Painting garden walls and boundary render

Two faces, two different exposures

A garden wall's street face and garden face can weather completely differently, one catching prevailing wind and rain, the other sitting in a sheltered, damp corner behind planting. We assess and often specify each face on its own terms rather than assuming one product suits both.

• Street-facing side checked for driving rain and traffic splash
• Garden-facing side checked for shade, damp and plant contact
• Coping stones and wall tops inspected separately from the render below

Coping stones and the top of the wall

Water ingress through a cracked or poorly bedded coping stone is one of the most common causes of a boundary wall's render failing from the top down, long before the rest of the wall shows any wear. Checking the coping is worth doing before spending on the render finish beneath it.

Ground-level splashback and rising damp

The lowest section of a boundary wall picks up soil splash, road salt in winter and standing moisture from adjacent paving, all of which stain and degrade a coating faster than anywhere higher up the wall. A different, more robust product low down can be worth the extra thought.

Working around neighbours and shared boundaries

Where a wall is shared or close to a neighbouring property, access and courtesy both need planning before work starts, and we would always discuss timing and any need to work from the other side with the client beforehand.

• Shared boundary access discussed and agreed before starting
• Neighbouring gardens protected from overspray or drips
• Timing planned to minimise disruption on both sides of the wall