Preparatory work and material list - how to plan correctly
These instructions explain how to build a free-standing, mortared garden wall yourself. The more precisely you plan the construction, the smoother the work will go. It is important to note that you consult the regional laws for building law and neighborhood law in advance. In addition, from a height of 200 cm, proof of stability by a structural engineer is required. The following materials and tools are required to build a 0.80 m high, 0.20 cm wide and 10 m long brick wall:
- 82 bricks (20x25x50)
- 31 cap stones (5x33x50)
- 40 kg concrete screed
- Wall mortar with trass
- silicone
- Gravel or crushed stone with a grain size between 0 and 32
also read
- Raise garden wall - this is how you need to proceed
- Designing garden walls creatively - ideas from modern to rural-romantic
- How to fix a garden wall
The following are also required: wheelbarrow, wooden pegs, string, gloves, spade, hoe, shovel, folding rule, spirit level, plumb bob, rubber mallet, bricklayer's and joint trowel. You can borrow a stone cutter and concrete mixer as well as a vibrating plate (€ 207.64 at Amazon *) cheaply in many hardware stores.
Tips
When planning your garden wall, please consider in good time whether a passage is necessary. Creating a gate or an opening afterwards is associated with a lot of effort and unnecessarily increases the costs.
Laying the strip foundation - this is how it works
When you lay out the foundation, first mark the course of the garden wall with a guide line and wooden pegs. Please make sure that the cord runs completely horizontally, because you will use it again and again later. Making a concrete foundation yourself goes like this:
- Dig a trench 30 cm wide and 80 cm deep
- Compact the subsoil with the vibrating plate
- Secure sandy soil with planking
- Fill in gravel or crushed stone as a frost protection layer up to a height of 40 cm and shake it off
- Check the straight course of this layer with the spirit level
- Mix the concrete, pour it into the trench up to the level of the earth's surface and tap with the shovel
The foundation must now harden completely and set for a period of about 2 to 3 weeks. Cover the concrete with a tarp to protect it from rain. During hot summer periods, water the concrete strip a little every 2 days to prevent cracks from forming.
Pull up a wall - How to place bricks in an offset manner
When the foundation has hardened, you can start building it. Mix the mortar in a large bucket or in a concrete mixer, as instructed by the manufacturer. How to correctly put the bricks:
- Use the trowel to create an even, 5 to 10 cm thick layer of mortar
- Place the first row of bricks on top with a joint width of at least 3-5 mm
- Check the horizontal and vertical alignment with the spirit level and plumb bob
- Start the second row with half a brick in order to wall with an offset
- Avoid stabilizing cross joints when masonry
- Lay transverse joints as straight as possible
Please wipe off any oozing mortar immediately with the trowel. The trowel handle is also perfect for setting individual stones in the right position. Start every other row with a halved brick, you will achieve the ideal interlocking of the garden wall for reliable stability.
Cut bricks to fit - this is how it works
With a stone cracker, you can cut bricks with little effort, with little dirt and noise. Straight edges are essential for proper masonry. Therefore, please mark every single cut edge and do not rely on your sense of proportion. However, a stone cracker is not suitable for very thick bricks that are more than 110-140 mm high. In this case, you cannot avoid a cut-off and angle grinder.
Finish the garden wall - grout cheaply
If you are building a wall yourself, it should have a decorative crown. We therefore recommend using nicely shaped capstones as the last row. Thanks to its height of 80 cm and an elegant crown, the garden wall described in these instructions is ideal for delimiting your front yard. How to proceed properly:
- Place cover stones with a joint width of 5 mm on a mortar bed
- Do not joint the gaps with mortar, but with water-repellent silicone
The self-built garden wall is now finished in its simplest version. To give the masonry the finishing touch, you can plaster or cover the brick wall. You will also do this yourself with a little manual skill.
Tips
With an imaginative design you can give your garden wall an individual, natural touch. Integrate one or the other hollow concrete block between the bricks. In this way, you create space for plant bags to green the stone bulwark.
