How hard is it?

Not trying to tread on anyone's toes WOL, and I am sure you could build linlin's wall standing on your head and without advice from the likes of me.

However you aren't building it and we aren't there looking at it, so I just hope linlin is properly aware of the extent of the work to be carried out, it certainly isn't clear from the thread.

I am sure with all your experience WOL you must have seen some retaining wall problems over the years; problems that could have been avoided if addressed before the wall had been built.

Best of luck linlin, we're here to help (and squabble)

 

Hey Boys - good to see you're getting on okay as this lady is going to need as much advice as she can get!
The advice for tapping the back of a brick with a rubber mallet to get the cement out of the hollow is working a treat. I couldn't understand the logic, but gave it a go anyway - it's the same as tapping against the lid of a jam jar to remove a stuck lid.
Interestly, the lower bricks on the wall I'm taking down, seem to have been the foundations of an older building. So I'm wondering what else I'll find.

 

A quick update and a request for more advice please. The demolition and cleaning of the bricks is slow going. At the moment, I'm sorting the cleaned bricks into two main categories: bad bricks (unfaced or where the face is damaged) to use as the supporting wall layer which won't be seen; good bricks which can be used on the outer layer and will be seen.
Can someone confirm that good bricks can include anything which has a reasonable face? Some of these include bricks which have the back corner chipped etc etc. Will that have an effect on the structural requirements of the wall?

Also......the wall I'm demolishing has been extended upwards at some time, so I have a mixture of newer bricks and older bricks. The mortar on the newer bricks is harder and I have to use a stone chisel and hammer but the older bricks have a softer mortar which can often be scratched off. I think this is lime mortar. When reusing both old and new bricks it may be a good idea to use lime mortar but can anyone confirm this is okay to use on the newer bricks?

[ 09. January 2007, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: linlin ]

 

just noticed this topic and was wondering if youve been taking any photos linlin , not just for your memories but so you can post some here for us to see, theyll probably explain things better.

 

I would have thought to use bricks that are perished are unsafe.

 

a brick is only safe if its bonded to the next one I>E cement,ive used thousands of bricks if the face is chipped then reverse it,bricks have been dug up which are thousands of years old with little damage

 

Thanks for the replies. A good idea to take photos - as soon as I get a moment, I'll figure out how to do it.

I'm being more careful about which bricks to use as "good".

Can anyone comment on my use of lime mortar please?

And if you know where I can get a cement mixer for a reasonable price please let me know.

 

You'll get an electric mixer for a bit under �£200 from Wickes linlin. If you clean it well after every use you'd be able to sell it when the job is finished.
I don't understand why you are thinking about lime mortar. I just use standard brick laying mortar.

 

I've finally taken a short break in brick cleaning and have taken photos - how do I post them here?

 

You'll need to put them on to a hosting site, like photobucket, then reduce them to message board size, copy them from there and paste into the post here. Photobucket has become much more user-friendly recently, so that might be enough info to do it!! Any probs, just ask!

http://photobucket.com/register.php

 

Thanks.
I've posted them onto photobucket and resized one. Which bit do I copy and paste into here?
The URL; HTML; or IMG code?

 

IMG linlin.