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How To Build a Garden Wall

Introduction
You should always build a garden wall on a solid foundation of a trench filled with
concrete. This is called the 'footing', and if it's substantial and accurate, your wall will
last longer and be easier to build. When you mix your concrete, don't skimp on materials
by adding large stones or blocks - as this will just weaken your wall.

Marking your foundations

How to build the foundations for a garden wall
Before you start marking out where your trench will go, check the ground is firm and
well drained with no pipes or tree roots. Mark the position of the edges of the wall and
footing with builder's lines.
]

Step 1

To get your footing straight, you'll need to use

timber profiles. Each of these is made from three
lengths of 25mm x 50mm timber. Two are
sharpened to a point at one end, and the third is
nailed to them as a crosspiece. Start by
hammering a profile into the ground at either end
of the site, about 450mm beyond the area you're
going to dig. You'll need to make sure each
crosspiece is level and that the profiles are at the same height.
]

Step 2

Gently tap two small nails into the top of the

crosspiece of each profile to show the width of
the wall, and another two beyond these to
indicate the width of the footing (in this case,
120mm beyond the wall on each side).

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n]

Step 3

Attach builder's lines to the outer nails on the

profile (the ones which mark the edge of the
footings) and fix the line with pins in the ground.
If the footings have a right-angled corner, set two
more profiles at right-angles to your existing
ones. Check the lines cross at a true right-angle
by using a builder's square.
]

Step 4

Hold a spirit level upright against the lines to

mark the edge of the footing on the ground. Mark
this edge with a builder's line nailed into the
ground, spray paint or even a line of nails. Then
remove the builder's lines that are above ground,
so they don't get in the way while you're digging
out the trench.

Digging the foundations

The depth of your footing really depends on the nature of the ground. The table is a
rough guide for average soil. Loose and sandy or soft clay soils, or soil on a new site
that's recently been dug up and put back, need deeper footings.

If your soil is very soft, you may even need to put a layer of compacted hardcore on top
of geotextile permeable fabric in the bottom of your trench. Allow an extra depth of two
bricks above the concrete for replacing the top soil, or to give you room to pave against
the wall.

Footing dimensions

Type of wall Wall height Depth of concrete Width of trench

Single-skin Up to 1m 300mm 450mm
Double-skin Up to 1m 150mm 300mm
Double-skin Over 1m, up to 2m 375-450mm 450mm-600mm
Retaining wall Up to 1m 150mm-300mm 375mm-450mm

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1. Step 1

Dig your footing trench, using a spirit level to make sure

the sides are level. To check the bottom is level too, put
a long, straight piece of wood in the trench and lay your
spirit level on top of it.
]

Step 2
2. When you've dug your footing trench, you'll need to fill
it with concrete made with five parts mixed aggregate to
one part cement. This is much easier to make if you find
a good electric mixer. But before you do this, cut pegs
from 50mm x 50mm lengths of timber and sharpen them
to a point at one end. These should measure the depth
of the footing, plus enough to ensure the pointed end is
solidly held in the bottom of the trench. Hammer in a
peg at one end of the trench until it's level with the
finished concrete height. Then use a spirit level to set further pegs at the same height,
about one meter apart along the rest of the trench.

Step 3

Pour the concrete and aggregate mix into the trench until it's level with the tops of the
pegs. Leave it to set for 48 hours before you start to build your wall.

Building your garden wall on a slope

If you're building your wall on a slope, your footing needs to be stepped - although the
concrete must always be level. The step size will depend on the slope and the material
you're using to build your wall - you should work it out in multiples of the depth of a
course.

Make each step by putting a length of plywood shuttering board across the trench,
securing it with a length of wood attached to pegs on either side, and pouring concrete
behind it to make the higher step.

Building a free-standing garden wall is really satisfying and can improve and secure
your garden. Sometimes garden walls can need some extra strengthening - for
instance, if it's a retaining wall that's holding back heavy earth, or if it's a particularly

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long wall or if it's attached to your house. Our guide will help with all of these wall-
building and repair techniques.

How to set out the first course for a garden wall

If you're building a double-skin brick wall using stretcher bond, your first two skins will
be tied together with wall or butterfly ties. Use engineering bricks for the first two
courses below ground level, and frost-resistant F category bricks above ground. Mix
some mortar and put it on a board supported on bricks (this is called a 'spot' board) at a
convenient distance from the wall. Wet the board first to stop the mortar from sticking to
it.
]

Step 1

Attach lines to the inner nails on the profiles (the

ones marking the edge of the wall). Then hold a
spirit level upright against these lines and mark
the outer edge of both skins of brickwork on the
concrete. Join the marks using a length of timber
as a straightedge.

