DIY Builds
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Can I build a wall instead of a fence?

A brick wall may cost more than a fence, but it offers more advantages in the long run. Not only is a wall more visually appealing, but it is also more durable. Depending on your location, you may need planning permission to erect any 2m high or 1m wall on the edge of a public highway.

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A brick wall may cost more than a fence, but it offers more advantages in the long run. Not only is a wall more visually appealing, but it is also more durable. Depending on your location, you may need planning permission to erect any 2m high or 1m wall on the edge of a public highway. If you lack any experience or knowledge, try and get in touch with a structural engineer to help you with the project. Although the process of erecting a wall is simple, you still need to plan. The entire design and shape of the wall will depend on the intended use.

Functions of a wall

Provide a barrier from other structures like road

Provide a base on which you can erect a fence or other structures

Hold the earth back to enable you to build a terraced area

Reduce noise, and encourages privacy

Prevent a steep slope from collapsing

Types of Wall

There are different types of walls. The popular ones are reconstituted stone walls, natural stone walls, and brick walls.

Brick walls

Bricks are cheap materials that readily available and come in different colors. Depending on the materials used in the manufacturing process, you can get different texture and colors. Bricks often come as either smooth or rough, single-colored or multi-colored, and so on. Bricks also come as second-hand materials. These versions of bricks are weathered, and they typically blend with older structures. The only downside of second-hand bricks is that they are hard to find and very expensive.

Natural stone walls

You can easily get natural stone from quarries. They are also available in reclamation yards. Just like the second brick, natural stone is expensive. But they offer unique properties to your wall. They are visually appealing, and they make your wall more attractive and durable. In cases where a brick wall might be a difficult option, a natural stone wall is a handy alternative.

Semi-dry stone walls

This wall utilizes stones that are handpicked. The stones have a stable structure that eliminates the need for mortar as a binder. This option is easily the most visually appealing as it doesn’t require any mortar.

Things to consider when building a wall

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How can I hide my Neighbours shed?

How to Landscape to Hide Your Neighbor's Shed Plant a row of evergreen trees along the border of your property, near the shed. ... Place one or two other evergreen trees within your yard such that they block much of the shed from your line of sight. More items...

Install tall bushes if the shed is small and on the other side of your neighbor's property, further from your sight. Tall trees may not be needed to hide a more distant shed from view while you sit on your patio. Instead, plant shrubs or trees that can be pruned as shrubs, as well as ornamental grasses in a plant bed, to block the view, and add flowers to the mix for a little color. One example that grows well in USDA zones 7 through 8 is the yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria). It can withstand both wet and dry conditions, and can be trimmed into a hedge. Some grasses get tall enough to effectively block a view. For example, use giant Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus "Giganteus") in between shrubs or place several together by themselves. They reach heights of 9 to 12 feet tall and grow in USDA zones 5 through 9. As a bonus, this grass flowers in the fall and can live through winter.

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