I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Timothy Murphy wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the
house, but I think that is a myth ...

If left unchecked the roots will get into both the pointing and the
brickwork.

I'll never have ivy growing up against the house again!

--
Chris

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:41:25 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

Ivy roots will grow into any cracks in walls but it's not likely if
the walls are well constructed. The front of my house is covered in
ivy and there is no sign of any damage. The only problem I have had is
the ivy partially blocks up the gutters and the drainage when rainfall
is very heavy is far from perfect!

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. www.justnn.com
Neural Planner Software. www.npsl1.com

"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote in message
.. .

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:41:25 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

Ivy roots will grow into any cracks in walls but it's not likely if
the walls are well constructed. The front of my house is covered in
ivy and there is no sign of any damage. The only problem I have had is
the ivy partially blocks up the gutters and the drainage when rainfall
is very heavy is far from perfect!

Steve

It is not a myth - Ivy can cause house damage.
You need to keep it well under control.
Once your drainage is compromised - damp will certainly set in.

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. www.justnn.com
Neural Planner Software. www.npsl1.com

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:41:25 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

Ivy won't damage a soundly built wall; indeed some say that it adds
protection and insulation to a wall, but give it an inch and it will
take a mile. Key things to watch for a

- gaps in pointing or cracks in brick/stone/rendering
- seals around windows and doors
- vents such as airbricks or those holes all along modern soffits
- pipework - if not soundly attached the weight of ivy can pull it off
the wall; ditto for a satellite dish plus ivy can affect the signal
- trimming it back well clear of gutters and off the roof

Miss something and its roots get in and can then make a tiny problem
much worse. And also worth remembering that whilst it will happily
cling to the trellis you've got, you need to keep an eye on the wall
behind the trellis.

On 16/02/2011 15:44, Jake wrote:
On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:41:25 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

Ivy won't damage a soundly built wall; indeed some say that it adds
protection and insulation to a wall, but give it an inch and it will
take a mile. Key things to watch for a

- gaps in pointing or cracks in brick/stone/rendering
- seals around windows and doors
- vents such as airbricks or those holes all along modern soffits
- pipework - if not soundly attached the weight of ivy can pull it off
the wall; ditto for a satellite dish plus ivy can affect the signal
- trimming it back well clear of gutters and off the roof

Miss something and its roots get in and can then make a tiny problem
much worse. And also worth remembering that whilst it will happily
cling to the trellis you've got, you need to keep an eye on the wall
behind the trellis.


I took a huge ivy off a Victorian brick wall. No damage to the
brickwork, but it had crept under the roof slates, and that certainly
was a problem.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:00:34 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

On 16/02/2011 15:44, Jake wrote:
On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:41:25 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

Ivy won't damage a soundly built wall; indeed some say that it adds
protection and insulation to a wall, but give it an inch and it will
take a mile. Key things to watch for a

- gaps in pointing or cracks in brick/stone/rendering
- seals around windows and doors
- vents such as airbricks or those holes all along modern soffits
- pipework - if not soundly attached the weight of ivy can pull it off
the wall; ditto for a satellite dish plus ivy can affect the signal
- trimming it back well clear of gutters and off the roof

Miss something and its roots get in and can then make a tiny problem
much worse. And also worth remembering that whilst it will happily
cling to the trellis you've got, you need to keep an eye on the wall
behind the trellis.


I took a huge ivy off a Victorian brick wall. No damage to the
brickwork, but it had crept under the roof slates, and that certainly
was a problem.

I speak as an ivy-lover. Disaster waiting to happen, in my bitter
experience. As people have already said, it doesn't seem to damage
sound masonry, but it will get into woodwork and lever it apart: same
for slates and airbricks. I'd have it out and put in a trachelospermum
or something. Grow it up a mature tree (not a young one, if you want
my opinion), or an old stump, or some other support, but not on a wall
or a fence: I don't think it's worth the risk.

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
.. .


I speak as an ivy-lover. Disaster waiting to happen, in my bitter
experience. As people have already said, it doesn't seem to damage
sound masonry, but it will get into woodwork and lever it apart: same
for slates and airbricks. I'd have it out and put in a trachelospermum
or something. Grow it up a mature tree (not a young one, if you want
my opinion), or an old stump, or some other support, but not on a wall
or a fence: I don't think it's worth the risk.



I think gutters downpipes are main cause for damage concern.
When they cease to operate correctly - damp in walls and foundations
will soon follow.
I speak as an ivy hater - sorry Mike

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.ciom

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:32:47 +0000, Mike Lyle
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:00:34 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

On 16/02/2011 15:44, Jake wrote:
On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:41:25 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...

Ivy won't damage a soundly built wall; indeed some say that it adds
protection and insulation to a wall, but give it an inch and it will
take a mile. Key things to watch for a

- gaps in pointing or cracks in brick/stone/rendering
- seals around windows and doors
- vents such as airbricks or those holes all along modern soffits
- pipework - if not soundly attached the weight of ivy can pull it off
the wall; ditto for a satellite dish plus ivy can affect the signal
- trimming it back well clear of gutters and off the roof

Miss something and its roots get in and can then make a tiny problem
much worse. And also worth remembering that whilst it will happily
cling to the trellis you've got, you need to keep an eye on the wall
behind the trellis.


I took a huge ivy off a Victorian brick wall. No damage to the
brickwork, but it had crept under the roof slates, and that certainly
was a problem.

I speak as an ivy-lover. Disaster waiting to happen, in my bitter
experience. As people have already said, it doesn't seem to damage
sound masonry, but it will get into woodwork and lever it apart: same
for slates and airbricks. I'd have it out and put in a trachelospermum
or something. Grow it up a mature tree (not a young one, if you want
my opinion), or an old stump, or some other support, but not on a wall
or a fence: I don't think it's worth the risk.

