Due to wind.. this just happend!

[Alex evans]

Becouse of the high wind this happend outside, good job dog wasnt out there having a wee.

So, the responsibility of that border/side isnt mine.
However the neighbour is a fragile old lady, im not going to go round n get here to get it fixed.

Been that she is old though, its more then likly id get new neighbours in the next five years, then they can pay for a "propperjob"

So, how could i fix this?
I was thinking of getting some more of them blocks n re doing that? If there still available?

Dont want to fence over for 2 reasons. 1) price and 2) id probbally loose that border over time.

What do you guys think?

Oh and the gate is i think, due to a manhole cover that is there, under my slate.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Actually, it looks like your fault as you have fitted the reed screen to her wall and the wind has caught it.
If you hadn't created an impermeable wind barrier, the ventilated bricks would have been fine (probably)

 

[Alex evans]

Helpfull

 

[Trazor]

Helpfull

Actually I think he is right, that reed barrier would have contributed to the walls failure.

That being said, those blocks are cheap enough, and would not take long to mortar up.

Actually the blocks look unbroken, so reuse them.

 

[Doggit]

I have to agree with them Alex, but don't worry about it, storms have no favour or friend, and what stayed up today, may well not have tomorrow, so the next storm would have got you.

You can get a bag or two of ready mixed cement, a cheap trowel from screwfix, borrow a spirit level from a friend, and rebuild the wall. That'll make you look good with the neighbour, and very likely get a you a bottle of plonk for your troubles.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So what clown fitted that reed crap to the wall?

 

[Mikefromlondon]

OP, have to agree with the others too, the reed barrier (possibly tied to those fancy blocks) contributed to the fall, the wind pressure acting on reed which must have been tied to the blocks brought it down, thats the might of wind and reed acting like a sail, however, what better now than to show us your DIY skills, so get those blocks and mix some mortar and refix then with a good hidden skills you never knew you possessed. I would use fairly strongish mix, 3:1 minimum. But wait until the weather settles a bit and there is no danger of frost or ice.

 

[r896neo]

Regardless of the reed matting, concrete screen block such as these are a menace. They have very low suction and as such in most cases are very weakly bonded together when laid. This makes them very prone to sudden dramatic failure from wind or people climbing on them.

Consider using a modified sbr mortar or at least something to increase to the bonding strength

 

[Curlewhouse]

I'd echo the others, not a hard job just to stick it back up for her, and very neighbourly too. Then when you get new neighbours it could "fall down" one night so they put up something better . As r896neo says, those type of walls always seem inherently weak to me, and I've seen ones where if you leant on them they'd fall over!

 

[Alex evans]

Where could i get theese blocks then? With the same pattern. I shuddnt need much. And most if not all are reuseable.

Any link would be much appreciated.

 

[rsgaz]

Where could i get theese blocks then?

Where are you?

These guys for example, won't send that type of brick by courier, only delivered in their own vehicles because they are so fragile!

http://eshop.solentbrick.org.uk/Sunwall-Screen-Walling

 

[Mikefromlondon]

well done rsgaz, for finding a source, I was doing a search too but you beat me to it.

However, if OP has children, and when you consider what the wind did to bring this down, wind wasn't exceptionally strong, and those reeds would have still allowed some air to pass through, looking from H&S point of view, if there were children in your house, they love monkeying about climbing fences especially ones where they can use it as a ladder, and imagine if that fence toppled or crumbled over as there are gaps and holes where children would start climbing, and er, so in my view, it looks fabulous, but there are dangers associated with it.

But now is the time to reconsider alternative fencing, where OP won't need to use a screen. rip it all down to brick level, leave two to four courses of bricks as this can act as gravel board, and fit concrete posts every 6 foot, using feathered edge fencing panels, he gets a new fence and same time provide screen, he may leave the gate there or block that as well, allowing provision for manhole cover to be removed like sliding the panel out from the posts if need be. he could use 6x 4 foot panels where the bricks are and where the gate is he could use narrow but taller panel. Just an idea, but if there are no children, I would restore the original as it looks good.

seems like the one that fell was 3 blocks high and the one on the right is 4 blocks high and stood up well, may be the blocks were not fixed properly to the pillars, may be one could provide some means of fixing these blocks to the pillars with good mortar or brackets of some kind screwed to the pillars and engaged with blocks at pillar ends. (like wall ties)

 

[Alex evans]

I think, id like to get rid of most the bricks and make a fence but how could i do the frame? And the posts?

Some of the ground would be earth, some of it concrete.

Ive seen bolt down post holders and 2ft in ground earth spike post holders, which would probbaly work.

And "slottable" fence pannels. As thers a manhole cover. Which is why i assume it was a gate to start with.

 

[Alex evans]

Also, it isnt my boundary. So id have to talk to the old lady, but shes quite approchable and loves my dog.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

legally whose fence is it?