Capping a brick wall: brick on edge, render and other options

The top of a freestanding wall is where water gets in. A good cap sheds that water and finishes the wall off, and the option you choose changes both the look and how long the wall lasts.

Why a wall needs capping

The open top of a brick wall exposes the mortar and the hollow cores to rain. Water soaks in, sits there, and in time loosens joints, feeds efflorescence and freezes and thaws on cold Melbourne mornings. A cap covers that top course and throws the water clear of the face below.

A proper cap does two things: it sheds water across the top, and it overhangs slightly with a drip so the water falls off rather than running down the brickwork.

The common options

There are a few ways to finish the top, each with a different look and cost:

• Brick on edge: a course of bricks laid on their side along the top. The traditional match for a brick wall, simple and hard wearing.
• Bullnose or rounded bricks: a softened top edge, common on older Melbourne fences and very durable.
• Rendered cap: the top formed and rendered to a smooth finish, often with a slight fall built in. Clean and modern, suits a rendered wall.
• Precast concrete or stone copings: a solid capping unit laid along the top, with a built in overhang and drip. Strong and very weather resistant.
• Metal capping: a folded colour matched cap, more common on contemporary and rendered walls.

Choosing the right one

It comes down to the wall and the look you want. Brick on edge and bullnose suit a face brick wall and a period home. Render and metal suit a clean modern wall. Concrete or stone copings are the toughest, and worth it on an exposed wall or a long boundary.

Whatever the finish, the detail that matters is the fall and the overhang. A flat cap with no drip just holds water, and a wall that holds water does not last.

If you have a wall that needs a top on it, send a photo and your suburb and we will suggest a capping that matches the wall and keeps the weather out.