Walls Come Tumbling Down

Hitting one, running into one or banging your head against one, the brick wall is synonymous with an immovable object, impervious to all effort to get through or over it and above all very strong.  At SER though, we know that is not always the case, especially where a wall is separate from a building, for example at the boundary between neighbouring gardens.

We are often asked to inspect such walls where there is concern about their stability. They may be cracked, leaning or bulging, or just be in a poor state of repair. This may be due to several factors. Masonry is susceptible over time to damage from the weather. Moisture and frost may damage the masonry and a buffeting wind over a period of time can weaken a wall, even knock one down in one go if it is already in poor condition. The foundations of a wall can be destabilised by things like leaking drains or trees. In some cases, the foundations were simply never good enough, the belief being that it’s ‘just the garden wall’ and does not require substantial foundations. Over time, walls can also become destablised by debris or vegetation building up at their base, becoming by default a retaining wall but without the technical calculations and design needed for such a structure.

If you have any concerns about the stability of a wall, it is crucial to have it inspected by a Chartered Engineer. The SER team have a wealth of experience in this field and will provide you with easy-to-understand advice and guidance. A wall may have been standing for many years, but the danger is that at any moment it could fail, with catastrophic results.