Sandy ground and a wall of any height do not forgive a shallow footing. Add a gate motor slamming a two-hundred-kilogram gate against a pier twenty times a day, and a wall that was built cheaply will tell you about it within two summers.
So we found walls to the height they actually are, put reinforcement in the piers, and cast proper bases under gate posts. It adds a modest amount to the price of a wall and it is the entire difference between a wall and a future demolition job.
Paving is the same story one layer down. The finish everyone looks at is the block, but the performance is all in the sub-base and the compaction. A driveway that has to carry a bakkie and a trailer needs the base to match, and edge restraint so the whole thing does not spread sideways over five years.
What we build
- Boundary walls in brick, block and rendered finishes
- Retaining walls designed for the retained height and load
- Reinforced piers and cast bases for sliding and swing gates
- Gate motor installation, safety beams and intercom provision
- Driveway, patio and pathway paving with a compacted sub-base
- Edge restraint, falls and stormwater run-off
- Palisade, cladding, plaster and paint finishes
Our approach
Footings sized to the wall
Wall height and ground conditions determine the footing. On sand that usually means wider and deeper than a builder trying to win on price will allow for.
Piers reinforced, gate bases cast
Automated gates put cyclic load into their piers. Reinforcement and a proper mass base absorb it instead of cracking.
Compaction you can stand behind
Sub-base is laid and compacted in layers to a specified thickness. It is invisible, it is boring, and it is why the driveway is still flat in a decade.
Where we do this
Every suburb throws up something different. Pick yours to see what we run into there.
Questions
How high can I build my boundary wall?
Height limits are set by your municipality and sometimes by an HOA on estates, and street boundaries are usually more restricted than side and rear. We will check the rules for your erf before quoting.
My wall is already leaning. Can it be saved?
Sometimes, by underpinning and adding piers. Often the honest answer is that rebuilding is cheaper than repeatedly repairing. We will tell you which one you are looking at.
How long before I can drive on new paving?
Block paving on a compacted base takes light traffic almost immediately. Anything cast in concrete needs the full cure, and we will give you the date rather than a shrug.
Related services
Next step
Tell us what you have in mind. Eddie will come and look before anything gets quoted.