Exciting wall design

Press, 28 August 1980, Page 12

Exciting wall design

LANDSCAPING YOUR HOME Gilbert Brakey

Free-standing walls are a common sight around Christchurch. We have a tendency to use concrete block as the predominant walling material, mainly because of its low cost compared with other matWall materials fall into two basic groups, masonry walls and timber walls. Freestanding walls can range in height from 600 mm to more than 1.83 metres. If your wall is going to exceed 1.83 metres a check should be made with the local council because a building permit may well be necessary. The freestanding wall can often prove to be the best answer to fencing p r o b 1 e m s particularly where you want maximum privacy and noise control.

Convenient recesses can be made for built in seats, barbecues, the mail and milk box. Many such things can be incorporated into a wall.

Special light fittings have been produced which fit the module size used in the wall and these can be set into the structure. Maintenance is low, particularly on masonry walls. This is of prime consideration when you select your fence type. Masonry walls come in four types: the concrete block and related block materials; concrete poured insitu; brick and stone. These ;divide up into several other types. Variations can be obtained by different treatments of the joints, and the applied finishes.

You can also successfully team masoniy walls with other materials such as steel, timber, glass, plastics. Timber walls may be solid or sheathed. Often

railway sleepers or other heavy timbers can be used, horizontally or vertically. The sheathed wall is built with posts and rails, then a sheathing of solid timber such as ship-lap weather-boarding, asbestos sheeting, or exterior grade plywood can be applied. Timber walls look well stained, painted, or finished with special plaster coatings which offer a wide range of possibilities. The sheathing may be on one side only, or on both sides, depending on the effect you seek. The methods used in the construction of free-stand-ing w'alls are most important. In this column I can give you only an outline. A prime consideration with masonry walls in particular is to provide a good footing, which is absolutely essential in most walls. The general practice for a 1.8 metre high wall built under normal conditions is to have a minimum 300x300mm concrete footing with 12mm mild steel reinforcing steel rods at 600 mm centres vertically, and one rod run horizontally in the footing. You need another steel rod as a bond beam at the top of the'wall. All cell spaces containing steel are filled solid with concrete grout. Hinge bolts should be set in the mortar. joints for gates while the wall is being constructed.' .

There are always variations from site to site, so do some research first and consult an eningeer, local building inspector, tradesman or a firm which sells concrete blocks. Often they may have detail plans suitable for use in your area. The strength of walls is dependent on the construction method. A single > thickness (110 mm ’ brick wall is not recommended when the height of the wall exceeds 1 metre. Generally, higher walls up to 1.8 metres should be double thickness (230mm)' or they should have piers or returns for strengthening. Control joints are also important in long lengths of brick or. concrete block ■ walling. These are continuous,' straight vertical joints at approximately 9 metre centres to prevent irregular cracking. It is usual to bond masonry units in walls, the vertical joint was staggered in alternate courses. There are many types of bonds. The most common are the “stretcher” bond for single thickness walls, and “English” bond and “Colonial” bond for double-thickness walls. At other times, an unbonded or “stack-bonded” finish produces special effects, or is used for screen blocks. The joints themselves can be flush, ironed, up struck, down struck, raked and squeezed. FREE-STANDING WALL MATERIALS Concrete Block: Solid, screen, split or textured. Normally a na* tural grey except the split h’oek (Summerhill stone)-. Brick: Clay-based, standard or

.roman sizes, smooth or clinker, and in a variety of colours. Re-cycled, second-hand bricks are also very popular. Stone:

Dry stone wall when under 1 metre high or masonry wall, namely -.rubble (not in course) or Ashlar (which means the stone is laid in courses as brick or concrete block). Insitu Concrete:

Not normally used by the amateur, but it can be most attractive with, smooth, textured, or exposed aggregate finishes. Timber: Heavy timbers, or solid panels such as plywood or asbestos sheathings over, a timber frame. There are really many exciting possibilities in wall design. Walls should be well planned to blend with the home and surroundings, while complying with structure and budget requirements.