As for the damp problem in your wall (your photo copied above) … old bricks can be porous … they need to ‘breathe’ … that climbing hydrangea of your neighbours will be preventing the brickwork from drying out. That’s causing the damp problem … you need to get a surveyor to take a look at that.
Will the surveyor not just suggest chopping down the hydrangea to fix the issue?
If I am to have climbers could I paint the bricks in some sort of sealant which would allow them to breathe to prevent a repeat of the issue I am having currently for my current neighbours?
The surveyor may well recommend removing the hydrangea, and not following his advice could possibly invalidate the terms of your buildings insurance.
At one time sealing the brickwork with a waterproofing solution used to be done. However over time this was sometimes found to cause even more problems … as I said, old brickwork needs to breathe and sealing it prevents this from happening. Again, you need to take advice from a local buildings surveyor or similar who has knowledge of your local building materials … back when your house was built bricks made in different regions had their own individual ‘behaviours’ and local knowledge with older houses is important.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A climber doesnt need to penetrate the brick or mortar to cause damp. If you wall is breathable, which it probably is given its age, then the foliage will be holding moisture against the wall, whilst simultaneously stopping any damp drying out. A breathable wall needs to do just that. Water can get in, but it also needs to be able to get out. Sealing a breathable wall can cause major problems to it (I know, we had non breathable concrete render on our walls, causing damp problems leading to failing bricks. Even a DPM can do more harm than good on a breathable wall.
I know everyone is trying to put you off and it might seem like all you are receiving is pushback and negative comments, but honestly, if you grow a climber on that wall, whether you fix to the wall or not, you will most likely cause damp problems at the other side of it, as you have found on your side. That could potentially lead you to a very large bill for putting it right. You may find your insurance doesnt cover it either as you will have planted the climber.
I would seriously think about heeding the many warnings and dismiss the idea as imparactical and see what else you could do instead to brighten up the space such as planters, mirrors etc.
A climber doesnt need to penetrate the brick or mortar to cause damp. If you wall is breathable, which it probably is given its age, then the foliage will be holding moisture against the wall, whilst simultaneously stopping any damp drying out. A breathable wall needs to do just that. Water can get in, but it also needs to be able to get out. Sealing a breathable wall can cause major problems to it (I know, we had non breathable concrete render on our walls, causing damp problems leading to failing bricks. Even a DPM can do more harm than good on a breathable wall.
I know everyone is trying to put you off and it might seem like all you are receiving is pushback and negative comments, but honestly, if you grow a climber on that wall, whether you fix to the wall or not, you will most likely cause damp problems at the other side of it, as you have found on your side. That could potentially lead you to a very large bill for putting it right. You may find your insurance doesnt cover it either as you will have planted the climber.
I would seriously think about heeding the many warnings and dismiss the idea as imparactical and see what else you could do instead to brighten up the space such as planters, mirrors etc.
How far away would the climber have to be physically from that wall to not cause an issue. I.e. say I placed a planter 600mm away from the wall and had climbers going up on trellises would that be a safe distance or would I need to be having 1 metre + gap?
A climber doesnt need to penetrate the brick or mortar to cause damp. If you wall is breathable, which it probably is given its age, then the foliage will be holding moisture against the wall, whilst simultaneously stopping any damp drying out. A breathable wall needs to do just that. Water can get in, but it also needs to be able to get out. Sealing a breathable wall can cause major problems to it (I know, we had non breathable concrete render on our walls, causing damp problems leading to failing bricks. Even a DPM can do more harm than good on a breathable wall.
I know everyone is trying to put you off and it might seem like all you are receiving is pushback and negative comments, but honestly, if you grow a climber on that wall, whether you fix to the wall or not, you will most likely cause damp problems at the other side of it, as you have found on your side. That could potentially lead you to a very large bill for putting it right. You may find your insurance doesnt cover it either as you will have planted the climber.
I would seriously think about heeding the many warnings and dismiss the idea as imparactical and see what else you could do instead to brighten up the space such as planters, mirrors etc.
How far away would the climber have to be physically from that wall to not cause an issue. I.e. say I placed a planter 600mm away from the wall and had climbers going up on trellises would that be a safe distance or would I need to be having 1 metre + gap?
I would have thought as long as their is room for air to circulate behind it it would be fine so less than that would be fine, but others may disagree
Ok, that is encouraging. The plan is still on as long as I build my raised bed far enough away from the wall to create a gap. I do not care about wasted space in the yard. I just want it to look pretty. My bins etc do not need to be stored in there anyway.
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If I am to have climbers could I paint the bricks in some sort of sealant which would allow them to breathe to prevent a repeat of the issue I am having currently for my current neighbours?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I know everyone is trying to put you off and it might seem like all you are receiving is pushback and negative comments, but honestly, if you grow a climber on that wall, whether you fix to the wall or not, you will most likely cause damp problems at the other side of it, as you have found on your side. That could potentially lead you to a very large bill for putting it right. You may find your insurance doesnt cover it either as you will have planted the climber.
I would seriously think about heeding the many warnings and dismiss the idea as imparactical and see what else you could do instead to brighten up the space such as planters, mirrors etc.
Here is an image of another neighbour near my house. I wonder what plant is growing on the wall there, it is evergreen.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.