In designing a new garden I want to place garden beds along the external house walls. I am seeking advice as to the construction and placement of the beds in relation to the damp course. For example, do I need to raise or lower the beds and what preventative measures should I take?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou
Hey Jenny, always raise garden beds, never lower them - raising helps them to drain well.
However its important to keep any breather holes in your walls clear - e.g. don't pile earth up next to a wall and block them - they are vital to keep your cavity walls dry and well aired.
If you want to raise the beds next to the wall then just place some wood over the area where the breather holes are to allow the air to still circulate then back-fill the soil up to the wood. Best to use treated pine so it won't rot.
If on the other hand you have solid brick or stone walls with no cavity (only found on older houses) then you'll see a damp course running around the house about 2-3 bricks up. In this case don't pile earth up next to the wall at all. Better to make a wooden barrier wall that stands clear of the brick wall to ensure that air can still circulate around it.
Its also worth bearing in mind that if you are in a newly constructed home, consider if what you are planning to do may be voiding your termite protection warranty.
If you are not in a newish home, you may want to ensure that you don't inadvertently invite termites to come knocking.
Whatever you decide to do, it may be worth keeping this in mind and ensure easy viewing of any intrusion by termites, by planting something that is not going to obstruct your vision of where termites may enter around the perimeter of your home.