Wall building advice needed

[chris891]

Hi, I'm looking at building a wall at the bottom of my back yard.
There is already a course or two of bricks where a previous wall has been so I'm guessing it would be fine to build on top of that and build it up?

The wall will be roughly 3m long and 2m high. On one side I will look to merge the wall into next doors and at the other end is a pier.

Just wanted to check:

Would brick ties be required or would a couple of courses of header bricks in the wall achieve the same results in terms of making the structure secure?

And when I've been doing my research some sources say to only lay up to 6 courses per day whereas others say anything up to 17-20. Could anyone clarify what would be best?

Thanks in advance for any advice provided!

 

[stuart45]

For a wall of that height you need to know the foundation is sound.
Worth also looking online at the correct thickness for a garden wall in your area.
The number of courses per day depends on the type of brick.

 

[chris891]

Ok thanks, terms of thickness I was just going to match the existing wall and next doors as it's one long wall running across the back yards (terraced houses)
Sorry if I sound like an idiot but in terms of foundation - currently the wall is missing as it was removed and a concrete ramp built over it. There are still two courses or so of bricks above the ground but under the concrete, once that concrete is removed surely the original foundation would be ready to build on top of?

 

[stuart45]

The original foundation might be OK, but the Victorians didn't usually have very deep foundations. As the walls were built in lime mortar, this allowed for a certain amount of movement without any damage. However, the wall has had years the settle, so it could be OK.
Generally if I'm rebuilding an old wall in cement mortar 2 metres high it's getting a new foundation.

 

[chris891]

Thanks for the advice, looks I'll be watching some YouTube videos on foundations!

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Just jet-wash the existing wall base. Have a good look, it it's not cracked then it should be fine to build up from, if you're building to a similar height/weight to what was there originally.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Have a look at bonding patterns, there are lots of ways of tying two courses of bricks together. But most brickies don't bother, they just build parallel courses with ties. Modern ties should be stainless, so they won't rust.

 

[chris891]

Have a look at bonding patterns, there are lots of ways of tying two courses of bricks together. But most brickies don't bother, they just build parallel courses with ties. Modern ties should be stainless, so they won't rust.

So if the mortar in the remaining wall isn't cracked that should be fine?


Thanks, was looking at English garden wall style as it looks similar to the walls either side, I'm guessing ties aren't required if you're using bricks as ties?

I've attached a photo as these things are easier to visualise then. Where the concrete ramp is I'm planning on removing that and the garage and building the wall up that was remaining under the ramp.

 

[stuart45]

If you use English garden wall bond you don't need ties. The main reason for using Stretcher bond is that you get a good face both sides. As the length of stretchers can vary a bit, the back of the wall can look a bit rough. You can use an American bond, which is more like a header course every 7 or 9, and sort out the headers for these courses to improve the looks.
The wall next door is Flemish stretcher bond, which is a course of Flemish every 3,5, or7. Cutting down on the headers usually makes the back neater.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

If the neighbour's original walls aren't all cracking and falling over then it should be fine.

Your neighbour's looks like Common Bond Flemish. You could match that. You won't need ties with this.

Although you'd probably need imperial sized bricks to align the courses. You'd need to measure the others to check.

Put an expansion joint in where they meet rather than toothing into it. Use a wall starter kit with debonding sleeves, so it stays aligned but is allowed to move longitudinally.

 

[chris891]

Ok thanks. I was thinking if i built mine into their wall it would act as an anchor point, I'm guessing that's not the case then?

 

[stuart45]

A wall starter will help prevent any lateral movement.

 

[chris891]

Oh ok, so tieing my wall to there's with a starter kit is more for allowing movement as mine settles/dries rather than toothing in which I assume could cause trouble in future?

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It probably was all one single wall originally. But this was when lime was used. Cement mortar is stronger but more brittle, you'll often see the result on old long walls - cracks in random places. The idea is to put a big neat crack in from day one. Your new wall will be built wet, the first thing it will want to do is shrink, and pull away from your neighbour's. You can't stop it, so allow it to.

A wall starter ties a new wall to an old one...

Wall Starter Pack

Make your small home renovation job easier with this wall starter kit. It's got all the fixings you need for a one-brick wide wall and is supplied with handy instructions. You can connect a new wall to an existing one with this snappy kit and it's suitable to use both indoors and outside. The...

www.toolstation.com

Debonding sleeves will lock the walls together but allow longitudinal movement...

Debonding Sleeve to Suit Movement Tie

• Sleeve allows masonry to expand or contract when used with stainless steel frame cramps (codes 93132, 43215, 13331)

www.toolstation.com

Just random examples, check compatibility before ordering.

The idea is that the wall won't be able to move sideways (i.e. fall over), or up and down (i.e. sink), but will be able to pull away along its length if it wants to.

Fill the gap with a recessed foam strip, cover the foam with sealant.

 

[chris891]

Thanks for the explanation and links, that's really helpful! I'll and those to my shopping list.
Excited to get started on this project in a couple of weeks and at least these new issues you've all highlighted don't look too big a worry or cost to incorporate .