bob wrote
I am getting a local brickie to build a garden wall using LBC 'heathers',
about 2m high and half-brick wide, with piers every 2m or so. The question
is - do I need a DPC, if so then what form should it take? Most brickies who
have quoted say that a DPC is not necessary for a garden wall, although one
recommended a DPC in the form of 2 rows of engineering bricks. I am
replacing a similar wall, built 25 years ago, which has a kind of mineral
bitumen sheet DPC - this seems a bad choice as the DPC is the weak point in
the wall (indeed some sections of this wall can be pushed over with a big
shove).

TIA, Bob

Hi Bob. What concerns me is that LBC sand-faced Flettons are cheap quality and
very easily damaged by frost. The drier you can keep the brickwork the better,
so I think your bricklayer who suggested a couple of courses of engineering
bricks is right. But also the top of the wall needs protection in the form of a
coping of some description - I would suggest more engineering bricks or maybe
roofing tiles. Precast concrete might be cheaper but looks terrible IMO.

A normal DPC would add a slight weakness, but IMO your wall will be very
unstable anyway, especially if it's exposed to strong winds. If you have the
space, it would be much better to have buttressing walls rather than piers, say
600 long at the bottom. Alternatively a much more stable design than piers is
build it like this (on plan)::

____|¯¯¯¯|____|¯¯¯¯|____ 220mm thick overall
2m 2m 2m 2m 2m


Peter