Step 2

Next, place a trowel full of mortar on the footing at

the corner or end of line mark for the outer skin.
Drag the point of the trowel towards you through
the mortar, making a furrow in the center. Then
lay your first brick, frog (indented)-side up if it has
one. Level this brick along its length and across
its width using a spirit level.

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Step 3

After this, use a long spirit level to set another

brick in position about a metre away from the first.
This is a temporary brick which you can reposition
later. Continue along the line, checking the bricks
are level, until you can set the end-of-line brick in
position.

Step 4

Drive two line pins into the ground at each end of

the wall, and then stretch a builder's line between
them as a levelling guide. (If you've got a laser
level you can use it to level from one end of the
wall to the other quickly.) Next, fill in the gaps in
the first course and move the temporary bricks as
necessary.

Step 5
Repeat the process to set out the first course of
the inner skin. Use a builder's square to check
that the corners are true right-angles.

How to lay bricks

Use your gauge rod to make sure the mortar in every joint between the bricks is 10mm
thick - you'll get better at judging this with practice. From time to time, it's a good idea to
get your spirit level and check the wall is straight and level.

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Step 1

Scoop up a sausage shape of mortar and make it

roughly the size of the trowel blade. Then slide
your trowel underneath the mortar and transfer it
to the top course of bricks. Use the flat back of
the trowel to stretch the mortar along five or six
bricks, and then make a furrow in the center with
its point. Take off any mortar that's overhanging
the edge of the bricks.

Step 2

Pick up a brick with one hand and put mortar on

the end with your trowel.

Step 3

Push the brick into the mortar and give it a tap

with the trowel handle. Aim for 10mm-wide
horizontal and vertical joints. If a brick is too low,
take it off and add more mortar. Lay the top front
edge of the brick to the line, without quite
touching it.

Step 4

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Scrape away any excess mortar from the front of

your wall with a quick upward movement of the
edge of your trowel.

How to build corners in a brick garden wall

When your first course is in place, you can lay
the corners and ends of your wall.

Top tip - Builder's line

When you're using a builder's line, bend a

small, thin piece of card in two, wrap it around
the line and rest a brick on top. This keeps the
line exactly on the edge of your bricks.

Step 1

At each right-angled corner, lay three bricks in

each direction and build up the corners with a
series of five or six steps. Check the height of
each course with a gauge rod.

Step 2

Use your spirit level to make sure your wall is

vertical, and your builder's square to check the
corner is a true right-angle. To tie the two skins
of the wall together, lay metal wall ties at
intervals in the mortar. They shouldn't be more
than 900mm apart on the horizontal plane and
450mm apart on the vertical. (English and
Flemish bonds don't need wall ties.)

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Step 3

Check your steps are lined up by holding a

straightedge or spirit level against the sides of
the wall. When you've finished the corners,
you can build the straight sections. Push two
line pins into the vertical joints at each end of
the wall, then stretch a bricklayer's line
between them as a guide to level the top of
the second course. Lift the line as you finish each course, and fill the join between the
two skins with mortar as you lay them.

How to point a brick garden wall

Pointing is the act of smoothing the mortar between the bricks to make it look attractive.
This also packs the mortar into the joints and makes them watertight. There are different
pointing finishes, but the most common is the concave or rubbed joint.

Step 1

Leave the mortar until it's semi-dry. You can test it

by pressing your thumb into a joint - it should
leave an impression without the mortar sticking to
it. Scrape a concave recess into the joint by using
a jointing tool, or even a bucket handle or piece of
metal.

Step 2

Let the shaped joints harden a little, then gently brush away any loose bits of mortar
with a medium-soft banister brush. Take care not to dislodge the mortar in the joints.

How to finish your wall with coping and capping

You can use bricks, stones, slabs or special coping bricks and blocks to finish your wall.
Coping is a top course that overhangs, while capping lies flush.

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1. Brick capping

Bed one stretcher face (the long, narrow side) of each brick into the mortar so it spans
the width of the wall, and so that the header faces (the short sides) are flush with the
faces of the wall. You'll need to use very strong mortar for your capping.

Slab coping

Slabs on a low garden wall can give you extra seating. When you lay them, make sure
they overhang the brickwork by 25mm-30mm, and that you lay them on a continuous
bed of mortar. Always wet the back of the slabs - particularly on hot days, as this helps
them stick to the mortar. And you can use a line and spirit level in the same way as you
do for the wall itself.

