Expanding bolts

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Has anyone got any tips on how to fit expanding bolts into brickwork please?

Should the hole be drilled into the mortar joint if possible?

Any tips appreciated.
 
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I suppose that would be the best, if the brickwork is visible, and is a feature, over zealous tightening could split a brick.

Wotan
 
We come across this problem all the time in heritage work. Whilist the strongest fixing would most likely be into the brick we as a norm have to fix to the joints. Reason being that anything fixed to a wll is likely to be removed at some point leaving ugly holes which would necessate the removal and replacement of the brick or stone. A hole in a joint is easy to repair.
What are you planning to fix to the wall and does it have to be fixed with expanding bolts?
 
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Then to be honest I wouldn't use expanding bolts. Screw and plug the ledger with a few screws into the joints to locate it and then I'd drop a few legs down to support it.
 
I wouldn't use the joints.

Expanding bolts are usually used where something has to carry a lot of load. It'll be too easy to crack the mortar, push it aside or have vibrations from people walking over the deck gradually loosen it as the mix around it wears away.

Ladylola's suggestion is good. To have legs carry the vertical load if possible and use the fixings to pin it horizontally, where the load is significantly lower. Using legs will also make it more sturdy if it's a particularly big bit of decking.

You can CERTAINLY pop bricks with expanding bolts, so you'd want the holes right on the centres if possible and don't go crazy with the wrench. An average guy with an average wrench can burst a brick with a really good final turn; don't turn them until you can't physically go any further. Socket sets will only make it easier to pop bricks.

Another possibility would be to use chemical anchors, like an epoxy based mortar kit.

Try to make the most of what's around the deck. If you can, wedge it between two walls or extend it a little to have one along the side, so it can have the load on each fixing spread out better.
 
I've tried again this morning to fix the ledger board using expansion bolts, I got into a terrible mess. I have 6 bolts to fix into the wall; 2 kept turning, 2 wouldn't go all the way home and 2 held it good.

I am going to pin it as Ladylola says, and then dig holes and cement a couple of posts to stop it coming away from the wall, I will also fix a couple of legs.

Screw and plug the ledger board - as in large screws and raw plugs?

Thank you for your help.
 
if you are using Plasplugs in a wall, and they are loose, or they hit crumbly mortar, really good tip is to put the nozzle of a no-more-nails or similar into the hole, and fill it from the back with no air gap. The fresh adhesive is soft enough that you can push a plasplug deep into the hole, and when it has set, the plug will be held firm for you to screw into, and it will not come loose or pull out.

You have to make sure the hole is drilled deep enough and wide enough first. If some of your bolts won't go in they might have pushed dust and grit into a blockage. The nomorenails will take up any slack.

I imagine the same method would work with expanding bolts, you just want them to stay still while you tighten them. As it is outdoors use an exteror grade. It has a bit of give in it, which might reduce the risk of cracking.

Clean all dust out of the hole first (I prefer to squirt water to wash it out, e.g. from a plastic bottle)
 
The ones that wouldn't go all the way, pull them out and drill it deeper.

The other two, take those out and tighten them up a little out of the wall, then tap them in with a hammer, gently, until they'll bite.

If they're not fixing properly, don't let them stay in the holes. It's only doing a number on yourself when the deck starts sliding and wobbling not long after.

Look at it this way, you haven't burst any bricks yet (I think), so you're doing well. It just needs a bit more tweaking.

I've used solvent based glues for wall plugs before as well. I got REALLY annoyed finding sockets and backer boxes around the house that were close to falling out the walls (quite a few of them were just sticks of wood buried in the wall with one very loose screw involved, it's an old house; before backer boxes). For things I know aren't going to be touched for the next few decades and that will need to be solid, I'll squirt glue into the holes for the plugs, then a squiggly line on the back of the box and then use as many screws as I can to fix it - e.g. things like the grid switches in the garage stick out of the walls and are likely going to take abuse from things knocking them.

There is a very fine line here.

Calling it "no more nails" was a mistake, as there is almost nothing that doesn't require at least a few nails to tack it in place, even if it's decorative trim.

But then, Hilti themselves do chemical anchor kits that rely on a similar principle. So it requires thought about the direction of the loads and what you expect the fixing / chemical to do.

It should really be "glue to help screws". Toolstation's own brand is "glue screws", that works well and is cheaper than the big brand names.

One of my mum's friends (another teacher at her school) recently moved into a newer house and found the ENTIRE toilet & cistern had been fixed with no more nails. Seriously. Not a SINGLE nail, screw or bolt fixing it to the wall. Yeah... the stuff's handy, but damn, an entire toilet! :eek: His wife was about to have a baby as well.

I would say you'd need to be careful with the glue idea and fixing a deck though, as those fixings are there to carry a fair load and the thing it's attached to is reasonably expensive / time consuming (it's not a bit of trim). The glue should be an addition to the plug / bolt, but it should tighten properly as well, whilst the glue is wet. The glue should only be there to fill the gaps the plug doesn't.

{edit} I'd like to a glue shoot out on those cartridges. There are so many versions on the same base and quite big price differences, so I'm thinking it'd be interesting to buy a few different ones then do standardized tests side by side.
 

I've finally managed to fix the ledger board. I found some 'frame fixings', they are like a long raw plug that are secured in the ledger and the wall. I also had some old slabs that I have built up under the ledger at both ends, which fit tightly under the ledger.

Problem with the frame fixings is they need a massive pozi screwdriver which I had to order, so I will drive the screws home tomorrow, but I can feel the screws are going to be extremely strong.

Thanks for your help.
 
Glad you're happy with it!

There are VERY long plug type screws / bolts available. There are even bolts that will screw themselves into the wall and cut their own taper as they go. Double glazing guys use those big plug (anchors) a lot. Toolstation have a massive selection if you grab a catalog (highly recommended, LOADS of good stuff in it).

I've been tiling / caulking the kitchen since yesterday, didn't go to bed, and have totally lost track of time. It wasn't till I saw that I remembered, yikes that's been a while.

There are quite a few deck videos knocking around. I remember seeing one in particular which was basically an A to B guide for it and high quality as well, and free.
 
Problem with the frame fixings is they need a massive pozi screwdriver which I had to order....
Have a look at Coach Screws, which are screws with a hex head that you tighten with a spanner. You can recess the heads if you want, but they can go very tight so you might want to put a thick galvanised washer under the head to avoid crushing the timber.
 

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