Reinforcing brickwork

Build the pier but stop it short of the top so whatever is going behind the wall covers the top of the pier.

Richard

Thanks, that's another option

Piers are to stop the wall falling over when there is a long run without corners, he doesn't need one in a corner as the the walls can't fall over easily.

Its all down to the footings. If you want/need to bodgily skimp on footings , one way to much improve cracking performance is to include iron wire or n ylon rope pulled tight in each mortar course. Metal needs to be well rustpr oofed though, or it'll only cause wall demise later.

NT

You can buy SS wire mesh to reinforce brickwork at any builders merchant.

The rope idea sounds interesting

Do make sure you get ss, cheaper galv will trash the brickwork down the line.

NT

use (bow?) ties on every course. In fact use ties on every brick if its a retaining wall.

The usual failure points are rubbish foundations, or a bulge in the middle somewhere if earth is being retained by it, if it is going to be a raised bed, be sure to build in plenty of drainage though. Brian

I built a brick BBQ 35 years ago. The brick work sook began to come adrift from the top down. On rebuilding it, I decided to see if I could somehow reinforce it to prevent the same happening again. I added in the final mortar course, some scrap chrome plated rods, from an old supermarket trolley, which I bent slightly into a zig-zag to give it a means to key.

That lasted 30 years, until I demolished it a couple of yeaars ago. due to the reinforment, it was very hard to demolish.

Nylon rope, with knots to give it a key; galvanised steel wire should all work and beat having to rebuild it aa few years later. Coping stones can be reinforced by the same method.

Its normal to build galv mash into aircrete walls at intervals and around openings, but that is usually for an inner leaf. Agreed I'd want to use stainless on an exposed wall. The stainless is a lot more expensive though. Simon.

Nylon?

I race boats. We don't use any nylon ropes - it's too stretchy.

I suspect you'd be better off with Kevlar, or even Terylene.

Andy

Would clothes line be polypropylene? I certainly don't envisage using anything I can't pick up in the local ironmongers

Possibly. Polypropylens is less stretchy than nylon - but it creeps (stretches slowly over time) and is amazingly slippery.

You should be able to get Terylene at any half-decent hardware shop. Even B&Q.

Andy

Clothes line is slick & slippery. Ordinary rope works - but tie & pull it tight with 2 sticks. Leave the tension on for days, until the mortar gets strong. I dont know if theres any upside to tying knots in it.

NT

If you need reinforcement then do it with something sensible like..

Putting old rope in is just asking for it to fail later.

But galvanised would rust apparently

The opposite is the case. Galv metalwork will inevitably destroy the wall due to rusting & forceful expansion. Only a wally would choose it.

Rope has no possible mechanism by which it could destroy the wall. The worst possible outcome is that it ceases in time to reinforce the wall.

NT

That depends on the mortar mix and depth, just like rebar in concrete.. if its done properly it doesn't rust.