A friend unfortunately just had the rear brick fence to their property collapse and they are wondering what they should do now. With a little bit of background the fence separates their property from a golf course and along the fence line is a concrete pathway used by the golf course.
After a little discussion it seems that they are not living in a HOA situation where the fence might have been installed by the community. If it was then it would probably be the responsibility of the HOA to repair it. Additionally to this fact is that the other neighbors along this path that butt up to the Golf Course are using a variety of different types of fence to limit the intrusion of golfers on their property.
At first they were considering taring the wall down completely and using the brick for something decorative. Immediately I told them it is really in their best interest to keep the fence as part of their property line so that golfers don’t intrude into their backyard to retrieve balls and so kids don’t decide to make that one hole in the fence border the primary short cut to their development. If the fence is there no matter the height or type it will most likely cut down on this foot traffic which could be a concern both while they are away during the day and late at night.
Repair Or Replace A Brick Fence
So with this in mind they agreed that it is probably the best situation to repair the fence or replace it.
My personal suggestion is to inspect the rest of the wall and see if it is stable. The section of wall that collapsed was about 12 feet long and its about 4 feet high. It is double brick wall construction and it seems to be on some type of footing.
One problem they do have is that a large tree is growing up against the wall on the outside.This would mean the tree is not theirs to remove if they wanted to stabilize the wall and footing. However the section that came down is about 10 feet away from that large tree.
If they replace the wall with a different type it might actually be better in the case of that large tree. Brick is brittle and if the roots push on the foundation the wall will crack and fail. If they installed a metal or wood fence then they most likely could shift the posts for the fence away from the tree and the supports would not be effected.
The problem with changing the type of fence is that it could require a new permit. If they are installing a rail fence there are building codes on the opening sizes. If they are installing a 3 rail fence the local zoning and agreement with the Golf Course might require some type of barrier fence where balls can’t easily roll through the area and animals can’t pass through it to disturb the golfers.
Rebuilding the fence out of the same materials that fell would be the easiest method and maintenance is not normally a job that requires repermitting or inspections if the final job is just like the original.
How To Repair The Brick Fence With The Original Materials
Repairing the fence is not something extremely technical but it does take a bit of care and skill.
The first thing you want to do is gather the brick that has fallen and break the bricks free and remove the old mortar. This can be easier said than done and old brick might fall apart while you are chipping off the old mortar. To do this you would use a masion’s hammer that looks a bit like a hatchet. Chip the mortar off the brick and take care not to crack the brick while doing so.
Once the brick is ready you want to wash it with a hose to make it moist to accept the mortar and to remove the dust. Dry brick will suck the moisture out of your mortar mix and that means the mortar won’t be as strong as it should be. Wet the foundation and wet the brick before you start.
Mix up a batch of premixed mortar in a large plastic mortar pan. The mortar should be dry but not too dry. It should hold its shape firm when trawled onto the brick and it should stick to the brick when you hold the brick upside down. The more water you use in mortar or concrete the weaker the final mix is. Dry is stronger but you do need enough water to work with it easily.
Butter the back of each brick and set them in place. Use a level or a straight board to line up your brick as you work. Since there are two sections of fence that are standing you may be able to string lines between the fence to know where you should lay your brick but if it is on a rounded outside border you will need to drive stakes and attach the string to get the desired arc of the wall.
Check your level of the brick you lay with a small hand level. Each brick should be checked as you go and it will only take a second. If one side is high then tap it with the butt end of your trawl to make it lay flat. Always remember to not compress your bricks when doing this so you have an even joint line across the wall.
Start your next row with a half brick so you will overlap and offset the vertical joints of the row below and then on the third row use an full brick again to maintain your offsets.
If you have any brick that is broken and you can’t use it for half bricks then you will have to replace it. I suggest you keep your new brick at the lowest level of the wall because it is here where string trimmers and mud splash from rain will make the wall age and discolor quicker and the new brick will look old in a year or so. You could also age it by throwing mud on it after the wall has cured for a month.
Final Note
Repairing the wall that collapsed vs installing a different type of wall is probably the best situation here unless you really want to go with a different type of partition wall. Which ever type of fence or wall you choose to build it is important that you know all of the situations about this wall before you begin. Do you actually own the wall? Is the wall on your property? Are there any HOA or other restrictions on the type of wall a that can be installed.
I would say that with a starting weekend to clean up the brick and the area the following week and the next weekend should be enough for an average home owner to repair this wall. If you were to hire a crew then 3 to 4 guys would work for 2 days and have it done but they would install new brick and it would cost you more.