A bulging drystone wall means the core has failed and the faces are separating. Plex Group explains why it happens and how a proper rebuild works across the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire.
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A drystone wall is two faces of stone with a core of small packing stone, known as hearting, filling the middle. That hearting is what locks the faces together and carries load down through the wall. Over decades the hearting settles, and where water runs through the wall it migrates downwards and out at the base. The core empties from the top, the faces lose the material bracing them apart, and one face begins to belly outwards. On older boundary walls around Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Campden this is the single most common cause of bulging we find, and it is often visible as a line of small stones gathering at the foot of the wall.
Through stones are long stones laid across the full width of the wall at regular intervals to tie the two faces into one structure. Walls built quickly, or rebuilt in the past by someone working without them, are effectively two thin skins standing back to back. Each face carries itself, and as soon as the hearting moves or the ground settles the faces part company. A wall short of throughs will bulge on one face while the other stays plumb, which is exactly the pattern a bulge usually takes.
Many Cotswold garden walls retain a bank or a raised border on one side, a job a field wall was never designed to do. Soil pressure pushes on the back face constantly, and after heavy rain water adds to that load because a soil packed wall cannot drain freely. The pressure shows as a bulge low on the wall on the exposed face. In winter it gets worse, because water held in the core freezes, expands, and levers the face stones outwards a little further with every freeze-thaw cycle. The Cotswold oolitic limestone is relatively soft and absorbs water readily, so frost works on the stone itself as well as the structure.
In older gardens around Burford, established tree roots run under and through wall foundations, lifting the footing course unevenly and throwing the batter out above. Ivy and elder rooted into the face push stones apart from within. On the shallow limestone brash of the wolds, foundation stones bear on weathered rock at inconsistent depths, so one length of wall settles while the next does not, and the bulge appears at the junction. A glancing knock from a vehicle or machinery does the same damage in seconds that settlement does in years.
A 10-day full-property hardscape overhaul in Guiting Power, featuring French Dolomite Limestone porcelain throughout, a bespoke pergola over an outdoor kitchenette, and full perimeter drainage.
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A 6-day boundary extension and fence installation in Kingham, built using tongue and groove cladding to create a seamless, architectural finish.
A 20 year old timber deck replaced with frosted blue composite boarding, a custom step, and a built-in fish pond access hatch
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We start with a full site assessment, checking how far the bulge has travelled, whether the wall is retaining ground, and where water is moving through or behind it. A bulge cannot be pushed back. The affected section is carefully taken down to sound work, with the stone set aside in courses so as much of the original oolitic limestone as possible goes back in the rebuild. We reset the foundation course on firm ground, rebuild both faces to the correct batter using timber A frames and lines, pack the core solid with hearting as every course goes up, and bed through stones at regular intervals to tie the faces together. Where the wall retains a bank we place free draining stone behind the base so water passes through instead of pushing. The wall is finished with a proper cope to lock the top courses. Plex Group repairs and rebuilds drystone walls across the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Worcestershire.
A bulging drystone wall is well past cosmetic repair but it is entirely rebuildable, usually with the stone already in it. Plex Group repairs drystone walls across the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. Get in touch to arrange an assessment.
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Ivy roots into the core of a drystone wall and forces the stones apart, and pulling it off makes the damage worse. Plex Group explains what is happening and the right way to fix it across the Cotswolds.
A bulging drystone wall means the core has failed and the faces are separating. Plex Group explains why it happens and how a proper rebuild works across the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire.
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Bouncy decking means the subframe below the boards is underbuilt, failing or rotten. Plex Group explains the causes and what a proper repair looks like across Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.
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From the initial meeting to the final clear up Patrick and Luke were unfailingly polite and professional. Patrick’s quotation for the work was sensible with a detailed breakdown. The work was started on time and was kept to time. The resulting terracing exceeded expectations and the work area was left cleaner than when the team arrived. I cannot thank Patrick, Luke and Jake enough for all their work and would have no hesitation in recommending PLEX Group.
It has been a pleasure having Plex work with me on my garden project. Totally engaged, very communicative and prompt. Access to my property is difficult but they just worked around any problems with a refreshing 'can do' attitude. I would happily recommend Plex to anyone working on a garden project.
Fantastic work and would highly recommend. The team were professional, friendly, considerate, hard working and flexible to ensure the works met our needs and expectations. Really nice team to have on site and were respectful and kept it as tidy as they could. Very impressed with the work and looking to get them to come back to do a couple of other jobs for us in the future.
I am really happy with the work that Plex did. They came up with solutions to problems that arose quickly, efficiently and without any stress. They were friendly, professional, organised, efficient and had excellent communication.
We have recently had a new garage installed from the Plex team and we are thrilled with the finished product. Can't thank Patrick Luke and their team enough. Would highly recommend.
I would highly recommend Luke and Patrick and their team. They are all extremely polite and hard-working. They put up a new pergola in our back garden and tidied up the edges of the garden. An excellent job.
Patrick, Luke and their team have transformed our sloped garden giving us a lovley functional space. They removed a hedge sadly over run with brambles with a fence gaining us a couple more meters of garden too! Despite having a week of rain they did their best to clear up at the end of the job. We would highly recommend this professional team.
Luke and Patrick have completed two projects for us now. They are the most polite and professional people with a hardworking team of individuals. Nothing is too much trouble for them.
Luke and his team are really lovely and professional. Cannot recommend him enough.
Luke and the team are absolutely brilliant. A passion for what they do and personal but professional, so pleased to have found them!
Really pleased with the concrete base for my carport that was completed by the team , worked really hard in poor weather conditions . Great job would definitely recommend the team .
Our garden has never looked better - hard-working, thorough, and also great at getting in touch if there's a change to the schedule, etc. They have nursed our box hedging back to health. Before and and after photos are a bonus!
Competitive price wise even though the work carried out was to a very high standard. I was very pleased with the end result and impressed with the tidiness they left the garden after all the work was carried out. A very happy customer!
Very obliging and efficient we have worked out a schedule that suits us both.
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