How to fill gap in stone wall between houses?

help

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Hello all. I've been tidying up our new garden and we've got a big gap between our back yard and the neighbours. We have 2 indoor cats who like to go in our fenced in garden but I'm trying to find a way to secure it so they can't get through it. I've got a plank of wood nailed in at the moment but it's precarious and our younger cat may be able to move it. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

in DIYby porthos-thebeagle

83%

13d

julius_cornelius

13d

I would probably go for bricks by cutting them to size That being said I’m no expert in walls but I’ve had enough cats to know that any healthy cat can jump that wall no problem.

porthos-thebeagle

13d

Thank you! We've got a 16 year old wobbly cat who can't jump higher than the sofa and our younger one so far doesn't realise he can jump it. I'm always out with them keeping an eye on them in the garden while they're out there anyway

gameoveryeeah

13d

For the younger cat, you can install rolling fence tops that stop the cat from grabbing on to anything. There are a few commercial products and DIY instructions if you google "fence top roller" or something like that.

eviveiro

13d

Found out a common name is a coyote roller. I'm guessing farmers use them the opposite way to keep predators out of livestock pens. They can get quite expensive, but there are various DIY versions using PVC pipes and either a wire/rope or 3d printed parts.

SanjaBgk

13d

Bricks are hard to work with. In my country there is an alternative - blocks made from concrete foam. They are quite sturdy but super lightweight. They could be cut with any hand saw, or chiseled to desired shape with almost zero effort. Get a couple of such blocks, cut them into long narrow pieces, put them in the gap. Then putty them, sand and paint.

porthos-thebeagle

13d

Wow thank you for this, I didn't know they existed! That should be perfect for filling the gap

SanjaBgk

13d

You'd be pleasantly surprised - the block of the size of 5 bricks is so lightweight it can be held with two fingers. They are like 2/3 air and 1/3 cement.

watoaz

13d

Where can I find these bricks? I have the same problem, did a search but all I’m finding are child’s toys

imadork1970

13d

White pool noodle.

hughdint1

13d

The gap is there for a reason, the wall and the house need to expand and contract separately. May be just use that plank or maybe two. Making a solid connection between the wall and the house will cause one or the other to crack and if the crack is on the house side it could introduce water into and cause rot and/or mold.

porthos-thebeagle

13d

Oh damn thank you for this. I'll have a look for some waterproof foam to use so it has room to breathe

Healthy-Cook-7195

13d

I’ve heard it explained that if it’s not attached to the house, you don’t necessarily need to be up to any sort of code

Memotome

13d

Get the caulk gun ready and go to town!

SuspiciousRace

13d

Noodles and superglue

kellyfromfig

13d

For the short term, roll up a length of chicken wire and stuff it in there.

No_Ask3786

13d

Pool noodle, metal lath and stucco-

Edit- looking st the rest of the wall, forget the stucco- just parge across the whole thing

xfyre101

13d

more stone?

SynnyZ

13d

[GIF]

Zaphod_0707

12d

I'd simply stuff a pool noodle (or similar) in the crack.

Jeeper08JK

13d

Pool noodle.

Atlfalcon08

13d

Yeah I'd do a wood form on both sides of the wall and fill with cement and it would look more natural, because those cats will get out regardless especially if they aren't fixed.

SanjaBgk

13d

With such a height there is a big chance the seal at the bottom wouldn't hold the pressure of the cement and it would leak leaving the OP with a huge mess to clean. Not worth the risk.

bleu_ray_player

13d

Do it in multiple pours of that is really a concern.

Atlfalcon08

13d

Yes, thank you I should have added, this step. My father did a concrete post that was nothing but a dug post hole with a piece of rebar in the middle, and a square wooden form 4' by 4" placed over the rebar. It was more concrete than this and he did it in 2 steps. We put our initials on it, it was still standing 30 years later.

In the application depicted here two pieces of wood bolted tightly on either side of the wall should work fine.

gameoveryeeah

-3

13d

You've already done part of it by putting in one side of the concrete form, since it doesn't need to be structural you can probably get away with putting another board on the other side, then pouring concrete and adding some busted up cinderblock into the gap. It won't be pretty or strong, but it will be solid enough for a few years. It will definitely fall apart after a few winters. Sand/chisel the heck out of it to get it to look nice.

edit: yeah what i wrote is a lousy fix, don't do something so half-assed

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