What is a Parapet wall

A parapet wall is a short wall built along the edge of a terrace, roof, balcony, walkway, passage, etc.

That is to say,

The parapet wall is the vertical part of the wall that sticks out over the edge of the roof, balcony, terrace, or walkway to make a barrier.

What is Parapet Wall Coping 

Wall coping is the protective cap or cover that goes on top of a wall. It is usually slanted or curved to keep water from getting into the wall from above. A coping system is needed if the top of a wall is not already protected by another part of the building.

The building code says that the parapet walls on roofs must have coped. Even if it’s not needed, coping is good for other walls, like exterior walls that stand alone. This is especially true in places where it freezes a lot in the winter.

The International Building Code says that a roof’s parapet walls must be “properly coped with noncombustible, weatherproof materials that are at least as wide as the thickness of the parapet wall.”
“Wall cap,” “wall cover,” “coping cover,” and “coping cap” are some other names for coping. When the top of the base flashing on a wall is also protected by the coping, this is called “cap flashing.”

Types of  Wall Coping by Material

Brick Parapet Wall Coping

• Attachment Method: Bricks are set in a bed of mortar or a layer of structural adhesive (epoxy), which holds them to the top of the wall.
• Joint Closure Method: Mortar or epoxy is used to fill the gaps between the bricks.
• Standard Profiles: Bullnose, which has one end that is rounded, Double Bullnose, which has both ends that are rounded, Standard (flat ends). All of the bricks are flat on top, but a sloped coping can be made when they are put together.
• Typical Section Length: Most bricks that are used as coping are about 312 inches wide and 9 or 12 inches long. A typical brick in the United States is 3 5/8 inches wide and 8 inches long.

Important Information about Brick Wall Coping

1. Not a good material for the top of a parapet wall. Brick coping has too many joints compared to other types of wall coping, and there is a high risk that shoddy workmanship or poor maintenance will lead to falling bricks!
2.  Brick is usually chosen only for its appearance.
3. Brick coping is usually only found on the inside walls of a roof, that is, on walls that don’t have parapets, like the walls that separate rooftop terraces from the rest of the house.
4. Frequent maintenance inspections are required. Deteriorated mortar must be repaired immediately.

Concrete (Pre-Cast) Wall Coping

• Attachment method: Holes are drilled into the bottom of the coping pieces and the top of the wall. The holes are filled with non-shrink grout or epoxy, and metal dowels or pins are put into the holes at the top of the wall. The coping pieces are then put on top of the dowels that are sticking out. Most dowels go 2 inches into the wall and 2 inches into the coping.
• On the other hand, a masonry strap anchor can be put in at the coping joints and fastened to the top of the wall. A horizontal dowel can be put through the strap to connect the two coping sections.
• Method for Closing Joints: Usually, mortar is used to fill all of the spaces between bricks. Most of the joints will be filled with mortar, but the top part of each joint will be sealed with building sealant.
• Standard profiles include: Bullnose (flat), Double Bullnose (flat), Double-Slant, and Single-Slant (custom profiles available)
• Typical Section Length: 2 to 4 feet (custom lengths available)

Important Information about Concrete Parapet Wall Coping

1. Much cheaper than natural stone, but much more expensive than most of the other types of wall coping listed here.

2. Usually one of the heaviest and thickest types of materials used to cap walls. It is usually only used on solid masonry walls because it is too heavy for many other types of wall construction.

3. Can be made in many different colors by mixing in pigments.

Parapet Walls: Types and Uses

Before we look at the different kinds of parapet walls, we should first understand what they are for and why they are important for the stability of any building.

Different types of parapet walls are based on how they look and what they are used for.

Based on their design or appearance, parapet walls can be put into the following groups:

• Plain Parapet Walls
• Embattled Parapet Walls
• Perforated Parapet Walls
• Panelled Parapet Walls

Following are categories for parapet walls based on their shape and purpose:

• Sloped Parapet Walls
• Stepped Parapet Walls
• Flat Parapet Walls
• Curved Parapet Walls
• Plain Parapet walls

Plain Parapet Walls

The simple parapet walls are essentially a vertical extension of the wall built at the roof’s end. A simple parapet wall is very simple to build and requires little upkeep.

Only the occupants’ safety is ensured by the simple parapet walls. The plain parapet wall is equipped with a corbel below and a concrete coping on the top side.

Plain parapet walls have a very plain appearance and do not enhance the structure’s beauty.

Embattled Parapet Walls

In the past, embattled parapet walls were used in places like forts and palaces. People also call the embattled parapet wall a “castle parapet” because it was used in castles in the past.

This style of parapet wall looks good and is also used to improve the look of buildings today. In this wall, there are both low and high sections. The purpose of such a kind of construction is to help to shoot arrows through it and defend the fort.

Perforated Parapet Walls

Plain parapet walls are the same as walls with holes in them. It is an extension of the wall that goes up from the end of the roof. It has holes in it.

The holes in the wall come in many different shapes and patterns, such as circles, flowers, and geometric shapes. The building has parapet walls with holes in them to make the building look better from the outside.

Panelled Parapet Walls

This kind of wall is the same as a plain parapet wall, but from the outside, it looks different because it has decorative panels. The best thing about the paneled parapet walls is that they are decorated on the outside with a variety of different panel designs.

The walls of the paneled parapet don’t have any holes in them. When compared to other types of parapet walls, paneled parapet walls cost less to build.

Panel parapet walls give the buildings a beautiful, pleasing look.

Sloped Parapet Walls

Sloped parapet walls are usually added to structures with sloped roofs, which are usually built for industrial and trussed buildings, etc.

This parapet wall has a slope that helps water run off when it rains. The main reason buildings have sloped parapet walls is to keep water from getting in through the roof.

Stepped Parapet Walls

It is usually used for buildings with sloped roofs. Stepped parapet walls are built in a way that looks like a staircase. Most of the time, stepped parapet walls are used for decoration, which makes the building look bigger.

Stepped parapet walls give the front of the buildings a nice look. Stepped parapet walls help make your building look better from the outside.

Curved Parapet Walls

Arch parapet walls are another name for curved parapet walls. Most flat and slanted roofs have parapet walls with curved edges.

Curved parapet walls make a building look like it’s bigger than it is. The building looks stylish and nice because the parapet walls are curved.

Parapet Wall Cost

The cost of a parapet wall can range from $70 to $79 per cubic meter, depending on the quality of the bricks and mortar used.