Attaching a sign to a crumbly wall?

[gidon]

Hi all
I spent a frustrating hour trying to attach an A1 sign to the outside of my shop. It's an old building and as I tightened the screws the rawl plugs were coming out with chunks of wall!
It's not particuarly heavy - it's an A1 alu snap frame.
I could put wooden battens up to attach the board but would still have to attach the battens and the sign would then stand proud up to 1" which I don't want. Just after a simple fixing I can use or any tips?
Many thanks
Gidon

 

[StevieB]

Resin and studding - get some two part resin and inject into the hole with a cartridge gun, push in threaded studding and leave to set. If you do not want to go with nuts and studs I guess you could screw into the resin just as it hardens but you will never get the screw out again and would need to grind/file the head off if you wanted to take down the sign.

get the resin from any good builders merchants or screwfix. Probably not in B&Q

Steve

 

[studders]

A bit like the Resin method above, but without the Resin. :lol:
Got any No Nails?
Drill Hole, squirt in some No Nails and insert Rawlplug. Leave for about half an hour then fit sign but don't fully tighten screws. Leave for an hour then tighten screws.
A bit of faffing about I know but it does work on crap walls.

 

[gidon]

Thanks.
Steve with the resin stuff - could I not let it set (in oversize holes) and then drill it for the rawl plugs as if it was dense solid brickwork? I need to be able to remove the sign.
Studders guess same question - will the no nails set hard enough to do the same thing?
Cheers
Gidon

 

[RogerS]

Whichver solution, if you have a compressor then blow out the dust from the holes. Or the outer part of a bic

 

[MickCheese]

I would go with the 'No Nails'.

You could actually just stick the sign to the wall with the 'No Nails' and do away with the fixings altogether.

Will look a bit of a mess when you come to take it down though!

Mick

 

[Hitch]

Resin is the way forward for decent fixes in rubbish substrates.

Just resin in some m6/m8 studding.
I dont know about the wall plug into resin, i guess it would work, providing the expansion from the plug doesn't split the resin 'plug'

 

[studders]

will the no nails set hard enough to do the same thing?
Cheers
Gidon

I suppose it might eventually but it may take some time to do so. By filling the hole with No Nails and pushing the Rawlplug in while it's not set surely does away with the need to Drill twice though?

 

[wizer]

By filling the hole with No Nails and pushing the Rawlplug in while it's not set surely does away with the need to Drill twice though?

I've done this with success. You need to have the screw in the rawlplug. But take it out just as it starts to set (about half an hour). then leave it for a day and put the sign up. Job dun

 

[johnf]

Did you try longer screws or maybe frame fixings

 

[chipchaser]

You could set threaded sleeves into resin and when set put your sign up. The sleeves are available from Rawl and, IIRC, Fischer in metric sizes For unstable masonry and similar you can also use a mesh outer sleeve to line the hole before you inject the resin. I don't know quite how it works but some manufacturers recommend them.

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=150956

Graham

 

[gidon]

Great thanks for all the suggestions.
I'm a bit reluctant to drill too deep for frame fixings etc.
The reason I was asking about drilling the resin / no nails is because I want to be able to take the sign down.
I think I'll try the rawl plugs in no nails first. It's only a light frame - need to attach it with smallish screws so can't go the studding route without modifying the frame.
Thanks again,
Gidon