Help please with building a 2m feature wall

happyhero

I want to build a feature wall in our back garden to replace the current 2m fence. As it will be about 2 meters high I think I am right in thinking that it has to be double skin, is that right?

I want to build it out of London Stocks, preferably genuine old ones but still toying with “new made to look old” ones.

It is going to be 5.7m long and will meet up with the corner of our extension so possibly we could overlap and use one of those connector bars that you screw to the original wall and have metal spurs poking out at regular intervals into the new mortar. It does not have to join up with the extension at all but I figured any extra bracing/fixing would be a benefit.

I live in Surrey and the ground is very hard where I am, a nightmare to dig, with some clay and chalk.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading but see differing advice so I would like to check here what you guys think, so,

Must be built double skin at 2m high, yes or no?

It will be 5.7m long, do I need to have pillars I prefer not to (looking locally I see many high walls with no pillars over greater lengths)?

I’ve read foundations must be 100mm wider each side but how deep, I read 450mm deep with top of foundation to be 150mm deep for frost protection, so I have to dig 600mm is this correct?

I read to install rebar with uprights and cross pieces to create 12” boxing is that right?

What size rebar do I use?

Do I need to insure the rebar doesn’t poke out of the concrete? In which case can I use bits of brick for feet to keep it off the soil? Or what else do you suggest?

Should I lay a bed of anything, maybe shingle before pouring concrete and should I tamp it down first?

What is best mix for foundation, I read 5:1 and 6:1 for a ready mixed sand and aggregate to mix with cement?

Should I use a damp courses some stuff I read it didn’t seem important and others it said you must put it in even in a feature wall to stop the damp migrating up and damaging the brickwork over time?

Can I use the same bricks to cap the wall i.e. a soldier course, I like the look better than some grey stone etc.?

Personally I like to go for a little bit of overkill without getting silly so I am prepared to dig a little deeper or do a little extra rather than just enough if that helps with the advice.

Any help or advice appreciated as I am concerned about some conflicting things I read so I feel asking about my exact project is the best way forward.

FreeBear

Yes, you will need substantial foundations - If ground conditions are tough, it may pay to hire a mini digger & operator for the day (£250-300). You'll need around 2t of concrete (a 5:1 or 6:1 mix is going to be way to weak), so worth looking at getting a ready-mix delivered. That way, the foundation strip can be poured in one go and you get a consistent, strong mix.

At 2m high, piers at regular intervals is prudent, although I don't think you really need a double skin... But if you want to match the brick to the house, use a similar bond pattern. I'm guessing most of the houses in the area are Victorian, in which case, an english or flemish bond would be used and you would have a double thickness wall.

A word of caution - Modern bricks are a slightly different size to bricks of old, so you probably won't get the mortar joints lined up with the house. Using thicker mortar joints to counter the difference in brick size will end up looking piggin' ugly.

DPC - Some people use a hard engineering brick just above ground level, others use a plastic DPC. A few garden walls get built without..

stuart45

For a free standing garden wall have a look at this for some guidance.
s-free-standing-walls.pdf (brick.org.uk)
I would build a wall of that height a minimum of 225mm thick. For foundations a 6/1 mix is generally used for standard ones. In the old days it was 1/3/6. Don't use shingle on the base. Shouldn't need rebar in a chalk subsoil.
If you want a DPC use either engineering bricks, or F2 rated bricks. A plastic DPC isn't recommended on a garden wall as it makes a slip plane.

stuart45

Missed the last question about the bricks for the top of the wall. 
London stocks are generally quite resistant to the freeze/thaw problems, but you could if you want a really good job use some Staff Blues for the brick on edge, and even better put 2 courses of tile creasing under them for extra protection of the brickwork.