Hello you lovely people. More advice/mocking needed – I spent all weekend googling this, so please don’t think I come here having not tried to find answers!

Laughs out of the way first, my retaining (party) wall that runs up the entire side of house is made from bricks. No mortar, just bricks.
As such, its predictably ****** and the concrete surface is obviously laid straight into topsoil 😀

This all needs to change and I’m pretty clued up on the surface laying now (I think).

The thing is it’s retaining very little in way of height – at the highest point, my surface is 2 bricks higher and as part of operation break my back, it’ll probably end up lower still.

2 questions that internet hasn’t answered completely are:

a) am I missing anything in taking out bricks and digging down to say 500mm depth (or less if enough for frost cover) and say 200mm deep for a footing and putting in flag type objects to act as a retainer for the driveway (at a very slight angle against haunching? I’d then excavate existing surface and providing the sub base was against the concrete and not the flag, I think that’s all I need to consider for a suitable retainer…

I’d then simply run the edging course up to the level of the flag, et voila?

b) Repeat footing process. But re-lay the course (2) of bricks… Not my preferred option, but would be interested if I’m over thinking option a and actually b) would provide necessary strength (plus it would be easier to pitch to neighbour)

Now please tell me where I’ve gone catastrophically wrong 😀

Edit: Posting pictures, that’s where. Sodding mobile, won’t be able to fix until home 👿

Thanks.

Now please tell Mr where I’ve bgone catastrophically wrong!

You linked to the thumbnails and not the full size images?

bearnecessities – Member

Now please tell Mr where I’ve bgone catastrophically wrong!

Are those pics for viewing on an Apple Watch? They’re a bit small.

I think he typed the post on an Apple Watch, too.

Bloody opened myself up for this one. Can’t grab the full size pic code from picasa on mobile.

You mention a retaining wall in your first post.
2 bricks high? Really?
What’s wrong with what’s there? Just repair locally as required and leave the rest alone.
You mention digging 500mm for frost cover? What’s going to freeze?

bearnecessities – Member

Bloody opened myself up for this one.

😆

Iolo. The driveway and walkway are all coming up & being replaced, properly this time. There is no retaining wall to speak of, just bricks sat on soil.

..and the frost cover is to prevent movement in the structure from ground swell.

Pictures will make more sense when I can get them up!

Slab on edge is fine for a retainer, however the concrete behind the slab in that scenario does the retaining and not the actual slab. All the slab does is give you a nice front face.

If it’s genuinely a party wall, perhaps the mistake is that you haven’t issued a party wall notice to your neighbor?

Wouldn’t be the first person.

Matt

Matt, I will discuss with neighbour and issue party wall notice, but probably best to do that when I know what the works will be 🙂

Thanks WS, again.

Can you just confirm that my proposed steps in A) seem correct? the lean of flags will be towards house in a similar fashion to this:

and whether the block wall laid on a solid footing idea a b), will provide sufficient strength to retain a block driveway of that height (i.e two courses high max)? – I’m sure it would be fine for the pathway, just don’t know how strong a course of bricks are, if you know what I mean.

Better pics:

This is the wall in question, and the car/drive will be subsequently be parallel to house, as an indication of any pressure on retaining wall (not much?)

What’s happened at front – you can see not very high though from neighbour’s garden level

Theme of the wall (those bricks came out by hand)

Idea of the height that needs to be retained.

Ta 🙂

That isn’t a retaining wall. It has next to zero strength and might best be described as ‘decorative’.

For the height difference that there seems to be from the pictures (~4″ drive to soil level?) I can’t see why you would need to do more than lay a haunched edging and then level the soil down to it:

Paving Expert Linky

That should work – except I don’t see the advantage in having the flags on a rake, and I’d stop off the concrete a bit lower to allow for sand under the blocks – you don’t want some blocks on concrete and some on sand.

Tilly, I agree but rather than just build a solid haunched edging for my drive, build something that can be viewed as a replacement for the party wall, but of sufficient strength that I can just take my edging course up to it. Either option will involve foundation digging.

Saying “I’m just getting rid of the boundary wall and replacing with a foundation concrete for my own drive” would be a little tricky to negotiate!

EDIT: Well, maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe that’s a better option?

Yep the lean of the flags should be towards your house, you really don’t need to go mad on the depth of the found for this one, just make sure it’s good ground that you are laying on. The concrete wants to be a nice strength and semi dry. You must nip a good section of the slab on the outer side or they will eventually roll towards the neighbouring property and never seat back to the original line. And take solace in the fact that it’s not 150 odd 3×2’s to be laid the long way up. I enjoyed that one like a kick in the stones!

Ahh, didn’t realise it *was* the boundary wall. In that case, you should probably put a “wall” back there, but on a proper footing. Is it clear who the wall belongs to, and who is responsible for it? (2nd advice to heed ‘Pary Walls Act’ procedure).

I think you might be setting yourself up for all sorts of complications calling it a ‘Retaining Wall’, though.

It’s not so much a retaining wall as an edge to your driveway, and I’d be treating it as such. Your choice of driveway surface will inform your choice of retaining/edging

All of the roots from that vegetation will be great if you start digging any depth of foundations, and it seems to belong to your neighbour??

It’s not clear from my paperwork/land registry info who’s responsible for it, but I’m the only one gaining from it’s repair, so assuming all costs etc.

Some food for thought though about calling it a retaining wall – think I’ll stop doing that as suggested.

Also agree that all I need is an edging, but I’d be more comfortable leaving a wall there and egding up to it.

Final question then, putting decent foundation in and rebuilding the existing 2 course of bricks will provide sufficient strength for a driveway? (Although it does seem from above, that’s sufficient)

Ta.