exploded bricks in garden wall

[bigi]

at the weekend i had to disassemble our garden wall. the wall is double brick thickness, but only 5 courses high (including cross bricks on top) and is made of red brick. the wall itself has been build on a concrete base. When we moved in, the owners had flower boxes on top to the wall, so we assumed this had caused standing water and now caused the bricks to fail. however, these were moved straight away, and still the program has progressed - in some cases bricks in the middle of the wall have just turned to dust and flakes of brick. when i started taking the loose ones away, the mortar had lost all adhesion to the brick and the whole wall could be taken apart by hand.

Question now, is what was done wrong? there was no damp course installed, but i didn't think that was necessary for a garden wall? Any suggestions how to go about reconstructing?

 

[noseall]

at the weekend i had to disassemble our garden wall. the wall is double brick thickness, but only 5 courses high (including cross bricks on top) and is made of red brick. the wall itself has been build on a concrete base. When we moved in, the owners had flower boxes on top to the wall, so we assumed this had caused standing water and now caused the bricks to fail. however, these were moved straight away, and still the program has progressed - in some cases bricks in the middle of the wall have just turned to dust and flakes of brick. when i started taking the loose ones away, the mortar had lost all adhesion to the brick and the whole wall could be taken apart by hand.

Question now, is what was done wrong? there was no damp course installed, but i didn't think that was necessary for a garden wall? Any suggestions how to go about reconstructing?

Garden walls are especially vulnerable to the weather and need to be built with a decent FL rated brick....

con3.jpg

• noseall
• 22 Nov 2023

Al5

• noseall
• 2 May 2022

Clean3

• noseall
• 26 Mar 2022

Planter4

• noseall
• 22 Apr 2021

Planter5

• noseall
• 22 Apr 2021

...anything less and the damp and frost will hunt them out and attack.

 

[George_engineer]

Yep, they hadn't used frost proof bricks. Damp proof layer not needed or helpful for external walls.

Proper coping can help frost susceptible bricks near the top, but the bricks near the ground must also be frost proof.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It really needs rebuilding with the right bricks. But if it's retaining soil then you may be able to slow progress by painting bitumen paint on its retaining side and/or ensuring there's good drainage by having gravel against it and pipework to remove the water either to the side or through the wall.

But if you're going to this sort of trouble then it would make much more sense to replace it.

 

[^woody^]

Garden walls are especially vulnerable to the weather and need to be built with a decent FL rated brick....

con3.jpg

• noseall
• 22 Nov 2023

Al5

• noseall
• 2 May 2022

Clean3

• noseall
• 26 Mar 2022

Planter4

• noseall
• 22 Apr 2021

Planter5

• noseall
• 22 Apr 2021

...anything less and the damp and frost will hunt them out and attack.

Is that the only job you did last year? Can we have more image variety please

 

[noseall]

Proper coping can help frost susceptible bricks near the top, but the bricks near the ground must also be frost proof.

In reality, garden walls being so vulnerable, need to be built entirely form FL rated bricks.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I'd suggest concrete bricks, I've had class B engineering clay bricks fall apart with frost.

These are as strong as block paving, as they're basically the same stuff...

Facing Bricks For Commercial & Domestic Projects | Marshalls

Discover Marshalls’ leading range of facing bricks, available in a variety of different colours and finishes, including traditional red facing bricks, and more.

www.marshalls.co.uk

Check specs though, they do some that are specified as engineering bricks, but I think all are pretty good.