Question about flower bed edging and height of flower beds...

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

There must be some rules for this and I figure you clever people probably know the answer.

Our house sits on a slab, as most of yours do (I think). Then the bricks. So I'm wondering if I can grade my flower bed in the front a little more than it is (It's flat now). Is this okay to do? I feel as if it should slope up anyway, but if I put some sort of low stone wall (12" maybe?) then the dirt should slope up to probably a few inches under the window, covering some of the brick.

Any opinions on if this is okay? I know that we have a space every so often that has no mortar on the first row of bricks, but I guess they're for expansion?

So...good idea or don't do it??

Thanks again in advance of your comments..

ETA: Just discovered that the spaces are weep holes....

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Comments (4)

roselee z8b S.W. Texas
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sorry, but it's probably not a good idea. We once bought a brick house where the former owners had made a raised bed in front of the brick wall in front. Water and termites had entered into those spaces in between the row of lower bricks that are there for ventilation. The 2 x 4s under the hardwood floor were damaged as well as the floor itself. The former owners had apparently treated for the termites and simply covered the floor with carpet, but had not removed the planter.

Wishing you well with other landscaping ideas ...
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User thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Those gaps of missing mortar between bricks on the bottom course are known as weep-holes. They're there primarily to let any moisture out that accumulates between the back of the brick and the moisture barrier. Depending upon how/when your house was built, the ledge that the brick sits on might only be an inch or so lower than the main slab where walls and flooring reside. So even covering just the bottom portion of the holes is a bad idea since it can enable water to backup to the base plate. Amount of roof overhang, 1 story vs 2 story, and other factors affect how much water will penetrate and drain behind brick veneer... but it is a surprising amount.

We learned about their importance when the builder's subcontractor inadvertently left them off our first house. A 2-story with no roof overhang made mess of our first floor carpets the first few heavy rains until the problem was identified and a mason chiseled out the weep-holes.

Roselee's experience with termites entering these is very common and something a good inspector will warn about. Ours recommends keeping any soil or mulch at least an inch below the bottom row of bricks. We've had to regrade the uphill side of our house to accomplish this and get some slope away from the slab.
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User thanked bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
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roselee z8b S.W. Texas
7 years ago
" ... and something a good inspector will warn about." Yes, the inspector did find it and the price of the house was reduced substantially so we went ahead with the purchase and did the repairs that were necessary.
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User thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
Renee Texas
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
No, don't cover any bricks, and I usually leave around an inch of the slab. I also treat the weep holes with bug spray whenever I do the perimeter, as I have a phobia of insects colonizing in my walls...
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User thanked Renee Texas

Question about flower bed edging and height of flower beds...

Comments (4)

roselee z8b S.W. Texas

bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw

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roselee z8b S.W. Texas

Renee Texas

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