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Original poster

My conservatory wall and my neighbs

13 replies

IndigoBarbie · 25/08/2012 21:07

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but hey: It is my understanding that my conservatory wall is a fire wall and requires room at the other side of it for any maintenance (which faces into my neighbs garden) we are in a semi detached. My wall )at their side) requires to be fully re-rendered, and my neighbours have recently had their garden landscaped. What I didn't realise, however, was that they have created some kind of 'planter' against the wall, and it appears that they have created it the length of the wall, maybe 2 foot high. This means all that soil is right on my wall.
Can anyone help me on this? They did not ask permission, do they have to? and, surely soil which would hold moisture is a complete no no?

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 26/08/2012 19:38

Don't see why if it is on their land.

londonmackem · 26/08/2012 19:54

If that is the case(have never heard of firewall so am thinking space not necessary) then you should have left the space on your land and left a gap between the wall and the boundary. There is nothing you can do.

tricot39 · 26/08/2012 21:22

Piling soil against your wall will result in damp and could push your wall over in the worst case. They may have done this on their land but they are taking support off your property. You can tackle it with them now. Or you can wait for signs of damage/damp to appear. Might be better to have a chat with them fairly soon.

PorkyandBess · 26/08/2012 21:26

I work in building control and have never heard of a fire wall as you describe.

I don't think you have any cause for concern re planting, unless they have gone over the party wall.

mylovelymonster · 26/08/2012 21:29

Can you have a friendly chat with them over a cup of tea, and can new planting bed/wall boundary be sorted with some sort of waterproof membrane? Or is the planter self-contained?

Original poster
IndigoBarbie · 26/08/2012 21:30

HI thanks everyone, I don't think I have explained it fully. The wall is the basis of the RHS of my conservatory at a 90 deg angle from my house, the other two sides are glass/dwarf wall. The wall itself doesn't (as far as I know) cross my land boundary into their garden, it's just the full wall faces them. It was like this when I bought the house. So, really, they have a large roughcasted wall facing them, but they can't do anything with it - ie attach anything to it. I have reason to believe that they did drill a birdfeeder into it, and thus water and ice damage have started the rendering coming away just underneath the top of the wall.
I am under the impression it's a fire wall, ie cannot be tampered with as will stop fire from spreading?

OP posts:
PeazlyPops · 26/08/2012 21:35

They are probably trying to grow plants so they don't have to look at the wall?

My semi- detached neighbour's conservatory is built so that the gutter is at the boundary line, so I put a fence up, it looked crap otherwise as it was his wall, then fence for the rest of the garden.

If them building a planter is an issue, you should have spoken to them before, or built the conservatory so it wasn't on the boundary line.

CumberdickBendybatch · 26/08/2012 21:39

Nothing to do with firewall, but if they've put soil up against the wall damp will be the issue. Make sure theyve put waterproofing in otherwise you'll end up with mould

mylovelymonster · 26/08/2012 21:45

Are you on decent terms with them? can you talk to them about your concerns? Do you think they just don't realise the potential for damage? I'd get the drilled holes filled in as well - just show them the flakey render.

Ponders · 26/08/2012 21:47

if your wall is right on their boundary & they want to grow things next to it there just needs to be a barrier between your wall & their soil.

why can't they drill into the wall? what happens if they need to put trellis up?

have they actually planted anything yet? if not talk to them about it, get the soil moved off the wall temporarily, buy some roofing slates & put them between the soil & the wall

Ponders · 26/08/2012 21:49

is it a cavity wall?

QuintessentialShadows · 26/08/2012 21:54

Your conservatory wall should have been at least 10 cm inside the boundary, and they should not be able to put any soil up against it, as it will most likely be above your damp proof course. However, you should have build a fence before erecting the conservatory (unless it was there when you bought the house)

I think you need to have them remove the planter, re-render your wall, and put a fence up on your boundary. If they want a planter, you can offer them to pay for a brick wall at the base of your fence.

Disclaimer: not in building, trade or property law.

Original poster
IndigoBarbie · 26/08/2012 21:56

Hi thanks all, you can see I'm no expert on this at all. I don't think it's a cavity wall, it seems like two course of brick. The full render for all the wall including the edge has to be re-done. I would feel better with some kind of barrier between the planter and the wall - and you are right - who would want to stare at a giant wall that they can't do anything with. Water has been getting in at the top where there is some kind of flashing and larger type topping stones (flagstones?? dunno) and therefore they have to move their plants to get the work done. My tradesman didn't seem too concerned but he said that he would include a 'membrane' underneath the render? But, I don't think soil against a wall sounds like a plan, I am going to have to ask them to make changes.
I didn't know they were doing this work, it was by accident that I noticed recently.

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