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Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 1:16 pm
by Newbie designer
I am doing a design for a front garden currently the retaining walls to the path, are ugly, big lumps of flint, just not attractive, please see photo. I was going to remove the capping stones and possibly render the walls and finish in style of house, a rough render - house looks like it is pebble-dashed...
Would this be possible as the surface of the stone wall is very uneven, would it look odd? I am assuming as long as you key the surface of the stone correctly it would be sufficient to take a render?
As you can tell I am a novice in these matters so any advice gratefully received. Thanks
http://flic.kr/p/8MwSmr
http://flic.kr/p/8MzTeQ
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 4:28 pm
by jonnyboyentire
Sacrilege!!!!
Clean it up, get rid of those bricks and lay a nice path and steps.
Chances are that it'll end up all green and horrible if you render it with moisture making its way through the existing wall. Thats if you're lucky enough that the render doesn't blow off in the first place!
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 5:50 pm
by Bob_A
Sorry I don't know a lot about rendering.
Perhaps it looks different in the flesh but I think the wall has character and should be tidied up and left.
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:02 pm
by seanandruby
You don't really expect anyone on here to tell you to cover a wall like that in crap, Do you ??? Mental!!!
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:15 pm
by Stuarty
Have to agree with Jonny, Bob and Sean, would be a waste of a lovely wall
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:25 pm
by cookiewales
Stuarty wrote:Have to agree with Jonny, Bob and Sean, would be a waste of a lovely wall
same from me wall is fine would cost you a few thoushand to copy :;):
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:40 pm
by rab1
i was thinking the same. that wall looks amazing and why ruin it. as has been said sort out the paving if you must but the whole thing looks ok as a package.. my opinion only. 
needs a good clean though (the steps)
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 9:04 pm
by lutonlagerlout
whole thing looks fine,only a complete numpty would render a fine looking wall like that
change the slabs if you have to,but i would just clean the whole thing up
LLL
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:44 pm
by Newbie designer
Wow, well certainly not a numpty! Thanks for the general input. The client in fact agrees with me that it isn't attractive. I fully appreciate the beauty of an attractive flint wall, seen lots and this doesn't come in my top ten! In the flesh you can see huge mortar joints which is just bad workmanship.
So perhaps a stupid idea to render, however I will at least suggest removing the twee litte capping stones.
The plan with the path is of course to replace the paving with a brick, of appropriate colour matched bricks.
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 7:56 pm
by jonnyboyentire
So the camera really does lie then after all.
Looks good workmanship from the photo's.
Twee copings -that'll never do.
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:18 pm
by lutonlagerlout
sorry to dampen your bonfire but thats not flint
looks like grit stone to me
pls dont be offended , but you can see the general consensus
this is a flint wall that i built
the pointing looks like it may have been redone at some stage
maybe think about raking the pointing out and repoint using instarmac gunpoint or easipoint
you get a nice uniform colour with a multitude of choices
if you pave the path with brick remember the golden rule
natural with natural
so a clay paver or setts would look best in this instance
hope this helps
regards LLL 
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:51 pm
by TheTool
What you need to do is pva it then scratch coat it with sbr in the mix.
If going for the contempory look which i have done quite a few then render is the way to go.
personally i prefer clean lines, done right they look mega.