What is a garden wall?

A garden wall is a freestanding wall, usually of brick or natural stone, that encloses, screens or divides a garden. Unlike an external house wall it carries no roof or floor. Instead it is fully exposed to the weather on both faces and has to resist wind load without support from cross walls. That makes the demands on foundation, choice of brick and coping stricter than many people expect.

Construction

• Foundation: a strip footing taken down to frost-free depth, so freezing ground cannot lift the wall. On soft ground you need a heavier foundation or advice from a structural engineer.
• Wall: thick enough, or stiffened with piers at regular intervals, because a thin wall without support topples easily.
• Coping: a coping stone or brick-on-edge course with an overhang and drip groove. Without it, rain soaks into the wall from the top.
• Movement joints: vertical joints in long walls that take up shrinkage and expansion and prevent cracking.

Application

• Boundary between gardens or along the street.
• Windbreak or privacy screen next to a patio.
• Low retaining wall where levels change (this needs its own design, because soil pushes sideways).
• Historic walled gardens and kitchen gardens.

Permits

Whether you need permission, and how high a garden wall may be, depends on local planning rules, which differ between countries and municipalities. Walls next to a road, on a listed property or in a conservation area are often subject to stricter limits. Check with your local planning authority before you start.

Practical tips

• Choose frost-resistant bricks and mortar: a garden wall gets much wetter than a facade. Ask your supplier for units rated for severe exposure.
• Protect the base: don’t let the bottom courses sit in wet soil or against banked-up earth without a damp-proof layer.
• Talk to the neighbours: if the wall stands on the boundary, agree in writing on position, height and maintenance beforehand.
• Cover fresh brickwork in rain and frost, otherwise the mortar washes out or freezes.

Related terms

• Boundary fence
• Strip foundation
• Soldier course
• Expansion joint
• Bond pattern
• Mortar

Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.