To the horror of all the local residents who had coveted the property, the buyers immediately removed its best feature to reveal an unrelenting drab grey exterior. It is good to get vines away from the house structure, for they not only damage the walls but also create an environment for mold and mildew. This can lead to climbing vine damage to shingles and siding. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Modern materials have built-in waterproof characteristics, and if the plant is cut back at windows and gutters it is unlikely to cause problems. Ivy is ideal for all-year coverage, but don't forget that once it has covered the eyesore it will carry on growing. Houses built with handmade stock bricks covered in trailing clematis blossom have a distinct advantage, but even the most drab 1960s-built aesthetic disaster can look chocolate-box if adorned with the right plant life. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. A friend told me to push them in near the parent and they would almost certainly take. Modern mortar is a bit stronger, but if your brick has any damage a self-climbing vine may not be right for you. If you needed to remove it to inspect or repair the brick, pulling the ivy could actually damage the mortar. On older properties these twiners and ramblers will cause fewer problems; they need wire or trellis for support and are relatively separate from the building. Lv 4. Native to California, California grape (Vitis californica "Russian River") is a striking vine that thrives in Mediterranean-type climates. Any house can get a pick-up in spring and summer with window boxes, hanging baskets and pots. I have written to the Leaseholder to point out that the vine will a) damage the brickwork, and b) requested that the vine be kept trimmed to below the first floor window height, but get no response. But make sure the structure is firmly fixed: a heavily covered trellis crashing to the ground is like a dozen tangled fishing nets. The long star-like leaves turn from green to stunning reds and purples at the time most buildings are starting to fade into the background. Nothing is quite as picturesque as a house covered in English ivy. A Ivy destroys houses, and should not be allowed to grow anywhere near one. It can also lead to insect infestations. Native to California, California grape (Vitis californica "Russian River") is a striking vine that thrives in Mediterranean-type climates. THE MOST spectacular house in my road came up for sale last year. As one horticulturist put it: "You plant it and run for cover!". Vines can slip beneath spaces in between siding and shingles and ultimately pull them away from the home. So I guess the correct answer is you want to be sure you want it on there because even if you have great brick it will never look nice again once Ivy has grown up on it … Damage limitation? The vine had grown up the chimney and was growing inside the chimney, not a good situation. It is a cause for concern owing to its rapid pace of growth and worries about potential damage to the support structure. Steer clear of creepers in town gardens, but climbers are ideal for colour and variety. Lack of watering is one of the most common mistakes gardeners make with wisteria. The best way to grow vines up a home is to grow them not directly on the home itself but on a support set about 6-8 inches out from the home’s siding. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The well-known house wall damager ivy climbs by growing little roots into the wall joints, russian vine will not do this. You’ll also need to frequently train and trim these vines even though they’re growing on supports. The bricks will be unsightly if the vine is removed and you will need to use a wire brush or a small sander to clean the surface. Although well-built masonry can tolerate the growth of ivy, weakened brick walls with crumbling mortar or loose bricks give ivy roots an opportunity to invade crevices. Ivy is a woody stemmed, self-clinging climber that can grow quickly to cover fences, walls and buildings. Ideally, the vine should be pruned and the roots trimmed the autumn before transplantation in early spring. Choose a well behaved vine suitable for the location (you didn't give us info on sun/shade/moist/dry, etc.). It is a rambling flat-fronted detached Victorian building covered with a carefully trained ancient wistaria, which in summer drapes the frontage with delicate lilac lanterns. Will wisteria damage the foundations of your house? Whether growing by twining tendrils or sticky aerial roots, any vine will take advantage of small cracks or crevices to anchor themselves to the surface they are growing on. Sign up for our newsletter. It will grow like fury, can reach the roof of a two storey house in one season, making its way up anything in reach such as drainpipes and aerial wires, around which it will wrap its stems. ... its roots won't damage the foundations. Keep it trimmed away from window frames and the roof eaves. If you’ve considered having vines growing on siding, continue reading to learn about possible damage vines can do and what you can do to prevent it. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. I regularly cut mine back when I see it taking off in a direction not of my choosing and the flowers still keep coming. Use the vine to hide unsightly fences structures or landscape features. Ivy is appreciated as an evergreen climbing plant and especially for its capacity to fully cover any wall or facade, but it can also be trained to cover defined spaces on a facade. Most vines grow up surfaces either by sticky aerial roots or twining tendrils. Keep them cut back away from any gutters and shingles. A Russian Vine, unlike ivy, does not draw its nourishment from the tree. And, although it won't increase the value, it will certainly attract attention and may even clinch a sale out of season. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. The rootlets that allow it to cling to vertical surfaces may damage the mortar between bricks. In my outbuilding, it forced its way into cracks and did cause some damage. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Vines with twining tendrils can be damaging to gutters, roofs and windows, as their small young tendrils will wrap around anything they can; but then as these tendrils age and grow bigger, they can actually distort and warp weak surfaces. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Most notorious is the "mile-a-minute" Russian vine, sometimes sold to unsuspecting householders as polygonum baldschuanicum. ... its roots won't damage the foundations. It was also once believed that vines grown on walls could damage them through excessive humidity and it does seem logical that a wall covered in foliage would remain more humid than a wall exposed to the sun. Even if you are unable to spray the vine roots, cutting them will prevent damage. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Its growing rate is between 10 and 20ft a year. Native to California, California grape (Vitis californica "Russian River") is a striking vine that thrives in Mediterranean-type climates. IF YOUR MORTAR IS IN GOOD SHAPE, most self clinging vines will not damage the brick. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Moisture can then find its way into the wall and freeze-thaw action or other moisture related events can occur resulting in damage. Jasmine and winter honeysuckle have gorgeous scents. But do climbing plants damage structures? 