brown wall plug - how to fix 15kg onto plaster/brick

[nicky1000]

I have a 15 kilo piece of art made up of reclaimed wood which i'd like to hang above my bed's headboard (i may never sleep again after this!)

The wall is an exterior wall of our 1950s semi and is plaster and then brick.

I usually use a couple brown rawl plugs to hold heavy-ish items. However, the chain on the back of the piece is quite narrow. Would 1 rawl plug be enough? Actually, no need to answer that - no way am i going to hang it with a single fixing.

If I were to use 2, how could I ensure each one went into a different brick? Or what is the minimum distance they should be apart?

Are there any other recommended fixings - should i go scout out for some big blue rawl plugs - or some bolts?

I cannot find any 'best practice' for approximate load weights that each wall/rawl plug can take. That would be kinda handy - although i accept it depends on the strength of the wall brick.

thanks for any advice!

 

[Diyisfun]

Depends on the size of what you hanging. eg If its 2ft x 2 ft you could fix to screws at say 10" centres. Thers lots of ways to give multiple fixings. Its not just the weight

 

[nicky1000]

thanks - the force is strong within you - it is 2 1/2 ft square.
There are 2 screws on the back with a 9" chain - which i would like to use to hang it. Or, I could put a couple new screws further apart.

should i go for 2 brown rawl plugs then?

 

[Scrit]

Companies like Fischer do give pull-out and support weights for their plugs, although their stuff is superior to the cheap brown plugs. I seem to recall that two #10 x 2-1/2in screws in Fischer S8 plugs into goo quality brickwork (not mortar, BTW) will support 250kg or so - in the past when I've been out hanging light box signs we used to hand 150kg light boxes on two screws like that - before popping in the next dozen or so screws (I wasn't keen on having one drop on a punter's head and brain him). Personally I'd think in terms of attaching a cleat to the back of the art piece if possible and then attaching another cleat to the wall with at least three screws in it (then you have some redundancy) - but then I've never been one to be woken up by being brained when a piece of art work falls off the wall!

Scrit

 

[nicky1000]

thanks - found the fischer Fixing Guide document
http://www.fischer.co.uk/befestigung/duebelfinder/pdf/duebelfinder.pdf

I will try with 2 plugs. As long as they are rated at double or triple my requirement thats fine. I suppose i'm not used to understanding that the effective strength of the bricks will be increased by the weight of the house pushing on them.

I will be sure to drill them in as far as possible and to test them - i usually hang my tool box off each of the screws for a day!

 

[big-all]

what sort of chain is it and what sort/size of screws have you used to secure the chain to the peice!!!!!

i would suggest this is likly to be the weakest link in the chain [sorry pun intended ]

can you not double up on the chain with say one length of chain attached at say 12" down one side and 9" the other side and the second chain the opposite way round
then if you have the wall screws about 3 or 4 inches appart with a different chain on each one
this way if any element fails it won't come crashing down

 

[wanabechippie]

I would have thought that as the majority of the load would be applied 90deg to the fixing, then it would be the actual screw that would be likely to fail and not the plug (provided it was a good quality plug)?

I've used Brown rawl plugs for pretty much all my wall hanging tasks. Got a whole set of heavy arsed bookshelves held up by them with no signs of weakness.

I'd say a couple of brown plugs would do just fine for holding 15kg at 90dgerees. If you are at all unsure of it tho, you could use a couple of those metal wall bolts (name escapes me - through bolts??). Bit overkill IMHO but it's your piece of mind.

 

[FredFlintstone]

Why not just use a nice long frame fixing?

Problem with a standard wall plug is it may not actually fix into the brick, it may only go into the plaster, falling short of, or only just penetrating the brickwork.

A frame fixing (as in door / window frame BTW) with plug will hold it up there forever.

 

[wanabechippie]

Problem with a standard wall plug is it may not actually fix into the brick, it may only go into the plaster, falling short of, or only just penetrating the brickwork.

That's why you should always tap the plugs below the surface of the plaster and flush with the brick.

 

[nicky1000]

That's why you should always tap the plugs below the surface of the plaster and flush with the brick.

you'd think: 1) the plugs would be sold with instructions.
2) the screws would be long enough to do this! I always use longer screws than those supplied with plugs just because of this!

 

[Scrit]

That's why you should always tap the plugs below the surface of the plaster and flush with the brick.

you'd think: 1) the plugs would be sold with instructions.
2) the screws would be long enough to do this! I always use longer screws than those supplied with plugs just because of this!

If you buy a quality plug then the information, such as pukll-out figures, etc is available either as fact sheets or on a web site. This is one of the reasons architects and building engineers specify Fischer, Spit, Hilti, Rawl, etc fastenings rather than no-name "brown plugs"

Using longer screws is always a good idea where there can be any possibility of the load being levered out from the wall -= over length screws tend to wedge themselves in the hole and impede complete pull-out

Scrit

 

[FredFlintstone]

That's why you should always tap the plugs below the surface of the plaster and flush with the brick.

Ah yes, but how many people actually do? Not many I'd guess.

I've been using those UNO universal plugs recently. One plug for all backings. They work a treat and save having to have several different types of plug.

Regards

Fred.

 

[JohnD]

Ah yes, but how many people actually do? Not many I'd guess.

me for one