I'm planning a garden wall, 1 brick thick (ie two skins), 7 courses high. There'll be a 10m stretch, a curved stretch (of about 5m), then a 15m stretch.
The question is, do I need vertical movement joints? Some sources talk about movement joints for brickwork in general - usually suggesting every 10-12m or so - but I'm wondering if the size or shape of my wall has an impact? There are plenty of garden walls in my neighbourhood of similar dimensions, but I don't see expansion joints in a single one (and they've been up for years without problems). Is that because it's overkill on a small garden wall, or because of ignorant brickies? Obviously I'd prefer not to have expansion joints if I don't need them as they'll spoil the look of my stretcher bond.
The question is, do I need vertical movement joints? Some sources talk about movement joints for brickwork in general - usually suggesting every 10-12m or so - but I'm wondering if the size or shape of my wall has an impact? There are plenty of garden walls in my neighbourhood of similar dimensions, but I don't see expansion joints in a single one (and they've been up for years without problems). Is that because it's overkill on a small garden wall, or because of ignorant brickies? Obviously I'd prefer not to have expansion joints if I don't need them as they'll spoil the look of my stretcher bond.
