Best fixings for Breeze Block (or at least that’s what I call it)

[disney01]

Hi
I am looking at lining and insulating a garage wall using wooden battens and plywood.
my walls are what I have always known as breeze block, but when I search for this they look nothing like what I have. Photo attached.
what is the best fixing for attaching the battens, scree fix concrete screws seem popular.
thanks for any help provided.
ian

 

[Spectric]

The question is are they hollow or solid? With that finish I would guess they are not thermalite but a general breeze block. To fix use good nylon plugs and decent screws. I know a lot of younger guys now go for the concrete screws but I am still more traditional and old school Also use treated timber.

Some of the best plugs I have used are made by Fischer, Universal plug UX - fischer fixings

and screws either Reisser or Timco .

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi Ian, If it was me I would use Rawlplugs, I prefer the actual real ones brown but probably blue, avoiding the mortar lines, I sometimes drill the holes a bit deeper and tap the plug beneath the surface of the breeze blocks - I call them that as well, and I remember the original ones that had broken glass in them. Ian

 

[TheTiddles]

Plastic plugs would work, concrete screws are faster but more expensive. If you’re planning on hanging things on the wall afterwards, either accommodate that in your calculations or go through the sheets and battens into the concrete.

 

[Sandyn]

Breeze block can be a problem to drill when you hit a really hard stone in the concrete mix, I really like DeWalt Extreme in a large hammer drill.

I don't use SDS for drilling Breeze blocks. I find they are too destructive. if you hit lean parts of the block. I like plastic plugs.
I think the key is to choose the correct size of plug for what you are doing. Drill the right size hole for the plug and use the correct screw for the plug.

 

[mikej460]

I suspect these are concrete blocks, breeze (or cinder blocks) used to be used for internal walls and have been replaced by thermalite or stud walls. Try a test hole, somewhere inconspicuous with a small masonry drill. If the going is hard then it's concrete, if it drills really easily its breeze and it may even crumble a bit. If they are concrete blocks switch to a correctly sized SDS bit and quality rawl plugs like Fisher from Screwfix.

 

[disney01]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful suggestions.
The bricks are very easy to drill into and do tend to crumble.
its an external wall but the house is about 20 years old.
I think will try the Fischer plugs and see how I get on from there.
Thanks again
Ian

 

[Lons]

Looking at your pics and the age of your build they will almost certainly be standard concrete blocks most likely 3.5n density but could be 7n, they are often confusingly called cinder or breeze blocks due to ash material content but we would always order in the trade as concrete 3.5 or 7n density. That's what mine are and I have absolutely no problem either drilling or fixing and in your case you can use ordinary plugs but I would just use suitable length hammer fixings 8 x 80 or 8 x 100 or screw in fixings depending on the thickness of your battens, pre-drill the batten with 8 or 9mm holes then drill straight through with a masonary drill and knock in the hammer fixing, accurate, quick, dead simple and solid as a rock. If the conc blocks are hollow then try to drill within 30 mm of a vertical joint which will be solid.
I've done this so many times I've lost count including my own property but during 18 years as a builder I've also handled thousands of these blocks. An sds can be used carefully but wouldn't be necessary if you have a decent masonary bit.

I can only offer my opinion based on my personal and professional experience so no arguments from me to anyone who disagrees btw.

 

[thetyreman]

+1 for fischer plugs, they are superb.

 

[starlingwood]

Hi
I am looking at lining and insulating a garage wall using wooden battens and plywood.
my walls are what I have always known as breeze block, but when I search for this they look nothing like what I have. Photo attached.
what is the best fixing for attaching the battens, scree fix concrete screws seem popular.
thanks for any help provided.
ianView attachment 106163

Hammerfix is what you're after.

 

[HappyHacker]

Plus one for Fischer plugs. While working on one house I was trying to recess double socket boxes in a block wall and when using a chisel and hammer I just knocked a large hole in it. Drilling produce more large holes as any pressure caused the drill to go straight in and the chuck would knock a large hole. I have never come across such horrible blocks before or since. I produced lots of work for the plasterer.

 

[skeetstar]

Depending on what the battens will be used for.. if I get a crumbling of the material, which renders the hole too big or irregularly shaped, in the past I've filled the hole with polyfiller and set the plug in that, wait for it to dry before inserting the screw. Its always seemed to work though I've never trusted it if the fixing was going to have to take a lot of weight.

 

[skeetstar]

Ps, another vote for Fischer-Dieskau, they do some marvellous products for different types of material.

 

[owen]

As far as drill bits go, the blue bosch multi construction bits in a cordless combi would be perfect for this.

 

[PhilTilson]

Am I the only one that thinks this sounds a very expensive way of dry-lining a garage?! Plywood? Unless you are planning on using 6mm ply, it's going to cost a fortune. I assume you are doing this mainly for insulation and appearance. In which case, why not use PU-backed plasterboard? It's reasonably priced, will give you much better insulation than ply on battens and is dead easy to fix using dot and dab. Helluva lot quicker, too!

 

[disney01]

Just a quick update.
I went with the Fischer plugs and all the battens are now securely held in place, ready for the plywood to be attached (next weekend).
I am using the battens and plywood as it they were free from my brother in law, he had it going spare.
The blocks crumbled a little to start but then drilled well and the plugs are holding really well.
Thanks everyone for your help, it is much appreciated.
Ian

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you're working in crumbly stuff you can wash the dust out (literally) then stick the plastic plugs in with No More Nails or similar. Leave them overnight and they'll be solid.