I have a question about the best way to deal with sloping courses of brickwork. It’s a small problem that takes a bit of explaining. I’ll be as brief as I can.
I have an end-of-terrace house built in 1901 and I am rebuilding the gable wall at the back end of the house because it is in poor condition. Here’s an idea of the size:
The wall is 9in solid, the length is 12 feet (3.65m), the height to the gable apex is 23ft 6in (7.16 m). The first floor has a window opening 5ft 6in wide by 5ft 9in high (1.67 x 1.75 m). The ground floor originally had a opening 6ft 6in wide by 9ft 3in high (1.98 x 2.82 m) for a French window, later partly bricked up from the bottom and converted to a window.
The wall was built to give the appearance of Flemish bond but was jerry-built. Only a few of the headers are full headers and the inner leaf largely consists of half-bats cobbled together. Forget anything about rules of bonding.
If you imagine standing in the back garden looking at the back of the house, the neighbouring house in the terrace is on the left with an identical gable end separated by a 9in party wall. During its lifetime my house and its neighbour have settled. Over the total length of 24ft 9in (7.54 m) - 12ft gable/party wall/12ft gable - the brickwork courses slope down to the left by over 2in.
What is the best way to put in the new brickwork? It seems to me there are three choices.
1. Put in all the new brickwork sloping in the same way as the old. Of course, this means the openings would be out of square.
2. Build all the brickwork level. Break the horizontal bond at the party wall by chopping the stretchers in half every other course and put a continuous mortar joint up the wall; this may not look good and there are a few problems with the bond to the party wall already.
3. Build the brickwork on the right of the openings level, build the openings level, but slope the brickwork on the left of the openings down to meet the old brickwork at the party wall. This would mean a fall of about 1 ¼in (half-way along the overall slope of 2in-plus) over a distance of 42in assuming I remove the bricks in the outer leaf on the party wall.
I just wondered what the usual practice is in this sort of situation. I’d be grateful for any advice you could give.
I have an end-of-terrace house built in 1901 and I am rebuilding the gable wall at the back end of the house because it is in poor condition. Here’s an idea of the size:
The wall is 9in solid, the length is 12 feet (3.65m), the height to the gable apex is 23ft 6in (7.16 m). The first floor has a window opening 5ft 6in wide by 5ft 9in high (1.67 x 1.75 m). The ground floor originally had a opening 6ft 6in wide by 9ft 3in high (1.98 x 2.82 m) for a French window, later partly bricked up from the bottom and converted to a window.
The wall was built to give the appearance of Flemish bond but was jerry-built. Only a few of the headers are full headers and the inner leaf largely consists of half-bats cobbled together. Forget anything about rules of bonding.
If you imagine standing in the back garden looking at the back of the house, the neighbouring house in the terrace is on the left with an identical gable end separated by a 9in party wall. During its lifetime my house and its neighbour have settled. Over the total length of 24ft 9in (7.54 m) - 12ft gable/party wall/12ft gable - the brickwork courses slope down to the left by over 2in.
What is the best way to put in the new brickwork? It seems to me there are three choices.
1. Put in all the new brickwork sloping in the same way as the old. Of course, this means the openings would be out of square.
2. Build all the brickwork level. Break the horizontal bond at the party wall by chopping the stretchers in half every other course and put a continuous mortar joint up the wall; this may not look good and there are a few problems with the bond to the party wall already.
3. Build the brickwork on the right of the openings level, build the openings level, but slope the brickwork on the left of the openings down to meet the old brickwork at the party wall. This would mean a fall of about 1 ¼in (half-way along the overall slope of 2in-plus) over a distance of 42in assuming I remove the bricks in the outer leaf on the party wall.
I just wondered what the usual practice is in this sort of situation. I’d be grateful for any advice you could give.
