Fit wire supports for climbing plants to a rendered exterior wall

Plan spacing, drill safely into solid masonry through render, then fit and tension wire supports for climbing plants.

CP-01Plan the wire layoutDecide where the wires need to run based on the plant. Twining climbers like most horizontal wires spaced 300-450mm apart; others need a simple support to tie into as they grow. Mark the top and bottom wire heights on the wall with a pencil, keeping the lowest wire at least 150mm above ground level and clear of any airbrick or weep hole.

1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Pencil

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CP-02Gather your tools and materialsYou'll need a hammer drill, masonry bits, vine eyes and matching wall plugs, galvanised wire, and straining bolts for the ends of long runs. Buy a few spare plugs and eyes in case the render or brick behind crumbles slightly on the first attempt.

1 each · Hammer drill

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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1 pack · Screw-in vine eyes (pack of 10)

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1 pack · Heavy-duty masonry wall plugs (pack of 10)

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1 coil · Galvanised wire, 2mm x 20m coil

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1 pack · Straining bolts (pack of 2)

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CP-03Check for pipes and cables before you mark upExterior walls often hide cables for outside lights or sockets, and pipework for an outside tap, so run a detector along your marked lines before drilling. Detectors can still miss things, especially through thick render, so treat every point as live until you've drilled a shallow test hole and checked what comes out. Find your stopcock now (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt about what's behind a mark, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling near it.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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1 each · Spirit level

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CP-04Mark and space your fixing pointsUsing a spirit level, mark each fixing point along your planned wire lines. Space intermediate vine eyes every 1.5-2m along a run so the wire doesn't sag once plants are heavy, and put a proper straining eye or bolt at each end for tensioning.

CP-05Drill through the render into solid masonryStart on a slow speed with no hammer action to get through the render skin cleanly, since render can crack or blow out if you hit it hard from the start. Once you feel the drill bite into brick or block behind, switch to hammer action and drill to full depth. Render is typically 10-20mm thick, so drill deep enough that the plug still gets 30-40mm of grip in the solid masonry behind it, not just in the render.

CP-06Fit the wall plugsPush each wall plug in until it's flush with the masonry face behind the render, not just sitting in the render layer. Tap gently with a hammer if needed, but stop if the render around the hole starts to crumble.

CP-07Screw in the vine eyes and straining boltsScrew each vine eye into its plug until it's tight and sitting flush, turning the eye so its opening faces along the direction the wire will run. Fit straining bolts or turnbuckles at the end points of each run, as these let you tension the wire later without over-tightening a plain eye.

CP-08Thread and tension the wireFeed the galvanised wire through each eye along the run, securing one end firmly around the eye or through a loop. Pull the wire taut by hand at the other end, then use the straining bolt to tension it properly. Twist off any excess wire with pliers and tuck the cut end back so it doesn't snag skin or clothing.

1 each · Pliers or wire cutters

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CP-09Repair any render damage and tidy upFill any small chips or cracks around the fixing points with an exterior filler and smooth flush once cured. Sweep up drilling dust and debris, and check every fixing is tight and the wire is evenly tensioned along its length before you plant anything.

1 tube · Exterior masonry filler

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1 each · Dustpan and brush

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