shall i render over this wall? Pic included

[phillbradley]

My front garden wall has been rendered (before i owned it) and im trying to decide weather to render over it or chip it away and start again.

I have removed some of the render ( pic included) and i think the bricks are damp and deteriorated.

The render already has cracks in it but fairly solid, I cant make holes any bigger by hand

If the bricks are really damp and rotting how can i sort them out?

Would it be worth chipping back and starting again or just smoothing over what is there?

Untitled

• phillbradley
• 12 Dec 2012
• 1

Untitled

• phillbradley
• 12 Dec 2012
• 1

 

[roy c]

I would hack off as much of the old "dash"(that is what you have on the wall and pillar) as you can, If you get a "breaker" on it and take it off with that you may bring off the faces of the bricks underneath. This type of render when put on brickwork will adhere to it (If done properly) really well. It looks like it has "blown " off the pillar and you can see the join where the pillar meets the wall. It may not of been tied into the pillar and has moved away causing a structral crack that has let water get in behind the dash and has blown some of it off. I would put stainless steel ex-mesh over the top of it all and (pillar aswell) held on with s/s screws and washers, and put s/s anglebeads on the pillar with a stop bead where it meets the brickwork.Then put a 5-1 sand and cement scratch coat on it (with w/proofer in it) then float it out with a 6-1-1 sand,cement and lime. No Probs

 

[ImperialCompleteSolutions]

The trouble is that the wall is a retaining wall and may be holding water behind it as it does not have any weep holes from the picture I can see ! this might be why the render has blown as the water will soak into brick from other side and then get behind render, which is never good ! might be best to get a new wall built as the problem will keep coming back if you just render over wall.

 

[Micilin]

Is there a drip in the pillar cap ?

 

[roughcaster]

I'd go for a new build wall too, built with concrete blocks rather than bricks, then scratched and rendered or any other finsh you choose. I'd put adequate weep holes along the base of the wall, and i'd give the inside of the wall a couple of thick coats of bitumin paint before back filling the soil. A good layer of shingle at the bottom will also help with drainage.

You could also fit a waterproof membrane on the inside, tucking it just under the coping as you fit them. Either of the these methods will keep the water from penetrating through into the wall, but the weepholes are very important on a retaining wall.

 

[roy c]

The trouble is that the wall is a retaining wall and may be holding water behind it as it does not have any weep holes from the picture I can see ! this might be why the render has blown as the water will soak into brick from other side and then get behind render, which is never good ! might be best to get a new wall built as the problem will keep coming back if you just render over wall.

I agree that this wall is a retaining wall but it should be 9" thick and all the earth or soil that is behind it should soak away naturally. There are a lot of retaining walls that haven't got weep holes and the render still stays intact, but if you look at the main "dashed " wall there doesn't seem to be any cracks in it, but the problem of cracking seems to be around the pillar. Also looking a bit closer at it there has been a wall built on top of the existing one and also on the side of the steps at some point.THis may have been topped up with soil and added to the problem of the water draining away. But I would agree with you that if the bricks have been added on to the pillar to take the height up then if it wasn't dashed properly the water could of got thru the cracks and bought the render off as it seems that the pillar has moved away from the main dashed wall.