is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

then use them to build a low soil-retaining wall in the back garden?

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

On Jan 30, 10:58 am, "Gill Smith"
wrote:
is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

then use them to build a low soil-retaining wall in the back garden?

depends how nice you want it to look, and how hard the mortar is and
how much of your life you have available ;)

NB to "retain" anymore than a trivial amount of soil, you will need
footings and *many* bricks all strongly mortared together

Jim K

In article ,
"Gill Smith" writes:
is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

then use them to build a low soil-retaining wall in the back garden?

Depends what condition the bricks are in, how easily the mortar comes
off without damaging the bricks, and if the bricks will be suitable
for the new intended use.

A soil retaining wall will need low absorbency frost resistant bricks.
(It will also need designing to withstand the soil pressure, and to
allow drainage from the soil, depending on size.)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 30/01/2011 10:58, Gill Smith wrote:
is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

then use them to build a low soil-retaining wall in the back garden?

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/



I built a 10 metre long, 4 brick high retaining wall with old yellow
stocks a few years back. It's now nicely weathered and still intact.
Unless you're trying to retain a clay soil, or it's considerably higher
than that, I wouldn't bother with footings.
Lime mortar usually comes off the old bricks easily, cement can be a
pain though

In article ,
says...
is it a good idea?


Provided the bricks are frost-proof, or at least that you cap them with
something that is, then it's a nice way to save money and feel good.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

Skipweasel wrote:
In article ,
says...
is it a good idea?


Provided the bricks are frost-proof, or at least that you cap them with
something that is, then it's a nice way to save money and feel good.

capping alone is not enough. Experience is that any porous bricks in
deep shade in winter will get frost-smashed especially if on the north
side of a structure.

Yes, the capping takes the worst of it as they tend to get wettest, but
even so the face bricks are subject to driving rain that will be to an
extent retained.

In article , lid says...
Yes, the capping takes the worst of it as they tend to get wettest, but
even so the face bricks are subject to driving rain that will be to an
extent retained.


Coat of damp-seal should shed most of that. Anyway - if it's not a
critical wall then in some places it might look pleasantly rustic.

Of course, in other circumstances it might just look like a pile of
crap.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

"Skipweasel" wrote in message
...
In article , lid says...
Yes, the capping takes the worst of it as they tend to get wettest, but
even so the face bricks are subject to driving rain that will be to an
extent retained.


Coat of damp-seal should shed most of that. Anyway - if it's not a
critical wall then in some places it might look pleasantly rustic.

Of course, in other circumstances it might just look like a pile of
crap.

a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

Gill Smith wrote:
"Skipweasel" wrote in message
...
In article , lid says...
Yes, the capping takes the worst of it as they tend to get wettest, but
even so the face bricks are subject to driving rain that will be to an
extent retained.

Coat of damp-seal should shed most of that. Anyway - if it's not a
critical wall then in some places it might look pleasantly rustic.

Of course, in other circumstances it might just look like a pile of
crap.

a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle

That's more down to not tying it with proper steel ties.

And building it straight with no buttresses.


--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Gill Smith wrote:
"Skipweasel" wrote in message
...
In article , lid says...
Yes, the capping takes the worst of it as they tend to get wettest, but
even so the face bricks are subject to driving rain that will be to an
extent retained.

Coat of damp-seal should shed most of that. Anyway - if it's not a
critical wall then in some places it might look pleasantly rustic.

Of course, in other circumstances it might just look like a pile of
crap.

a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle

That's more down to not tying it with proper steel ties.

And building it straight with no buttresses.

*and* single brick width!!!

I tell you, if house abuse were a crime, previous owner(s) would be hung....

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

On Jan 30, 10:58*am, "Gill Smith"
wrote:
is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

its slow, but if you need to save the money or the bricks are
handmades, it tends to be worth it.


then use them to build a low soil-retaining wall in the back garden?

If theyre frost resistant enough, fine. If not they may still be good
for some of the wall, but not all.


NT

Tabby wrote:

chip mortar off old bricks

its slow, but if you need to save the money or the bricks are
handmades, it tends to be worth it.

Easy with a scutching hammer if the mortar is lime, often potland mortar is
harder than the bricks.

