Finishing the top of a parapet wall

[malcolm]

I have noticed a length of lead in the garden with some broken tiles glued to it. So now I have a chance to sort this awkward bit out properly and am looking for ideas.

It's a parapet wall. On one side is a pitched roof and on the other a vertical drop. I'm not a roofer but I'm inclined to cut a bit of leading into the wall above the slates to close the gap at the top of the slates however I finish it off. Some red tiles would be nice to finish the top of the vertical bit of the wall. How do you attach those? Just cement or a few holes drilled into the bricks for pegs?

It would be nice to have some sort of capping, but the angle is wrong. I have a big dangerous 9 inch thing and could change the angle I suppose so I can put some ridge tiles on top and maybe forget about any additional tiles. It's lime so I could also modify the bricks at ground level. If I only used ridge tiles should there be anything underneath in case the pointing on the ridge tiles failed?

Any ideas or tips? Does this sound close to the mark? Also and importantly do you just use cement for gluing ridge tiles on or are there more storm resistant methods. Photos below and a link to a page where the photos can be made bigger.

The front of the parapet wall is finished with bricks cut at an angle all the way along. The photo shows the first one in place.

This is the effort made by the roofers before it blew off. It was a rubbish solution.

And the structure underneath shown here: http://www.the-salutation.co.uk/blog/rebuilding-the-parapet-wall/

 

[Craig89]

I'm pretty sure a parapet wall is normally topped with coping stones or similar. Obviously this would require a flat top. The side with the pitched roof the easiest thing to do would be to wrap some lead, starting under the coping stones, down the brick and then overlapping the top course of tiles. You could extend the lead the whole 9" under the coping stones if the bricks suck up the water, or the cheaper option would just be to put some DPC under there. Cement would adhere the stones fine

 

[malcolm]

A flat top with coping stones would probably be a better solution. If anyone can recommend any nice ones it would be useful, though way up there I could probably get away with anything.

That can wait until the frosts go away. I'll nip up at the weekend to put a bit of lead at the transition between the slates and the wall as by the look of the ceiling below I'm guessing the roofers didn't make that extravagence.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I have a big dangerous 9 inch thing and could change the angle I suppose

Nurse! :shock:

 

[MatthewC]

I have a big dangerous 9 inch thing and could change the angle I suppose

Nurse! :shock:

That sounds like a Penners joke. Have you paid him for its use?

 

[a twig]

I would gently remove the cut bricks and replace with coping stones - but then I have a stash of bath stone at the bottom of the garden

You can use your big 9 incher to put drafts on the stones if you so desire and your stonemason skills aren't quite there...

Heresey alert but trimmed up concrete pavers are a cheap solution or Travis Perkins do some alright ones

 

[malcolm]

I would gently remove the cut bricks and replace with coping stones - but then I have a stash of bath stone at the bottom of the garden

I'm glad I asked on here. Feeling stupid now. My original objection to the parapet wall was it had originally been built uo to the height of the main ridge and looked silly. I took it down a few bricks, and down one brick more and some capping stones would probably make it look sensible.

Some nice concrete capping is probably the answer as it's way up and not easy to see. I'll cut drips. I have used bath stone elsewhere and it is lovely but I don't have a stash so it's £200 a sill for me.

 

[a twig]

Some nice concrete capping is probably the answer as it's way up and not easy to see. I'll cut drips. I have used bath stone elsewhere and it is lovely but I don't have a stash so it's £200 a sill for me.

£200 is a bit steep! I went to a local mason here to get a new stone head for our fireplace, a hefty bit of stone, I just wanted it cut as I wanted to do the detailing myself.

920mm X 230mm X 100mm block was £58 inc VAT.

Concrete defo still cheaper tho!

Anywho, glad the collective hive brain has helped, very easy to get a bit "wood for trees" when you're up against it