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Yes, it does look pretty and it won't damage it fast, but over time it will damage your brick. But all these need annual pruning, not least to encourage blooms. The biggest question is how do vines damage siding or shingles. Hedera may thus be translated as "the clinging (plant)". Incongruous extensions are enhanced as the brickwork mellows under a facade of greenery. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. The best thing to do is to call in an expert such as NEVER PAINT AGAIN who can professionally repair plant-damaged exterior walls, to British standards, and then apply a weatherproof protective external wall coating which will damp proof the house, restore any damage and make the exterior walls maintenance free. And if the structure is covered with ivy or vines, you may not notice it. Incongruous extensions are enhanced as the brickwork mellows under a facade of greenery. However, it turns out climbing plants actually protect against excessive humidity by keeping rain off the wall to start with. Be sure to place any vine support at least 6-8 inches away from the home for proper air circulation. I keep getting conflicting advice as to whether it would cause any damage. Wistaria takes five to seven years to produce its spectacular flowers. This growth on brick can potentially damage it by forcing root tendrils into the mortar joints. The Russian Vine, in common with some other vigorous, climbing plants, can cause damage to structures. How to have wall damage cured after removing invasive climbing plants. The vine doesn’t care if it grows over your car, or over your swimming pool, but most importantly, it doesn’t care if it grows under your home. However, certain vines can damage building materials and necessary elements of homes. That ivy covered masonry of old was actually damaging. To answer this question, you need to understand the consequences of leaving or removing plant growth. I had no idea! By themselves, vines don’t really damage well built masonry, other than leaving tendrils that can be hard to clean off. Discover more about the potential risks in this short video guide from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine. Incongruous extensions are enhanced as the brickwork mellows under a facade of greenery. Plastic drainpipes, stack pipes and tanks will need netting or trellis even for self-clingers. Does Russian vine damage brickwork? Read more articles about Ornamental Vines General Care. I have rooted many cutting using the culled pieces. I'd suggest you monitor it every winter when leaves are gone....look closely at what rootlets are doing to brick and mortar. The ivy shoots grow away from sunlight, and tend to climb inside any crack or crevice in the wall, which can then cause structural damage as the shoots grow thick. The genus name Hedera is the Classical Latin word for ivy, which is cognate with Ancient Greek χανδάνω (khandánō) "to get, grasp", both deriving ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- "to seize, grasp, take". Later in the year, winter jasmine produces masses of white or yellow flowers. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. If you are dealing with vines growing on a brick house, there are some things you should know. The Building Research Establishment booklet "Bird, Bee and Plant Damage to Buildings" reports: "Those concerned with the preservation of ancient buildings and churches are unanimous in the view that ivy should not be allowed to grow on walls. You can use trellises, lattice, metal grids or mesh, strong wires or even string. This moisture can lead to mold, mildew and rot on the home itself. How do you trim a Mile a Minute Vine(Russian Vine or Silver Fleece Vine)? As for specifically harming your brick, I don't think it will cause any harm. Ivy (English Ivy) General Information. Tie up loose branches on moving day, then dig the wisteria, cutting a wide swath around the shrub to minimize root damage. No it does not. The little roots are likely to penetrate into the mortar and push it apart. Another concern about growing vines on siding is that they create moisture between the plant and home. The best way to protect your historic building is to prevent the problem from the start by keeping thriving vines where they belong – in your garden. The short answer is no and yes. I wouldn't let it grow on the wall. There is no good reason why a tree surgeon should not be able to cut back the Russian Vine with minimal if any damage … Are you sure you want to delete this comment? However, ivy also sheds rainwater and reduces the Cut or tie back any stray tendrils that may be reaching for the home’s siding and, of course, also cut or tie back any that are growing out wildly away from the support. Uh-oh: Russian vine. Do you just cut it to the ground ? Jasmine flowers intermittently in summer and autumn, and planted with the winter variety you'll have colour even in the snow. Use the vine to hide unsightly fences structures or landscape features. You must choose the right plant. The trick is to get the balance right. Ivy self-climbs and inserts its roots into any crack or crevasse. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Personally I'd find something different to disguise the ugly pipes - put up trellising in front or around them and grow something you know wont wreak the wall given half a chance. 0 0. anash. It must be one, if not the most accomodating climbing plant in the garden. Newer houses most need the camouflage, and fortunately they cope far better with self-clingers such as ivy, creepers or climbing hydrangeas. But in autumn, a house covered with flaming red Virginia creeper takes some beating. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Virginia creeper and Boston ivy are rampant climbers, responsible for probably the most dramatic transformations. A frame of blossom round your front door may annoy you, but early January visitors will love it. I don't think it is capable of actually damaging a tree, but when it spreads widely it looks unsightly. Fallopia baldschuanica, aka Russian vine, aka mile-a-minute, is a devil of a climber. Often masonry will require repointing, and wooden elements may need repair or consolidation. It can and probably will damage the brick over time. This can lead to climbing vine damage to shingles and siding. Considerable patience will be needed not to sacrifice the lot. As expected, it sold in no time. AB, by email. ", Read our full mailing list consent terms here. Russian vine is a TWINING climber, like clematis. Although wisteria is remarkably adaptable, it does best in a fertile, moist soil environment. Vines with sticky aerial roots can damage stucco, paint and already weakened brick or masonry. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. If the damage is severe, replacement may be warranted. Also, its roots won't damage the foundations. Sun/Shade/Moist/Dry, etc. ) in summer and autumn, and more building preservation and rip them all down trap., most self clinging vines will not do this about growing vines on siding is that they moisture. Most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, if. Mold, mildew and rot on the home keep them cut back at windows and gutters it is unlikely cause. 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