AJH

In article ,
says...
a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle


Was that a result of reuse of bricks, or would they have cocked it up
anyhow?

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On 30/01/2011 10:58, Gill Smith wrote:
is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

Thats not as easy as it sounds. If a strong mix has been used it can be
a bugger to chip off & can damage the bricks in the attempt. It also
takes ages.





--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"Skipweasel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle


Was that a result of reuse of bricks, or would they have cocked it up
anyhow?

you can be sure of a good measure of cock-up in everything done to this
house

it'd all be funny if I wasn't now the owner

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

On Jan 30, 7:46 pm, "Gill Smith"
wrote:
"Skipweasel" wrote in message

...

In article ,
says...
a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle

Was that a result of reuse of bricks, or would they have cocked it up
anyhow?

you can be sure of a good measure of cock-up in everything done to this
house

it'd all be funny if I wasn't now the owner

--http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

well, take solace you've fouind a (generally) "no bull****" resource
to, at least, guide you to sensible solutions for all of it ;)

Jim K

"Jim K" wrote in message
...
On Jan 30, 7:46 pm, "Gill Smith"
wrote:
"Skipweasel" wrote in message

...

In article ,
says...
a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

it's bowed in the middle

Was that a result of reuse of bricks, or would they have cocked it up
anyhow?

you can be sure of a good measure of cock-up in everything done to this
house

it'd all be funny if I wasn't now the owner

--http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

well, take solace you've fouind a (generally) "no bull****" resource
to, at least, guide you to sensible solutions for all of it ;)

this is true

I am most grateful

it's almost an apprenticeship!

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

In article ,
says...
it'd all be funny if I wasn't now the owner


Did it have a loo like this?
http://www.skipweasel.pwp.blueyonder...images/loo.jpg

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Jan 31, 4:20 am, "Gill Smith"
wrote:

a previous owner built a low soil-retaining garden wall

seemingly out of re-used bricks

*and* single brick width!!!

Here in NZ, old (cleaned) bricks cost more than new bricks.
I use them for paths and low walls. My walls are always a single brick
width, and I'm about to build a brick wall a half brick high, i.e.
about 2 inches high! At least that won't fall down.

Want to see what happens to brick houses in a NZ earthquake?
http://i52.tinypic.com/1z15rwy.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2ex1mih.jpg

In article 17327dec-6fdc-400c-b784-f56effcce6b8
@a28g2000prb.googlegroups.com, says...
Want to see what happens to brick houses in a NZ earthquake?
http://i52.tinypic.com/1z15rwy.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2ex1mih.jpg


Bah - nothing you can't fix with a grinder and a bit of filler.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Jan 31, 12:20 pm, Skipweasel wrote:
In article 17327dec-6fdc-400c-b784-f56effcce6b8
@a28g2000prb.googlegroups.com, says...

Want to see what happens to brick houses in a NZ earthquake?
http://i52.tinypic.com/1z15rwy.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2ex1mih.jpg

Bah - nothing you can't fix with a grinder and a bit of filler.

Duct tape would be better.

"Gill Smith" wrote in message
o.uk...
is it a good idea?

chip mortar off old bricks

then use them to build a low soil-retaining wall in the back garden?

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/


If they are 'old' odds are they were laid with Lime mortar ... which should
come off easy enough, sharp bolster, should most come off with one hit with
a hammer.

When you re-lay them use a weak mix ... 5:1 (sand : opc)

"Skipweasel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
it'd all be funny if I wasn't now the owner


Did it have a loo like this?
http://www.skipweasel.pwp.blueyonder...images/loo.jpg

it does have a working outside loo

thankfully, not as bad as that

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

On Jan 30, 3:00*pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
That's more down to not tying it with proper steel ties.

What are the ties for? Do you mean cavity wall ties? Why would there
be a cacity? Do you mean anything more substantial? What's the other
end attached to, and unless it's two walls surrounding an embankment,
there's not likely to be much call for them. It's very rare for a
retaining wall to be _designed_ to need ties, rather than to have them
added to restrain a slumping embankment.

* And building it straight with no buttresses.

Big garden if it gets to that size. You'd have to be Steve "Lord of
the Manor" Firth.