Is it safe to let Ivy grow on a brick wall
l have ivy growing on the side of my brick house.l have read that this can
cause damage to the wall.l have also read that it is not true that ivy
will damage a brick wall.What is the correct answer?
How old is Wrigley Field?
They say no, dont put Ivy on masonary work as the vines do
something to the mortar holding the bricks together.
I've seen ivy on some VERY old brick walls but I didn't inspect
the walls for sound structure. Other types of walls like shingles may
suffer more damage from any type of vines. However, Ivy is said to be a
very invasive plant which takes a lot of work to keep under control. It
can very readily take over your whole yard and garden and is not
recommended for use in the yard.
Over time it will damage ur brick wall. The tendrils that help
it adhere to the wall will work their ways into cracks & tend to want to
break up the bricking at the mortar joints. Also it will tend to do
damage around ur window silles & roof line. Yes, it does look pretty & it
won't damage it fast, but over time it will damage ur brick.
I wouldn't let it grow on the wall. I've also seen on the show This Old House where they removed ivy to keep it from tearing up stucco walls. I've personally seen it tear up brick walls. It is best to not ever let it grow on the wall. Once it starts working its way into the cracks it partially holds the wall together after so many years, then when you try to remove it that is when a lot of the damage is done. However, by it getting into the cracks it can also allow water to get into the cracks then freezing & thawing occurs making the cracks bigger & allowing more vine to get into them. When you try pulling the ivy off, part of the mortar will come with it. If you do try removing the ivy, I recommend cutting the vines off at the base then allowing the vines on the wall to wither & die completely before attempting to pull them off. They won't damage the wall so much that way.
Traditional English Ivy is the plant most horror stories you
hear about have. the smaller hybrid varieties are OK. Or you can use
creeping fig..still green, nice coverage, not evergreen, & the stems &
suckers stay small.
As far as the other Ivy I would say NO, NO, NO. I have been out to give
estimates to repair ivy damage that you would not believe..whole walls
being consumed by the Ivy & the only thing left holding it together was THE IVY.. I tell people Ive to masonry is like cancer to humans once its in there its hard to get out & the getting out destroys a lot of what its attached to.
If it was not safe, a lot of our public & university buildings
would be just piles by now. The problem with ivy & bricks comes from the
tiny tentacles of the ivy grown into the mortar
and after many years causing the mortar to crack. As the mortar separate
from the brick, there is nothing to hold things together & the building or
wall becomes unsafe. But that takes a long time, & most brick home are
fine. Here in California, where easterner is built brick homes like they lived in back east, our earthquakes do far more damage. But properly reinforced brick is lovely & long lasting. The other problem with ivy on brick is the insects it attracts and the ugly stick-tight dead vines when the ivy dies. Since the ivy is on ur house, you might like to pull a section off & see how the mortar looks. Removing ivy is a horrendous job, but may be necessary if there is damage..
No. It will over time eat away the mortar in between the
bricks.
no it isn;t
5 posts
• Page 1 of 1
what color door and shutters would you put on a house w/red brick and tan siding How do you remove caulk and paint from brick? What kind of contractor do I need to help me with a crack in the brick side wall of my porch/garage? Is it better to live in a brick house or wooden house in San Antonio Texas? Has anyone ever re siding their house with a different material, like vinyl siding to brick for example. does anyone know where i can get new mineral surfaced roll siding that looks like brick Why is this house built this way? Why does it have shingles/siding instead of brick?? What color should I paint my siding and shutters? I dont like the exterior of my home, the brick is getting old and is an odd yellow color, can i re brick Should I paint the brick on my house DIY brick work on the sides of garage door repair How much does it cost to put new siding on your home? How to attach a ledger to vinyl siding? Why was this home built this way? Siding/Shingles instead of brick? Cheaply made?? Who is onlineUsers browsing this forum: 4 guests |