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Planters up against garage wall

lizzie.corbettlizzie.corbett Posts: 3
in Garden design
Hi, 

so a bit of an odd one, and some back story so please bare with. Our garage is a bit of wasted space and we wanted to turn it into a more functional art studio. We have already attempted a budget friendly version of of this but a few months in realised that nearly everything was growing mould. We noticed the back wall was damp, have tried to resolve it but it’s come back. 

Here is where the planters come in...we want to properly renovate this, get a damp proofing course done and make it right. However...my neighbour has just done out their garden and due to the plot and arrangement our garage wall, forms a back wall to their garden. They have just created planters and it is sitting right up against our wall. 

I’m assuming this is going to cause major damp problems? And we already have these by the looks of it. I do not want to spend all this money renovating our garage if it then goes to waste because their planters are going to affect the walls. Does anybody have any advice on this? One whether or not it will have an affect but also any ideas on how we should approach the neighbours about this if it needs amending. I have attached pictures, thank you 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @lizzie.corbett - I sympathise. Sometimes people either don't know, or they do know and don't care.
    I'm afraid they have no right to put anything against your wall. It might be best to have a word with them and explain they'll have to make the planters free standing, and they also can't put anything on the wall - ie supports for climbers etc. 
    It'll depend on how well you get on with them. Very tricky.
    I have a similar situation as part of my neighbour's garage forms the end of the boundary of my property. I constructed an extra bit of fence to the inside of it, so that I could continue the raised beds and planting I had.








    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    @lizzie.corbett, it seems strange that you are having damp problems in your garage as it looks a fairly modern construction -it should have been built with a damp course as a matter of course. If you look about 3 or 4 bricks up from the paving, you should see a horizontal line of black damp course material all the way round your garage. Is your garden on a slope at all? It could be that your garage/art studio gets mould because of the lack of ventilation - has it got a window and/or air bricks and heating?

    I agree with the others that your neighbour will have to make their planters freestanding or alternatively you could ask them to inset a vertical damp course material between the soil and your wall.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • lizzie.corbettlizzie.corbett Posts: 3
    @Fairygirl thank you for commenting! To be honest we get on well, and I doubt it was out of not caring, but I think they just haven’t thought about it. 

    Queue the awkward conversation I thought I’d have to have haha. I had a feeling this would cause damp issues but wanted to get some advice as I’m a first time buyer so I don’t have any previous experience to go on. Thank you! X
  • lizzie.corbettlizzie.corbett Posts: 3
    edited June 2020
    @Lizzie27 yes I know it is odd! We were really surprised to find all our stuff growing new stuff! 

    I can’t see Evidence of damp proofing course. It is fairly new though, built in the 80’s if memories serve me correctly. It might just be that they didn’t bother on the garage? But did on the house I’m not sure. 

    The garden isn’t, but the garage is at the bottom of a slight slope from our drive way. Which is the initial inkling we had to the damp issues. We’re fairly certain it’s rising damp and have someone coming out to look at everything. 

    I’ll have to pop over tomorrow to ask, as it’s only just gone in today so I’m glad I spotted it x
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Funnily enough, at a previous house, I had a garage, and the neighbouring garden was considerably higher, by several feet. My garage formed a boundary, as yours does just now. The garage was permanently wet. I don't think there had ever been a proper wall or barrier there, and it would have been impossible to do anything without taking down the garage. We used ours for the car anyway,  so it didn't matter.
    You couldn't have used it for anything needing to be kept dry.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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