# Forum Home Renovation Brickwork  Brick column footing depth

## simopimo

Hi there, My next project is a wall next to the shed in the backyard as a type of concealment wall, to effectively double my shed size. I will also hang 2 pull-out clothes lines from it. 
It,s going to be about 3.5 m long, about 7 feet high. I will be attaching a roof to it which will meet the shed's roof, angling it so that water will drain down to the front. 
I have a heap of good spare bricks due to my upcoming driveway replacement and patio replacement. I was looking at building 3 brick columns of 4 bricks per row, and filling the middle with brickies mud or concrete for strength.  I am looking at using weatherboards for the main body of the wall attached between the 3 columns. 
My question is, how deep should the concrete footing be, and how much steel should I be using for reinforcement? Would 3 concrete footings - ie. 1 for each column - be enough, or should I run a trench all the way along the wall's length?  thanks in advance for any advice... I've done brick garden bed walls before, but obviously this is another matter and I want to ensure that the footing is sufficiently strong for the wall.

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## Glenlara

To put up piers that you want to hang clothes lines on is very dangerous as they can fall over easily.  It would be better if the piers were bigger.  Maybe 2.5 bricks square,  then they will be stable.  You have all seen brick walls pulled down with basket hoops etc.  The foundation should be maybe a foot wider than the piers and the pier as wide as possible.  You could place some rod down the centre drilled or pored in place and then fill the hole in the centre with concrete.  The foundation should be about 600mm deep. 
Pagie

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## simopimo

Thanks Pagie. I think I will abandon the brick wall idea and instead go with a concrete footing, 3 rows of bricks (due to the sloping ground) and use steel posts for the clothes line.  Into the concrete... 
I'll then use weatherboards for the wall above it, with 3 timber posts on stirrups to nail the weatherboards into.

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## Bloss

That's a better way . . .

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