HOW SAFE IS YOUR STONE WALL?
Streets in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs are lined with historic sandstone walls and fences.
Suburbs like Rose Bay, Bellevue Hill, Woollahra and Vaucluse have all been built on sand. This means many of the homes in these areas could unknowingly be facing the collapse of retaining walls, fences and entry gates.
Kieran Devlin, owner of Sydney’s award winning KMD Outdoor Spaces, is a talented stonemason who’s seen the impact of high quality craftsmanship on retaining property value and decreasing ongoing maintenance.
He says that with stone, it all comes down to age.
“These beautiful neighbourhoods are lucky to house many historic residences. However, with age, stone retaining walls and fences begin to deteriorate,” Kieran says.
“Sand can build up over time and prevent water flow, increasing the overall pressure put on sandstone walls. This in turn, can cause them to collapse – damaging property and putting lives at risk.”
Kieran says there are a number of tell-tale signs of a stone wall craving attention. Look for cracks in the stone or mortar, or if there’s a slight lean to the structure.
Pressure can also cause mortar to be forced out from between stone slabs.
There are opportunities for homeowners to work with council, where sidewalk trees have caused havoc to sandstone fences.
“KMD is currently estimating a project where council trees have pushed on a stone fence and compromised its strength. In this case, the council has agreed to reimburse our client, which is rare, but not unheard of.”
The rebuilding of stone walls doesn’t have to be a lengthy process. KMD work closely with engineers to ensure walls and fences last well into the future.
“When you consider safety and property value, it’s imperative that the long lasting quality of good craftsmanship reflects the high calibre of your beautiful home.
