7 Ways to Transform an Ugly Garden Wall
Want to turn a negative into a positive? Here are a few ideas that will help turn that ugly, old wall into a masterpiece
Be it outdated brick, old damaged render or deteriorating treated pine, an ugly garden wall can be an eyesore that takes away from your otherwise perfect garden. Unfortunately, the cost of demolition and starting again is more often than not hard to justify from a cost perspective. Why pay someone to remove a wall, only to pay someone else to reinstate a wall in the exact same place? Here are a few tips that will bring those walls back to life and improve the overall look of your garden.
We’ve accompanied this story with images from the Houzz photo archive showing beautiful and creative approaches to exterior walls to fuel your design thinking.
We’ve accompanied this story with images from the Houzz photo archive showing beautiful and creative approaches to exterior walls to fuel your design thinking.
For the more conservative folk, paint, used in a more traditional sense, is still a quick and easy option. Painting directly over the top of your existing brickwork will leave the mortar joints and texture of the brick visible underneath the paint, in a way maintaining the charm of the wall that once was. Just be sure to find a reputable painter near you for an expert job.
Need to freshen up your facade? Find painters near you on Houzz and get in touch for a quote
Need to freshen up your facade? Find painters near you on Houzz and get in touch for a quote
2. Render an unsightly wall
On the other hand, if you really, really hate your wall, you can erase it from existence with render and paint. This will involve calling in a professional renderer, but keep in mind that when applying any new finish to a wall, you should check with a professional about waterproofing requirements. You don’t want your new render to peel.
On the other hand, if you really, really hate your wall, you can erase it from existence with render and paint. This will involve calling in a professional renderer, but keep in mind that when applying any new finish to a wall, you should check with a professional about waterproofing requirements. You don’t want your new render to peel.
There are many different rendered finishes to choose from, such as a bagged-brick treatments or renders with added oxide or pigment to achieve a particular tint, so select the colour, opacity and finish that will best suit your outdoor area and style of home.
3. Stain an old fence
If you are dealing with an old treated pine sleeper wall or want to hide an ugly garden fence, a tin of timber stain will be all you need to bring it back to life. Just ensure the surface is dry and dust-free before applying the finish.
If you are dealing with an old treated pine sleeper wall or want to hide an ugly garden fence, a tin of timber stain will be all you need to bring it back to life. Just ensure the surface is dry and dust-free before applying the finish.
4. Embrace it
Probably the most cost-effective way of dealing with an old wall is to embrace it. Even speed up the ageing/deteriorating process and roughen up the face of the wall with a hammer and masonry point – the more marks and imperfections, the better. That rustic and recycled look is very desirable these days!
Just be sure to keep it superficial, you don’t want to damage the wall structurally and have it come tumbling down.
You could also try getting in a professional to give it a high-pressure clean – the result may surprise you, leaving you loving the wall and never wanting to cover it up again.
Probably the most cost-effective way of dealing with an old wall is to embrace it. Even speed up the ageing/deteriorating process and roughen up the face of the wall with a hammer and masonry point – the more marks and imperfections, the better. That rustic and recycled look is very desirable these days!
Just be sure to keep it superficial, you don’t want to damage the wall structurally and have it come tumbling down.
You could also try getting in a professional to give it a high-pressure clean – the result may surprise you, leaving you loving the wall and never wanting to cover it up again.
5. Use plants to disguise an ugly wall
My personal go-to ‘problem solver’ in a garden? Planting. Plant in front of the wall, above the wall, or grow a climber up the wall. It doesn’t really matter how you create your vertical garden or which plants you put in front of the wall; in my opinion, plants make everything look better.
My personal go-to ‘problem solver’ in a garden? Planting. Plant in front of the wall, above the wall, or grow a climber up the wall. It doesn’t really matter how you create your vertical garden or which plants you put in front of the wall; in my opinion, plants make everything look better.
6. Contrast it
Why not try a combination of a few options? Juxtapose materials such as timber and render, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and brick, or plants and timber palings.
You may also want to complement a new freshly rendered wall by embracing the old wall beside it. Introduce some planting to soften the masonry and you won’t even recognise your own garden.
Browse more beautiful poolside designs
Why not try a combination of a few options? Juxtapose materials such as timber and render, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and brick, or plants and timber palings.
You may also want to complement a new freshly rendered wall by embracing the old wall beside it. Introduce some planting to soften the masonry and you won’t even recognise your own garden.
Browse more beautiful poolside designs
7. Clad an external wall with stone
If you are after drastic change, cladding the wall will result in a completely new look. Done well, you can turn an old brick wall into an incredible stone feature wall, and your friends will be none the wiser.
This involves calling in a professional tradesperson and can be a time-consuming process, so keep that in mind when budgeting for your garden-wall makeover.
If you are after drastic change, cladding the wall will result in a completely new look. Done well, you can turn an old brick wall into an incredible stone feature wall, and your friends will be none the wiser.
This involves calling in a professional tradesperson and can be a time-consuming process, so keep that in mind when budgeting for your garden-wall makeover.
It must be said that all of these pointers are meant to improve a wall from an aesthetic perspective. And remember, you should always check the structural safety of any wall before worrying about its looks.
Your turn
Have you reinvented an unsightly wall in your garden? Tell us how you went about it in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Want more on exterior walls? See a winner here with our Exterior of the Week: Curvy, Cream Brickwork for Zen-Like Vibes
Your turn
Have you reinvented an unsightly wall in your garden? Tell us how you went about it in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Want more on exterior walls? See a winner here with our Exterior of the Week: Curvy, Cream Brickwork for Zen-Like Vibes
My first tip is a take on the most obvious solution: paint! Use it as an opportunity to get creative. A mural in your exterior or garden wall is a sure-fire conversation starter.
If you consider yourself, let’s say, ‘artistically challenged’, try reaching out to a young artist on Houzz – I am sure they would jump at the opportunity to be left alone with a big, blank canvas.