Part of a cob wall repairs in the village of Swinford collapsed, due to the base of the wall being constantly wet. The cob wall repairs is within a Conservation Area so is subject to Conservation Area consent.
Please click on each photograph for more information.
A cob (clay) wall collapsed where the Heras fencing is on the photograph. The initial task was to assess the foundations of the wall.
The rest of the cob wall was in good condition and well protected by a tin roof.
The cobblestone foundation wall was unstable and required rebuilding prior to rebuilding the cob wall.
Roots and water ingress had caused the foundation plinth wall to deterioate.
The cobblestone plinth was rebuilt to its original width and height.
The wall was rebuilt using a lime mortar.
To enable the wall to be rebuilt shuttering was erected in stages.
The original cob walling material was crushed, water and barley straw added and mixed by hand in a plastic bath to a workable consistancy. No other materials are added.
Once mixed, the clay mix was placed between the shuttering up to the top of the shuttering.
The new wall was built against the stump end of the original wall and joined together with hazel rods driiled into the original wall.
The second level of shuttering is fixed in place.
The second level of shuttering fixed ready for more mixed cob to be filled in.
An oak timber was fixed to the brick wall at the end of new wall and 25mm holes drilled into it at 250mm centres.
Hazel rods were pushed into the 25mm holes to act as reinforcement . The white arrow points at a hazel rod.
The top level of shuueting up to roof height fixed in place.
Hardwood timbers are fixed vertically into the cob walling and and horizontally across the wall to fix the new galvanised roof sheets to.
Once the wall dries sufficiently the shuttering is removed.
The impression of the shuttering can be seen in the face of the clay walling.
The surplus clay material is scrapped back to the correct profile.
The internal face of the wall with new galvanised sheeting in place.
The uneven wall surface mimics the adjacent original wall.
The wall before the rebuild.
The same wall section on completion.