Mounting a bracket - advice required please

[Chris Needham]

I need to fix a bracket to a wall in an old house. I’ve been able to drill and rawl plug most holes and where the brick etc has perished or is weak I’ve managed to plug these holes with wood plugs that I’ve made. There is one though that I’m struggling with as the wood plug has snapped off about 1cm ‘in’ from the surface. Any suggestions for filling this void whilst still being able to screw in the bracket please? Ive managed to drill the sunken wood plug so am thinking I can slot in a rawl plug and then use a filler to mend the gap. Any other suggestions appreciated, thanks

There is a tenuous woodworking link here I feel

 

[flying haggis]

can you drill out the existing plug and redo

 

[Chris Needham]

That’s an option, I’m a bit reluctant to do too much drilling as the brickwork is inclined to perish easily and I don’t want to do any more drilling than necessary as the brickwork is plastered and on a 90yr old house some is coming lose. That said I may have too , thanks fro the reply

 

[flying haggis]

depending on what the bracket is for and how you wish it to be fixed have you considered resin anchors

https://www.toolstation.com/rawlplug-r-kem-ii-polyester-resin/p30268

 

[Chris Needham]

Thanks again, not come across that product before so I will check out tomorrow as reading the link it might do the trick. Appreciate the advice.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You can stick a plug in with No More Nails or similar. Resin is obviously stronger, but whichever way you go make sure the hole is clear of dust. If using a water based adhesive you can flush the hole out - leave it for a few minutes and the residual dampness won't matter.

 

[Chris Needham]

You can stick a plug in with No More Nails or similar. Resin is obviously stronger, but whichever way you go make sure the hole is clear of dust. If using a water based adhesive you can flush the hole out - leave it for a few minutes and the residual dampness won't matter.

Thanks Phil

 

[Jacob]

If thr plug is 1cm short can't you just screw to it with a screw 1cm longer?

 

[Chris Needham]

If thr plug is 1cm short can't you just screw to it with a screw 1cm longer?

yes in theory, but the bracket will only take a certain size screw and the real issue is filling in the ‘hole’ to level up with the brick face. I’m going to try drill the broken plug and replug or failing that try the resin as that may be a product I can use for other jobs too. Thanks

 

[toolsntat]

My remedy for getting good fixing in dodgy substrates including "dot and dab".....

Ample 12mm or bigger dowel.
Matching drill.
Drill hole and vacuum out (using small piece of tube to bridge gap if dot and dab.)
Chamfer end of dowel and Mark depth of hole.
Score dowel sideways with saw teeth
Cut 3 grooves into dowel length
Wet hole
Put in 5-10 minute pu glue and agitate with pokey stick.
Quick dab of dowel in water and apply a smear of pu glue (already on pokey stick)
Knock in dowel to depth Mark and wait till set.

It shouldn't be a loose fit but if it is pop a screw down the side a little to stop it pushing itself out.
DON'T TOUCH DOWEL UNTIL VISIBLE GLUE IS SET

Cut off flush and make sure you make a pilot hole for fixing

Two holes really close together?
Leave original dowel a while longer to cure and drill in by the side of it, repeat as above.

Cheers Andy

 

[MARK.B.]

could you cut a 1cm piece of dowel and glue it to the broken dowel, drill a pilot hole through full depth and then fix your bracket that way you will not need to disturb your crumbling brickwork.

 

[Fergie 307]

Another thing that may be worth considering is to use the longer plugs that are intended for fixing Windows, battens and so forth. The plugs come in various lengths and diameters, so 8x80mm for example. Has the advantage that it takes the plug further into the, hopefully more solid, heart of the brick and away from the friable surface. The screws that come with them can be discarded and substituted for something more suitable. An aerosol air duster is very useful for blowing dust out of the hole, they usually have a long thin tube which enables you to get right to the bottom of the hole. Or you can do much the same by inserting a bit of plastic tube in and blowing through it. If you are looking to repair damage to a visible brick surface then for filling old holes and similar if you can get hold of a similar colour brick, just drill some holes in it and collect the dust and mix it into a paste with pva, works pretty well. Just make sure the surface you apply it to is free of any dust, and dampen it with a sponge before you apply your paste. If the area is big enough to notice then as the filler dries you can stipple it with a stiff paint brush or similar to give it some texture, so you don't have a noticeable smooth bit in your brick.

 

[GuitardoctorW7]

I used Torx Frame fitting Masonry screws when I installed my front door, never used them before but they were brilliant.
I'm probably gonna get shot down in flames for stating the obvious, but I was taught a long time ago when drilling walls, especially old ones, NOT to start with the hammer function on, a mistake most DIY-ers make.

 

[Fergie 307]

Agreed, in fact in soft reds, blocks and similar you don't need it at all.

 

[Chris Needham]

Agreed, in fact in soft reds, blocks and similar you don't need it at all.

So you’d use a masonry bit but drill on a regular (non hammer) setting?

As time goes on rather than working with small margins all the time, I think a dedicated SDS drill is the most cost effective option in the long run.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

These are useful things to have - others are available -
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Length-C...273898&sprefix=strip+wall++plug,aps,68&sr=8-7

 

[manicminer]

As a previous post has suggested, by using a long frame fixing, like those used to fix double glazing and upvc door frames, you could drill into the existing dowel and then pack around the fastener using sand and cement to bring it flush to the wall.