Pointing and repairing garden walls
Garden wall repair and repointing in south Nottinghamshire and north west Leicestershire
Many Victorian and Edwardian homes still have their original brick garden walls, but decades of weathering, frost damage and ground movement can leave these walls cracked, leaning or structurally weakened.
In many cases, homeowners assume the only solution is to remove the wall and install a new fence or hedge. However, traditional brick walls can almost always be repaired — and often for less than the cost of replacing them with a new fence and it's certainly quicker than waiting for a hedge to grow.
At Gladstone Pointing, we specialise in garden wall repair, brick replacement and lime‑mortar repointing, restoring historic walls so they remain safe, attractive and long‑lasting. Whether your wall is missing bricks, crumbling at the joints or suffering from frost damage, we can bring it back to life using methods that respect the age and character of your property.
Cost‑effective repairs for all types of brick or stone garden walls
We offer a range of repair options depending on your budget and the condition of your wall:
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Full restoration – Ideal for walls that need both structural repair and cosmetic improvement. This includes replacing damaged bricks or stones, rebuilding unstable sections and repointing the entire wall with breathable lime mortar to give it a clean, uniform finish.
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Structural‑only repairs – A more economical option for walls that simply need stabilising. We replace only the essential bricks or stones and repoint the areas that require attention, ensuring the wall is safe and secure
.Using lime mortar is essential for traditional brickwork because it allows moisture to escape naturally, preventing trapped damp and long‑term deterioration. This makes it the appropriate choice for Victorian and Edwardian garden walls, which were originally built with lime‑based materials.
Why repairing your garden wall is better than replacing it
A well‑built brick wall can last over a century when maintained properly. Repairing it is often:
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Cheaper than installing a new fence
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More durable and secure
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More in keeping with the character of period homes
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Better for privacy and boundary definition
Restoring your existing wall also avoids the waste and disruption of demolition of the wall and its foundations and its replacement.
Local garden wall repair across south Nottinghamshire and north west Leicestershire
We provide garden wall repair and repointing throughout south Nottinghamshire, including:
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West Bridgford
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Nottingham
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Beeston
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Bramcote
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The surrounding south Nottinghamshire villages
We also work across north west Leicestershire, offering the same high‑quality lime‑mortar repairs for brick and stone garden walls of all ages.
See our work
See the examples below of the problems we can solve — and how our traditional lime repointing and repair services can restore your brickwork.
Frequently Asked Questions for repairing garden walls
1. What is the difference between work to make a garden wall structurally safe or to fully refurbish the wall?
Work limited to making a wall structurally safe, will focus on replacing bricks that are weak/ heavily worn but not change bricks that may be relatively newly spalled (ie. the face has come off the brick) as welll as repointing. . Work to fully refurish the wall completely involves repairing all spalled bricks (ie. bricks that have lost their faces) and repointing.
2. How long does it take to repoint a wall?
The time required to repoint a wall depends on the size of the wall, the condition of the existing mortar, and the level of preparation needed. As a general guide:
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1 hour per square metre to prepare the wall
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2 hours per square metre to remove old mortar
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a typical estimate of 1 hour per square metre to repair all bricks causing structural weakness (this is just an indicative figure that may vary depending on the state of the wall).
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a typical estimate of 2 hours per square metre to repair all spalled bricks to fully refurbish a wall (this is just an indicative figure that may vary depending on the state of the wall).
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2 hours per square metre to install new lime mortar
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1 hour per square metre to finish and brush back the joints
For example, a typical Edwardian garden wall is 12m long and 1.7m high so has around a 20m² area or brick. It would take around 3.5 weeks to complete from start to finish.
2. How much does it cost to repoint a wall?
Costs vary depending on access, wall condition, brick or stone type, and the level of repairs that are needed. I provide a full breakdown of my pricing structure on my blog (link). For the examples given above:
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work to make a wall structurally safe and repoint it (with the assumptions above) would cost £3,275 plus VAT
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work to fully refurbish a garden wall (with the assumptions above) would cost £4,275 plus VAT.
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According to AI, a new fence installed by a contractor would cost around £4,000 including disposal of the wall/wall foundations.
Every project is quoted individually after a site visit (and is broken down so you can make choices) so you only pay for the work your wall genuinely needs.
3. Why is lime mortar better than cement for older houses?
Lime mortar is essential for older brick and stone buildings because it is softer, more flexible, and more breathable than modern cement. This makes it compatible with traditional materials such as:
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Soft Tudor, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian bricks
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Bulwell stone/Nottinghamshire sandstone and Leicestershire Triassic stone or Lias limestone
Here’s why lime performs better:
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Breathability: Lime allows moisture to evaporate naturally, preventing damp from becoming trapped inside the wall.
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Flexibility: Lime can expand and contract with the building, reducing cracking and long‑term damage.
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Protection: When rain hits a lime‑pointed wall, the lime absorbs the moisture first and releases it safely, protecting the bricks or stone behind it.
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Cement problems: Cement is too hard and too dense for older materials. It traps moisture, which can cause bricks to crack, spall or crumble—especially during frost.
For a full explanation, see my detailed blog post on why lime mortar is the correct choice for traditional homes.