Better to be safe with garden wall maintenance

Garden and boundary walls should be inspected from time to time to see if any repairs are necessary, or whether a wall needs rebuilding.

Garden walls are amongst the most common forms of masonry to suffer collapse, and they are unfortunately one of the commonest causes of death by falling masonry.

Your insurance may not cover you if the wall has been neglected.

Besides the general deterioration and ageing of a masonry wall over the years, walls may be affected by: an increase in wind load or driving rain, felling of nearby mature trees or planting of new trees close to the wall and alterations, such as additions to the wall or removal of parts of the wall e.g. for a new gateway.

The top nine wall checks to make:
1. Is the surface of the brickwork crumbling away?
2. Is the mortar pointing in good condition?
3. Is there a tree near the wall?
4. Is the wall upright?
5. Is the wall thick enough for its height?
6. Some climbing plants, like ivy, can damage walls if growth is unchecked.
7. Is the top of the wall firmly attached?
8. Has the wall been damaged by traffic?
9. Are there any cracks in the wall?

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