Today we look at the design of a residential boundary wall in order to define the different functions it can have, apart from the obvious functions of keeping the dogs inside and the strangers outside.
There exist a hierarchy in every person’s level of preferred privacy. One can compare it to the layers of an onion; each layer represents a threshold to a more intimate centre. The boundary wall represents the outer layer, the most public threshold. Some people are so private that they build a fortress around their house. The high walls don’t contribute to defensible space, where security is only the result of physical elements or boundaries but rather achieved by other elements such as visibility.
The other purpose of boundary walls, is to define the entrance and approach to your house. In today’s vehicle driven society preference is given to the motor car entrance without any consideration of pedestrian visitors. Visitors are often locked outside an unfriendly wall where they battle to find a door bell and need to have a cell phone to call owners to get access. A good connection between your front door and the street is so important. In historical residential architecture, careful consideration was taken in designing a home in such a way so you could have a conversation with a passer-by while sitting on your porch – this contributed to a saver environment by having eyes on the street at all times.
15 Years ago boundary walls were scarce and the front garden with a small gate served as a sufficient threshold to indicate to strangers that what is on the other side is a private property. Unfortunately in this day and age, one can’t dare not implement safety measures such as devils fork or electric fences with motorised gates and solid brick walls, unsightly but unfortunately necessary.
Luckily, as time goes on technology adapts and design thinking expands, we are presented with more “designer” solutions such as the invisible “mesh type” fencing that serves as an alternative solution to the clichéd devil’s fork palisade fence. It’s not only softer on the eye, but also a well-priced product especially if you take the maintenance cost of devil’s fork palisading into consideration. This type of fence does not create a visual obstruction and allows you to clearly see in and out of the property, the only down side to this type of fence is that is doesn’t always help to spatially define the boundary of the property.
In terms of security it is often better to have a combination between opaque and obscured boundary fences and walls that will allow you to see to the outside without being exposed. The boundary wall could be used in combination with foliage and lighting to firstly enhance the aesthetics and secondly to improve the security factor of the wall. The sidewalk might be the property of the municipality but landscaping of the sidewalk can contribute to the aesthetics of your boundary wall and in essence your house.
Technical aspects to remember when building a boundary wall:
- Make sure that you build your wall within your site boundary line
- Make use of durable finishes to reduce maintenance cost and extend the life of your wall. Areas which are exposed to the elements are the bottom of the wall. Cover this portion with a natural stone cladding or make use of a face brick plinth.
- The top of the wall collects dust that runs down in streaks when it rains. Dampness also penetrates from the top that cause paint to delaminate and other plaster defects. The top of the wall can be protected by giving the wall a coping such as a precast concrete or treat it with waterproofing.
- Don’t use a damp proof coarse DPC in a freestanding boundary wall, because it will weaken the wall structure.
- Provide brick force every 3rd brick coarse to reinforce masonry work.
- You should provide movement joints at regular intervals to avoid cracks in the wall.
- Provide proper drainage for storm water for example leave out halve bricks for drainage, or provide PVC sleeves as weep holes especially when there is a difference in ground levels on opposite sides of the wall
- Avoid retaining high volumes of soil or backfill unless you consult a professional.
- Your garden wall will start to lean over if you continuously water only on one side of the wall especially in soil conditions containing a high percentage of clay particles.
Re-think that boring old brick wall. Consider using a “mesh like” fence in conjunction with brick work, timber insets, strategically placed scrubs, planters and of course lighting. Safety should come first, but it doesn’t always have to be ugly.
