External Privacy Wall - Reducing its height (UPDATED PICS)

[stuart45]

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

That's quite a polite way of putting it.

 

[PeterJB]

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

Yes i'll pop round tomorrow and get a photo.

 

[seasickstevie]

... my earlier post I said, "I can see..." should have said, "I can't see..."

Why don't you just hit the 'edit' button and put it right?

 

[loply]

If the bricks are tied in to the house, why not lower the wall away from the house at 45 degrees until you reach the desired height?

You'll just need a grinder to cut the bricks in-situ.

Or pop them from the house wall out and replace them, not like you're short on spare matching bricks

 

[PeterJB]

If the bricks are tied in to the house, why not lower the wall away from the house at 45 degrees until you reach the desired height?

You'll just need a grinder to cut the bricks in-situ.

Or pop them from the house wall out and replace them, not like you're short on spare matching bricks

The problem with lowering 45 degrees is that we'd run out of wall, its pretty high at the moment and we want to drop it at least half if not more.

 

[PeterJB]

This is one of my neighbour's wall. They've dropped there's considerably. I've noticed theres quite a lot of mortar between the two walls (particularly near window ledge), which ideally i'd like to avoid.
View media item 72269 View media item 72270 View media item 72268

 

[Blagard]

This is one of my neighbour's wall. They've dropped there's considerably. I've noticed theres quite a lot of mortar between the two walls (particularly near window ledge), which ideally i'd like to avoid.

That is probably because they did not use a cutting disc to remove the projecting headers and consequently had a ragged line to point up to. Additionally they were simply not very good at doing the brickwork.

To be honest if you have not done brickwork before the detail is not a good one to start with as the internal angles are very easy to mess up when you are learning. With the small quantity involved you might as well mask off the adjacent brickwork to protect it from mortar smears!

If you were to attempt this yourself you would need to mask off the window frame to protect it before cutting the headers.

It simply does not look right to me and I would opt to do what I suggested before, use a cutting disc to reduce the wall with a raking cut and finish off with a brick on edge or a coping. It does not have to be 45 degrees it could be very steep but I still think it would look better than your neighbours. If steep definitely finish with brick on edge

 

[PeterJB]

If the bricks weren't tied then I'd attempt the whole job myself but with added complication I may just knock them out to the red line and get someone in to cut them flush and build a single column.

 

[Blagard]

To remove to where I have drawn you will need to drill out one bed joint to remove the interlocked brick. A fairly simple job of stitch drill with a decent size masonry bit say about 8mm diameter and at least 150mm long (get a 200mm if you can).

Cutting the bricks is simple enough with am angle grinder and a diamond cutting blade. The thing is to cut deep into the face of the brick and then you can use a bolster to snap the rest off.

 

[PeterJB]

To remove to where I have drawn you will need to drill out one bed joint to remove the interlocked brick. A fairly simple job of stitch drill with a decent size masonry bit say about 8mm diameter and at least 150mm long (get a 200mm if you can).

Cutting the bricks is simple enough with am angle grinder and a diamond cutting blade. The thing is to cut deep into the face of the brick and then you can use a bolster to snap the rest off.

Thanks Blagard. I'll update how I get on.

 

[conny]

Have you asked your neighbour if his bricks were tied into the house brickwork or if they were tied with brackets/loop ties?

Have to agree, that mortar is horrifying!

 

[PeterJB]

Have you asked your neighbour if his bricks were tied into the house brickwork or if they were tied with brackets/loop ties?

Have to agree, that mortar is horrifying!

The work was carrried out before the neighbour moved in so she didn't know. I guess i'll find out when i start dismantling it.

 

[PeterJB]

It taken a few weeks with the weather but i've managed to get the Sandstone slabs on, i'm happy with how it looks and its made a massive difference reducing the wall in terms of view from our kitchen window.

View media item 73319
I decided against building single column of bricks upwards, my wife was of the opinion that it wasnt going to make much difference overall as the front of house has mismatched bricks and patch repairs anyway. So at the minute the section that was removed from the wall is looking rough with the mortar stains and pointing cracks etc.


View media item 73320
My wife thinks that we should paint the whole wall - a similar colour to the brick which would at least hide the different bricks and pointing colour. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Fix some trellis, with or without a pot plant and climber.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

View media item 72269 View media item 72270 View media item 72268

That's horrible.

Fix some trellis, with or without a pot plant and climber.