nazn wrote:
Hi there,

I would like to build a garden wall that will be adjoining my
neighbours front garden. As there has never been a wall here, how would
I go about measuring/drawing a line that accurately (and fairly) is
straight down the middle between our 2 properties. The wall will be
roughly 16 feet by around 4-5 foot high.

Stick posts in and strectch a string and move it till the neighbour
agrees its fair, if he is a decent bloke.

If hes a ****, get a surveyor in, and a lawyer, and a registered plan of
the property, or consider tipping the neighbor the cost of the above.

Getting him to sign a bit of paper agreeing that its fairly placed may
save trouble in the future.


I have considered about using a laser pointing device, but am not too
sure how I would calibrate/level this to get a accurate reading. My
other plan would be to a make a square frame and align this outwards
from my rectangular bay window and then taking measurements between the
bay and the centre point between the two properties and then projecting
this measurement at the other end of the frame.

Nothing says that your ground has to be flat, nor that your house is
exactly aligned to the boundary.

A long spirit level propped up on anything will set a level, and align
the string to it by eye.

I have used posts hammered in with the level resting along the top. Then
string up so that the tops of both posts are JUST clipped by the string.

Howver thats just for te wall top..in practice you need to start by
laying a foundation and getting that more or less level, then string up
to the first couyrse height, and used variable mortar beds to get that
level.

Repeat for every couple of courses.

In practice you end up with a pair of posts at each end that you move
the string up and down on, making sure that every other course or so is
level

Check the wall is perpendicular too as you lay the bricks. For amateurs
like us, bricklaying means using the spirit level ALL the time. Pro
brikkies just do it by eye, checking only occasionally.




At the pavement end there is no post or markings where the centre line
is.
I would really appreaciate any advice if there was any other method
employed used to work this out, that was foolproof and could be
demonstrated to produce the same result every time in case of any
future issues.


There is no magic. Boundaries are where two people mutually decide, or
where a court on consideration of the written evidence, decides, they are.

I had to replant a hedge. I got my farmer neighbour to come along and
drive posts where he thought the boundary should go. Then he went away,
and I looked at the line, corrected them by about 9" where he had been a
bit greedy, and but my hedge in. He has never been back to check, and it
looks right, so there is no dispute.

The secret of life is to assess first, let people think they are
winning, and do your own thing. Do you care whether you gain or lose 5 "
of garden? No.

Your deeds should have it all measured out if you can be arsed.
Otherwise talk to neighbour, and come up with a mutually acceptable
plane. After 12 years without dispute IIRC its de facto the boundary anyway.

Many thanks

Naz