shrub damage to house wall

 

Do these shrubs so close to a house wall pose any future problems for the
house brickwork?

http://tinypic.com/r/2sbtyz5/7

Thanks for advice.

 



Doesn't look like it: they seem to be in a raised trough of their own in any
case.  If this trough is joined to your house wall - which we can't tell
from the pic - with no waterproof membrane between, then the bushes may
actually be keeping the damp out of your house.

High time to get out the sheers and prune it hard and neat back to the
fence, as it is getting very leggy and you do not want
those messy twigs to become messy branches.

S

 



or more likely the complete opposite

Jim K

 



No: bushes transpire a huge amount as you will find if you ever try to dig
up a privet hedge: always bone dry and rock hard beneath.  Without the
shrubs, if the trough butts straight to the house wall (which does not look
to be the case.) there is nothing to use up any rain water and some might
get into the house wall.  However, if said trough is anything like one
beside my house, the main reason for it being built will have been to get
rid of loads of old bricks and rubble, and there will only be a thin layer
of actual soil on top - as I found when I tried to deep dig it to grow veg!
In that case water just runs straight out the bottom anyway.

S

 


??so your fantasy damp treatment firm would advocate planting privet
around a house?

intelesting...

Jim K