Existing garden wall - strengthening for gate

[wahahey]

Previous owner had an extension built, but when they removed part of the garden wall they didn't bother to put a pier at the end the gate was fixed to.

So, over a couple of years the gate worked a couple of the bricks loose. Wall now needs strengthening so the gate can be re-hung, allow for seasonal expansion and a large enough gap that a piece of wood with the latch can be fitted to the extension (white wall in the photos).

(Ignore the pile of bricks - nothing to do with this project.)

2017-06-26 13.57.31

• wahahey
• 26 Jun 2017

Wall in need of strengthening (ignore the pile of bricks - they have nothing to do with this...

Question is: how to go about this?

The nearest existing pier is 6' (180cm) from where a new one would seem to need to be. But never having done any bricklaying before I don't know if this is a wise place to start, or how exactly to make sure the end structure is safe and sound.

Can I just turn the breeze blocks on the 2nd, 4th and 6th rows around to face into the garden - adding another alongside each. Then use half bricks x2 on the row above each of these?

I'm also not sure what to do about foundations - there is a concrete patio which I eventually want to replace, but have no plan to do that at the moment. So could I just build straight onto the patio for now? I'm guessing I need to cut into it and create a proper foundation for this pier.

2017-06-26 13.57.35

• wahahey
• 26 Jun 2017

Closer in on the problem

2017-06-26 13.57.42

• wahahey
• 26 Jun 2017

Need to create a gap so that there is room of a bit of wood with the catch on

2017-06-26 13.57.57

• wahahey
• 26 Jun 2017

From outside

2017-06-26 13.58.03

• wahahey
• 26 Jun 2017

Nearest existing pillar (outside edge obviously)

 

[Tigercubrider]

Do you own the white building?

Screw the door to that, flipping it, so that the leverage is on the house.
I am no bricklayer but I would build a pillar and dig down to get a proper foundation

 

[wahahey]

Yes, we do own it - however, the problem with that approach is that the fully-open gate would then cover up the first 20-30cm of the bifold patio door opening. So don't want to do that. Good point though, just won't be suitable in this instance.

 

[wahahey]

Can anyone suggest how to build a pier/pillar(?) to strengthen the end of this wall?
How much of the existing brickwork should I strip back?

 

[r896neo]

You need to make sure the wall is not loose. Often banging such as a slamming gate on the open end of a wall like that will put fractures in the joints further down the wall so make sure the whole wall on the gate side of the pier is not moving at all.

A 4'' wall that high is pretty dangerous so a pier is a good idea from a safety point of view as well as practicality. Obviously you should dig down and put in a footing but if you wanted you could build it now off the slab and then deal with it when you come to redo the paving perhaps by underpinning it or rebuilding.

Simply copy the other pier, replace the full blocks with 2 blocks on the flat and replace the cut blocks with 2 cut blocks on edge.

You could tooth out the full blocks but you will have a much stronger job if you perhaps just cut/tooth out the lowest full block and then strip back diagonally away from the end and rebuild.