Fixing down soleplates to a single brick course?

[Rob Cheetham]

What are the best ways to secure soleplates down to a single brick course on a concrete base?

I wanted to just screw straight down and fix to the brick but that will pierce the DPC I'm putting between the soleplateand the brick course. Is it really that bad that I may pierce it in places as I'm using treated 2x4 for the soleplates. Also the bricks being used are blue engineering bricks so handle the damp better.

Other than that I've heard off builders band. How is this exactly fixed. Can I just strap over the top and screw in from the top if the wood and then just have it coming down one side and then fixed. Or does it have to strap over both sides be fixed down to the concrete both sides. My bricks dont go up to the edge of the concrete as the base was unfortunately not done square.

Any others ideas welcome. Thanks

 

[pe2dave]

Mine is single brick. 4' length of galvanised steel, 1" wide? holes every few inches. Bent over the brickwork, screwed to the bricks
along its length. Not sure how it's fastened atop the bricks - if worried, perhaps screw into 4x2 prior to placing (would this do the job?)

 

[Rob Cheetham]

Mine is single brick. 4' length of galvanised steel, 1" wide? holes every few inches. Bent over the brickwork, screwed to the bricks
along its length. Not sure how it's fastened atop the bricks - if worried, perhaps screw into 4x2 prior to placing (would this do the job?)

Not quite sure what you mean. Have you got your steel band going the length of your soleplate. It so wouldnt the studs be getting in the way. Or have you gone over the soleplate width ways on both sides and fixed to the side of the bricks.

Thanks

 

[RobinBHM]

What are the best ways to secure soleplates down to a single brick course on a concrete base?

I wanted to just screw straight down and fix to the brick but that will pierce the DPC I'm putting between the soleplateand the brick course. Is it really that bad that I may pierce it in places as I'm using treated 2x4 for the soleplates. Also the bricks being used are blue engineering bricks so handle the damp better.

Other than that I've heard off builders band. How is this exactly fixed. Can I just strap over the top and screw in from the top if the wood and then just have it coming down one side and then fixed. Or does it have to strap over both sides be fixed down to the concrete both sides. My bricks dont go up to the edge of the concrete as the base was unfortunately not done square.

Any others ideas welcome. Thanks

If the stud and brick are flush internally could you screw an L strap down to the concrete.

 

[TheTiddles]

Cast your straps into the base, bring up the inside of the bricks and attach to the sole plate or a stud

 

[pe2dave]

Not quite sure what you mean. Have you got your steel band going the length of your soleplate. It so wouldnt the studs be getting in the way. Or have you gone over the soleplate width ways on both sides and fixed to the side of the bricks.

Thanks

No, the band is vertical (two in about 12'). Just one bend, at the top, across the top of the bricks. HTH
Not me, the house builders.

 

[Inspector]

I would carefully drill through the plate, lay it on top of the brick, mark the hole locations on the brick. Drill through it and into the concrete and epoxy in a length of 12mm all thread. When the epoxy cures the plate, washer and nut can go on. One every meter and on either side of the doors will keep it down in a tornado or earthquake.

Pete

 

[Jameshow]

Why not drill thought the wall plate, though the bricks and into the concrete with threaded rod and fixing resin, use large square washers to spread the load.

Cheers James

 

[Inspector]

James I actually wrote that first but changed it to two operations. Getting a nice clean hole through the wood and then trying to get the brick and concrete dust out of the deep hole can be problematic. However if the building is already standing then all in one go is the only choice. From the first post I got that he was in the planning stages or at least, ready to build the walls.

Pete

 

[paulm]

Don't drill through the sole plate, dpc and bricks, you risk damp problems and it's unnecessary.

Use L shaped galvanised straps drilled and bolted or epoxyed into the concrete base on the internal side of the brick plinth positioned in front of a stud. Screw through the straps into the the vertical wooden studs using the holes provided in the straps.

 

[Rob Cheetham]

Don't drill through the sole plate, dpc and bricks, you risk damp problems and it's unnecessary.

Use L shaped galvanised straps drilled and bolted or epoxyed into the concrete base on the internal side of the brick plinth positioned in front of a stud. Screw through the straps into the the vertical wooden studs using the holes provided in the straps.

I do like this idea the best tbh. I agree I was worried about causing damp problems drill into the soleplate and the brick.

Couple things though. If I was to screw the l bracket to the vertical stud then when I put the osb wall board on at the end it wont sit flush will it because of the protruding bracket of the stud. Would it be best to route a channel out on each osb board where the straps are so the osb boards can sit flush?

I was thinking of using these brackets
https://www.screwfix.com/p/sabrefix...4&ds_rl=1249407&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&d
I'm guessing these would do the job? I'd get two packs. 10 in total. 3 on each 17' wall and 2 on each 10' wall.

Also to screw it to the stud would any screws do or would I need a specific kind. Also what bolt would you recommend in fixing to the concrete?

Thanks

 

[Jacob]

Perhaps drill through the bricks and into the base, drop in long rag bolts and set them in hot tar. Easier if you take a brick away and replace it around the rag bolt after it's fixed. Easier still if you'd put bolts in first before starting the brickwork

 

[Br5d]

You could drill through the plate and dpc into the concrete and fasten down then lay another dpc on top of the soleplate and then 2nd sole plate on the 2nd dpc. Basically isolating the 1st soleplate between 2 dpcs. I'd be more worried about shattering the bricks whilst drilling through them.

 

[hairy]

If a hole was drilled through all layers together then an anchor bolt screwed in after a bit of vacuuming would that work? Anchor bolts wouldn't need the hole to be as clean, and a small bit of extra depth gives somewhere for unremoved to dust to live out of the way? I did that on my shed.
Why would a strap on the inside going from concrete to top of stud be different to damp than a bolt going straight through?

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Usually in traditional timber framing the concrete base has anchor bolts set in the base before the timber sole plate and frame is placed. Then they simply bolt the plate down.

I think you should call your builders merchant and talk this through so you use the right dpc material that can hold a seal.
Like a bitumen product rather than plastic dpc.

 

[paulm]

I do like this idea the best tbh. I agree I was worried about causing damp problems drill into the soleplate and the brick.

Couple things though. If I was to screw the l bracket to the vertical stud then when I put the osb wall board on at the end it wont sit flush will it because of the protruding bracket of the stud. Would it be best to route a channel out on each osb board where the straps are so the osb boards can sit flush?

I was thinking of using these brackets
https://www.screwfix.com/p/sabrefix...4&ds_rl=1249407&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&d
I'm guessing these would do the job? I'd get two packs. 10 in total. 3 on each 17' wall and 2 on each 10' wall.

Also to screw it to the stud would any screws do or would I need a specific kind. Also what bolt would you recommend in fixing to the concrete?

Thanks

Yep, those are the kind of straps.

Could recess the back of the osb, or put the straps on after fitting the osb so they sit on top. I used thin osb3 lining and to be honest just sat it on top of the straps without recessing for them, there was sufficient flexibility in the osb3 for it not to be a problem and the straps aren't so thick that it was a problem, depends how particular you are I suppose

Any kind of normal woodscrew would do for fastening to the studs, just check the hole sizes in the straps and then pick some that have as big a shaft diameter as possible for strength but that will still fit the holes. Because the concrete slab the builders laid for me wasn't the best quality I drilled the slab and fastened in metal studding with resin and then a washer and nut over the strap to secure. Had the slab been better condition I may well have used a drop in expanding anchor bolt of some type, have a look on screwfix or toolstation websites and you'll get an idea of what's available