using existing brick wall as brick veneer

[HaydnG]

Hi Folks,

About 20 years ago, the previous owner of our house built a a tennis hit-up wall in the backyard- it's a 7metre long, 3 metre high single skin brick wall with piers on the boundary line and we have a park next door. (it also acts as the boundary fence) It looks like its on its own foundation with a concrete pad poured as a playing surface later.

I am about to build a 1 1/2 storey garage (loft above) adjacent and have been told it needs to be brick veneer wall due to fire restrictions.

The draughtsman tells me I have to pull the existing wall down, yet I am wondering why I can't just leave it there and frame up agaist it, tie it somehow to the new frame as the 'brick veneer'.

Seems bloody stupid to have to tear the wall down to build another one, after all it's not load bearing, and I would have thought I could demolish the concrete base without disruption the wall foundation, pour a new footing against it and build the timber frame to suit.

What are your thoughts?

[TermiMonster]

You'd have to get the existing footings passed by an engineer, and who's going to ok a 20 year old footing which may or may not have been laid to 20 year old specs for a new dwelling?
I think the draughtsman is probably right (this time).
TM

[joe greiner]

Even if the footing was OK, "tie it SOMEHOW" would be the killer. You'd be building it bass arkwards. Brick ties are usually laid in the mortar bed - hard to do after they've set.

Joe

[HaydnG]

Thanks chaps (bugger)