External Privacy Wall - Reducing its height (UPDATED PICS)

[PeterJB]

Hi, I've just signed up with this forum but have been reading posts here for years. I'm after some advice regarding an external privacy wall (at least i think thats what it is) at the front of of house.

The wall is ugly and isn't required as we have fencing up which gives us privacy. I'd like to reduce its height by half and top it off with some sandstone slabs i have left over from patio.

My question relates to the wall end closest to the house - the bricks seem to be tied into the house brickwork. Well it looks like they are from the window side but i've included a photo from the other side which looks like they are not If they are, how do i remove these bricks so i can reduce overall height of wall.

Here is some pics, any advice greatly appreciated?


View media item 72136 View media item 72137 View media item 72138 View media item 72139

 

[conny]

First, I am not a builder so my advice is just my opinion, (which may be a load of rubbish to a proper builder! LOl).

Looking at the internal side it does look as though it may be tied to the house walls by 'pegging' the bricks into the main structure. However, the outside view looks as though it is not tied in, but there may be some ties or tie plates between the brick courses.
I would start by removing the outer leaf to see if this gives you a better idea of how the inner is tied/not tied in. Not sure if the inner has just had a little bit of brick put in at the end to make it look good and the wall is tied in with wire ties or metal brackets.
If you do put slabs on top, at whatever height, make sure they are securely fixed as if they fall and hurt someone you will be liable.
I assume this is your own house and not rented? If rented you would need the owners permission.

Actually, just had a closer look at below the window in the right hand pic and I am beginning to suspect it may not be tied in with bricks. It has to be tied in with something like brackets or at least wire ties or the whole lot would be very unstable, even though its a double skin wall.

 

[loply]

Be amazed if somebody went to the effort of staggering brickwork for a garden wall in to the outer leaf of the house... What would be the point?

Probably only one way to find out though...

Be careful when you knock it down, if you bray on it with a hammer too much you might break the wrong parts. You probably want to slit the mortar with a grinder/saw quite heavily so it will break apart where required with ease.

 

[PeterJB]

Yeah this is my house and any slabs would be properly mortared down. I think I'll take your advice and work from gate side first, to see if I can get a better look. If some small segments of brick are bedded in, I'm guessing my options are to cut them flush or remove and replace with a smaller brick that fits flush?

 

[conny]

What I meant by the smaller bits of brick was just fillers between the house brickwork and the actual wall. This would be instead of a big joint of mortar that would look an eyesore.
I can see you doing much damage if you remove the outer skin methodically by using a bolster chisel under the top course of bricks and removing them one at a time. Slow and tedious to begin with but as the saying goes, "Slowly, slowly catchee monkey".
Be nice for a bit of feedback as to what you discover.

 

[PeterJB]

The plan is to tackle it this weekend if the weather is ok. I'll update this thread once I can see what I'm dealing with. Thanks for your help

 

[leeco]

It doesn't look like any of the brick work is tied into the house.

Near the window it looks like its blocking the view of the bricks you think are tied in but below the window you can see its not tied in.

 

[Blagard]

From what I can see the wall is a full one brick thick built of two half brick leafs. The inner leaf is bonded in and tied to the house the outer leaf is not. The leafs probably have ties built in to tie the leafs together

It is going to leave the window jamb very untidy if you reduce the height there as you will have a whole load of headers to build in to the jamb to get it tidy again, not to mention the mortar stains everywhere.

Consider stepping the wall down rather than reducing it at the house.

 

[PeterJB]

From what I can see the wall is a full one brick thick built of two half brick leafs. The inner leaf is bonded in and tied to the house the outer leaf is not. The leafs probably have ties built in to tie the leafs together

It is going to leave the window jamb very untidy if you reduce the height there as you will have a whole load of headers to build in to the jamb to get it tidy again, not to mention the mortar stains everywhere.

Consider stepping the wall down rather than reducing it at the house.

Its interesting what your saying as a couple of house on the estate have a lowered wall that has been stepped. If i went with this option so as not to reveal mortra stains and discolouration etc, where would you advice to step it. I've drawn a line in red where i think it could go.

Also, the bricks highlighted with green arrow, what is the best way of halving them to meet the red line, is it cutting them or taking them out and replacing with correct size brick? View media item 72174

 

[Blagard]

Peter,

In the circumstances of a wall that already exists one way of "stepping" it down is not actually a step at all. Basically I would cut the bricks on the rake to form a ramp in the wall, then finish in brick on edge to match the top bricks.

Alternatively, you can remove the brick on edge and finish with a proper coping.

If you still want to do a vertical step then I am afraid you need to cut bricks out and replace them, as visible vertical cuts in a brick would look awful.
Depending on the size of the steps, it would probably be easier to demolish the high section and build the steps back new. Certainly that would be the case with the step as close to the window as you have marked.

You have the "bigger" picture so I can only offer you the ideas and how to execute them.

If you chose work that means rebuilding the steps please be aware that even with matching bricks the new work will most likely look a little different due to variation in mortar colours that you can't control accurately

 

[conny]

One possible way round the different mortar colour may be to re-point it all. Pain in the butt but at least should all look the same.

Point: Just noticed in my earlier post I said, "I can see......."
It should have said, "I can't see......." Sorry if that misled you a bit.

 

[PeterJB]

Thanks everyone, food for thought as there's clearly a few options here. I can make a start reducing the height in the mean time .

 

[PeterJB]

Hope you don't mind one more question?????

I've just been over to see my neighbours wall which i'm sure has been altered. The wall has been dropped in height and coping stones added. To hide any mortar/pointing issues on the house there is a single column of brick leading up the original height of wall. I've drawn a crude pic of this. If i went with a similar option - what would be the best way of getting the existing bricks flush to the house wall - to then be covered with this single column?

View media item 72212
I hope that makes sense

 

[eddieed]

Looks to me like the top half of the wall on the inner skin was built into the window opening if that makes sense!

If you remove it it will effect the house and it would need to be redone arround the window

 

[Blagard]

You can remove bricks left of the red line. Any bricks right of the red line form part of the window reveal and some will have fixings in them for the window and are best left alone.

To get a single column of bricks you would need to use a cutting disc to remove the half bricks that stick out, then you would need to fit some ties (frame cramps)to the house wall to tie back your single column of bricks.

I don't think it would look very nice, can you post a photo of what the neighbour did?

Untitled

• Blagard
• 21 Jan 2014
• 1