Thinking laterally - a neighbour had a clematis montana growing on the
front of his house (picture 2-storey house with protruding
porch/single storey garage attached on the side). He kept it pruned
beautifully. But what he didn't realise was what was happening in the
background. It had sent roots through soffit vents. The first he knew
was when the light in his downstairs loo (in the porch bit) wouldn't
work. Upshot was the soffits and fascias were removed, along with a
lot of his porch roof tiles, to hack out the maze of growth between
the ceilings and the roof. We're talking pitch black and something out
of Day of the Triffids! Those roots grew in the dark and filled a few
cubic metres of roof space, probably in about 3-4 years. Would ivy do
the same?

"Jake" wrote in message ...


Thinking laterally - a neighbour had a clematis montana growing on the
front of his house (picture 2-storey house with protruding
porch/single storey garage attached on the side). He kept it pruned
beautifully. But what he didn't realise was what was happening in the
background. It had sent roots through soffit vents. The first he knew
was when the light in his downstairs loo (in the porch bit) wouldn't
work. Upshot was the soffits and fascias were removed, along with a
lot of his porch roof tiles, to hack out the maze of growth between
the ceilings and the roof. We're talking pitch black and something out
of Day of the Triffids! Those roots grew in the dark and filled a few
cubic metres of roof space, probably in about 3-4 years. Would ivy do
the same?


Doubt it - ivy does not do aerial roots - just shoots that need light .
Agree on clematis shoots, they go everywhere -regardless of light

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com.

On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:13:43 -0000, Janet wrote:

In article ,
says...

"Jake" wrote in message ...


Thinking laterally - a neighbour had a clematis montana growing on the
front of his house (picture 2-storey house with protruding
porch/single storey garage attached on the side). He kept it pruned
beautifully. But what he didn't realise was what was happening in the
background. It had sent roots through soffit vents. The first he knew
was when the light in his downstairs loo (in the porch bit) wouldn't
work. Upshot was the soffits and fascias were removed, along with a
lot of his porch roof tiles, to hack out the maze of growth between
the ceilings and the roof. We're talking pitch black and something out
of Day of the Triffids! Those roots grew in the dark and filled a few
cubic metres of roof space, probably in about 3-4 years. Would ivy do
the same?

clematis roots in the roof space? Surely you mean shoots/stems?
We had a similar event when my husband opened a first floor fitted
wardrobe and found a clematis tendril reaching for him; it had grown
through the loft space, then through the back of the wardrobe.

Doubt it - ivy does not do aerial roots -

Back to front. Ivy has aerial roots (that's how it sticks to
bricks/houses); clematis doesn't.

About 50 years ago we lived in a 400-year old house whose front was
completely covered in ivy, top to bottom; it was clipped
every year so that windows weren't obscured and to keep it out of
gutters etc. Some years back I went past and it had all been stripped
off; but the house is still standing and the brick in good condition.

Janet

I removed 22 bags of ivy from a free standing yard wall and the damage to
the Victorian bricks was considerable, It may be that the softer lime
mortar fed the roots or was more easily damaged. There were no roots in the
ground, only in the wall itself.
Now that same wall is cracking due to my neighbour's ivy so there will be
words.

--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
www.jimscott.co.uk

"Jim S" wrote in message ...
I removed 22 bags of ivy from a free standing yard wall and the damage to
the Victorian bricks was considerable, It may be that the softer lime
mortar fed the roots or was more easily damaged. There were no roots in the
ground, only in the wall itself.
Now that same wall is cracking due to my neighbour's ivy so there will be
words.

--
Regardless of the technicalities of the wretched stuff - I think the answer
must still be --
Yes - Ivy can damage walls.
If you are lucky and/or carefull - it might not (:-)

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

In article ,
says...
I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...


Your wife is not alone! we no longer sell it because its bad rep means we
never got to sell any. That said on sound brickwork with good pointing
its fine, but, and its an important but, never let it get anywhere close
to the gutter or roof as it will get under slates and tiles destroy
roofing felt and block gutters and down pipes. also keep an eye on it
that it has not started to go somewhere you didn't want it as over time
they can spread far beyond where you originaly wanted it.
My house is mostly Cob so it would be very stupind putting ivy on a mud
house so I don't
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
I planted an ivy the year before last against a house wall,
and it is not about 3 metres high.
It has a trellis up to about 2.5 metres,
but now it is growing above this.

My wife wants to cut it back because she thinks it will damage the house,
but I think that is a myth ...


Your wife is not alone! we no longer sell it because its bad rep means we
never got to sell any. That said on sound brickwork with good pointing
its fine, but, and its an important but, never let it get anywhere close
to the gutter or roof as it will get under slates and tiles destroy
roofing felt and block gutters and down pipes. also keep an eye on it
that it has not started to go somewhere you didn't want it as over time
they can spread far beyond where you originaly wanted it.
My house is mostly Cob so it would be very stupind putting ivy on a mud
house so I don't
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

:-((

Ivy all over one corner of the Theatre.

Photos were taken when we had just got the keys :-)) .

http://www.myalbum.com/Album-XDFS7KS...-of-Other.html

Mike

--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

The other point about ivy is that after a few years it becomes very vigorous. I had both ivy and boston ivy on the back of our house, and very good it looked. I was keeping both to about first floor window level - there's no way I was letting either get near our slate roof. But it became increasingly difficult to do this - growth of both was about 12 ft a year. So I got rid of both. Yours is still a youngster.

Walls and pointing are still in perfect condition.

Ivy doesn't break up sound brick or concrete. But the fine shoots will get into small cracks, and then of course get larger over the years, and that's what causes the problems.