening internet usage after a beer!
Both make sense, and I think the suggestion around re-pointing that section is fair. I think I just thought applying the cream might be easier than starting to play around with the wall, but probably should be something I look at first. The bricks on the top of the wall are very wet when it rains, but do dry out pretty quickly when we get some sun.
Both make sense, and I think the suggestion around re-pointing that section is fair. I think I just thought applying the cream might be easier than starting to play around with the wall, but probably should be something I look at first. The bricks on the top of the wall are very wet when it rains, but do dry out pretty quickly when we get some sun.
hidetheelephants said:
It is possible the bricks aren't suitable for a coping, some are too soft to be durable long term; if there similar walls locally that are in good condition that's a good sign, the fact your wall is an old one that you had rebuilt would suggest that's likely.
Some of neighbours have walls that are in reasonable condition and the house (and neighbours) date from the mid 1850s so they are doing ok - any damage seems to due to trees/roots/hedges infiltrating the walls and moving them around too much. It's possible they were all rebuilt 50 years ago though!hidetheelephants said:
It is possible the bricks aren't suitable for a coping, some are too soft to be durable long term; if there similar walls locally that are in good condition that's a good sign, the fact your wall is an old one that you had rebuilt would suggest that's likely.
it could be the mortar mix was wrong when the wall was built , to high a cement mix and the joints will crack , or too sandy after super saturation , it will crumble over time . Where the creams have the advantage they stabilise the Bricks / mortar allowing them to dry out then remove the porosity but still be breathable. Its especially noticeable on Chimneys with the added / Hot/ cold factor s one of the best ways of curing damp after repointing.
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