How to build a brick supporting pier

You'll need to include supporting piers, spaced no more than 3m apart, when you build
a single-skin wall over 450mm high. You can also use them in double-skin brick walls as
a decorative 'full stop' on which you can put a statue or potted plant, or as supports for
gates or uprights for a pergola. (They're essential in double-skin walls of 1.35m and
above.) The piers we're showing here are built in single-skin walls. Use stretcher bond,
and repeat the first two courses until your pier is the required height.

1. Support pier

To make a solid pier that projects on one side only, lay two header bricks in place of
one of the stretchers on the first course, so they project from the wall. On the second
course, cover the projecting part of the headers with a stretcher and cover the inner part
with two three-quarter brick stretchers, with a half brick between them.

Solid end pier

To build a solid pier at the end of the wall that only projects on one side, lay a header
brick against the end stretcher on the first course. Place a half brick parallel to the
stretcher, butted against the header. On the second course, lay two stretcher bricks side
by side.

Centred hollow end pier

End the first course with two three-quarter brick headers. Butt a stretcher against each
one, flush with the outer edge, and position a half brick stretcher to complete the final
side of the square. On the second course, lay two three-quarter brick headers on that
final side and butt a stretcher brick against each one, flush with their outer edges.

How to insert movement control joints

Weather conditions and ground settlement can cause movement in a brick wall,
resulting in serious cracks. Control joints help to prevent this. A control joint is a

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continuous vertical gap of un-mortared joints, completely separating one section of wall
from the next. You won't need them in a non-structural garden wall of less than 6m. In a
wall longer than that, you should include them at 6 metre intervals. The width of the
control joint is normally 10mm, or a minimum of 1mm per metre of walling.

1. Step 1

Each control joint should run right to the top of your wall - including the coping, but not
into the footing. They're easier to disguise if you position them where your wall meets an
intermediate pier. Build your wall and pier in the usual way, but instead of mortar insert
a 10mm-thick polystyrene strip in the vertical joint between them. Then embed
galvanized metal strips with special debonding sleeves in the mortar of the horizontal
joints, to allow for any slight movement.

Step 2

When you've finished your wall, run a bead of mastic masonry filler into the joint on both
sides to hide the polystyrene strip.

How to attach a garden wall to your house

The easiest way to join a wall to another at right-angles is by using stainless steel
connectors bolted to your existing wall. Special wall ties bedded in the new wall will
secure it to the connector. You'll need a damp-proof course (DPC) in the garden wall or
it could bridge the house's damp-proof course.
Use a roll of polythene damp-proof course that's
the same width as your wall.

Step 1

Start by building the first few courses of your

garden wall up to the level of the damp-proof
course in your house wall. Lay damp-proof
polythene down on the new wall at this level,
sandwiching it between layers of mortar and
lapping it up the wall of the house by the depth of one brick.

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Step 2

Next, use expanding masonry bolts to fix the

stainless steel connector to the wall of your
house, just above the damp-proof course.

Step 3

Mortar and lay the end bricks against the

connector so you form a joint with the existing
wall.

Step 4

At every third course, hook one of the wall ties onto the steel connector and bed the
other end in the mortar on the new wall.

Retaining walls
You can use a retaining wall to hold back a bank of earth and, in turn, create terracing
on different levels in your garden. If you have a particularly steep bank, you hold it back
with a series of small walls rather than one tall one. But don't attempt to build any
retaining wall over one metre high without getting professional advice first.

Natural stone, bricks, concrete blocks and reconstituted stone are all suitable materials.
But if you need a particularly strong wall, it's wise to set reinforcing rods or bars in the
footing concrete. Excavate enough soil to give you room for the footing and the wall. If
the soil in the bank is loose, hold it back with plywood or corrugated iron secured with
metal pegs while you build your wall. Leave enough room to pack CleanStone (grit- and
dust-free aggregate) between the back of the wall and the soil, and allow a 300mm
depth of top soil.

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Good drainage is very important for retaining walls. To achieve this, you can either
leave some joints un-mortared at ground level or just above to create weep holes, or fit
a drainage pipe through the wall. You'll also improve drainage by putting a layer of
geotextile permeable fabric on top of the CleanStone.

Hollow block and brick walls

Built with hollow concrete blocks and bricks, this
type of retaining wall has reinforcing rods running
through the holes in the blocks. Metal wall ties
join the blocks and bricks.

Brick retaining walls

Reinforcing rods are set between the two skins of

this double-skinned brick retaining wall. Metal ties
join the two skins of bricks.

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Concrete block and reconstituted stone walls

The inner skin of this wall is made from concrete

blocks and the outer (facing) skin from
reconstituted stone. The skins are joined by
metal ties, and drainage pipes are fitted about
one meter apart.

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