Remove Ivy from Wall?
I’ve heard conflicting advice on whether or not it’s wise to remove ivy from a stone wall. One of the brick walls of our building is painted white and has become entirely covered by ivy. (We’ve cut off the roots but it still continues to grow.) Is this bad for the mortar and stone beneath?
I’ve heard conflicting advice on whether or not it’s wise to remove ivy from a stone wall. One of the brick walls of our building is painted white and has become entirely covered by ivy. (We’ve cut off the roots but it still continues to grow.) Is this bad for the mortar and stone beneath?
Take the ivy down, unless 1) you’ve accurately (botanically) identified the ivy, and informed yourself as to proper maintenance of both the plants and your building, or 2) it’s already done so much damage that removing it and repairing the damage is more than you can afford right now. Minard, much of what you’re writing above is as foolish as the standards you applied to another thread differentiating between basements and cellars. Buildings where ivy is the only saving grace are buildings already severely damaged by neglect.
Brick Industry Association re: ivy: http://bit.ly/cmMXZK
Green Products: The Use of Vines on Buildings: http://bit.ly/dcrp1P
Ivy on a south facing wall can have the same insulative benefits as a green roof. Especially deciduous ivy.
You do have to clip it and keep it under control and not let it cover up your windows naturally, that may be a lot of trouble and people may not want to bother. But I think it is just wrong-headed to say that ivy is bad and causes problems in all instances because it is just false. And It can be a very attractive covering for typical ugly messed-up rear walls.
There was ivy all over the back of my building before I bought it and it did do some damage to mortar, screens, and possibly hastened a wood door rotting. It probably wasnt gently removed though so that may have contributed. I’ve been considering eventually putting up a trellis to have vines like clematis growing up the back but off the brick. Vines should help keep a building cooler in the summer especially if they’re on the south side.
I’d be most worried about locating a leak if one started in the brick and wood-boring insects. The problem with ivy is it’s really hard to get rid of all of it. I love the look of boston ivy on brick though, especially in the fall when it turns red.
I agree with Minard (for a change)…We should all live so long to see damage ivy will cause. And the ivy also has benefits.
Yeah yeah, I said most building professionals will tell you to take down the ivy, its a knee jerk reaction more than a thoughtful one. Ivy has covered historic walls for generations in many places. Sometimes, depending on the wall and the species of ivy, it is damaging, other times not at all damaging. It’s good to chalenge pat assumptions once in a while.
On certain buildings, ivy is the only saving grace.
Jim Hill – not to pick a fight… but there is more to consider. What type of mortar do you have? pre 1920’s/30’s lime, sand, water mortar or post that era cement mortar? What is actually growing on the wall? Check out The Foundry (Google) located in Long island City . The owners (former landscape specialists) have ivy growing all over their buildings. Spoke to him at an event there and said that it was not having any negative impact on his many buildings. They started restoring the whole compound about 25 years ago (might qualify as building specialists).
Minard – not to pick a fight, but I think “most building professionals” would add the word “yet” to your first three questions. It’s a safe bet that if the answer is currently “no”, somewhere down the line it will change to “yes.”
I would remove it. If you really want the ivy, then give it something else to grow on. There are plenty of products and other means of creating trellises along the face of the building that will allow the ivy to grow, but encourage it to grow on the trellis rather than the building.
Jim Hill, RA, LEED AP
Urban Pioneering Architecture
Sustainable Design + Build
Most building professionals will always tell you to remove ivy, but I take a more measured approach. Is the wall leaking? Are the interiors excessibvely humid? Is the wall bulging or leaning? Do you like the way the ivy looks?
If the first three answers are “no” and the last answer is “yes” then I don’t see why should remove the ivy.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:evHQ6XFZhxAJ:www.riversideavondale.org/index.php%3Fs%3Dfile_download%26id%3D7+ivy+moisture+issues&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AHIEtbSIBGOd2xuEgmRInTJIMWpvnmcDxg