Which HEAVY DUTY fixing is best??

[@GosforthHandyman]

Hope you enjoy this one! Here's the reference article mentioned in the video: gosforthhandyman.com/heavy-duty-fixings-compared/ 👍

[@woody1380]

Hi Andy. There's something of an anomaly in your reasoning between concrete screws and wall bolts. You say concrete screws are useless if you hit a mortar line so don't use them for unpredictable substrates such as plastered wall but then you also sat don't use wall bolts close to the edge of bricks but recommend them for situations when you can't see the bricks. There's a huge potential for drilling close to the edge of an unseen brick and whacking a wall bolt in, maybe more chance than there is of hitting a mortar line. So when you talk about fixing near the edge of a brick are you talking about an edge that hasn't got a brick next to it for support?

[@backwards86]

Nee chemical anchor (smashy test tube stuff) or the drop in anchors with the setting tool??

[@mikebashford8198]

'You might hit a mortar line' - I can do this every single time I attempt to fix anything to a plastered wall.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha, know the feeling! 😂

[@jcoul1sc]

@mikebashford8198 most trades are looking for a mortar line so it's easy drilling

[@davidbr810]

Great video Andy, thanks. In my experience of using anchor bolts it can be tricky drilling the holes to the exact diameter of the bolts and then when I come to tighten them up they can spin around and not gain the friction necessary to begin the tightening process. As a solution to this I have found that wedging a thin nail into a small space in the hole will create the wedge necessary to allow the bolt to hold whilst the anchor is tightened.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Not a bad idea! Defo seen that happening!

[@rogerprice4504]

Thanks Andy. This is the sort of video I found you making when I retired. Incredibly useful, interesting and, even if I didn't need it straight away I saved the links for future. Same again with this one as my son wants me to help him with a building project.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Fantastic stuff - thanks for the kind words! 👍

[@Legacoid]

So glad I landed on this video. Very clear summing up of all the practical concerns with each fixing option. I'd almost talked myself into the chemical option for my deck ledgers but now I'm thinking I'll just go for M12 concrete screws; should be plenty good enough as I can guarantee to go right into the belly of the bricks. Thank you!

[@NickLaslett]

Building an ICF house, so used all these fixing types at various stages. I also liked the sleeve anchor, where you drill the hole first, then have a setting tool on your SDS to push the sleeve anchor into the hole, this then takes a thread rod. This type of fixing makes it easy for you to control the length you have available to you. With the resin anchor I like the glass vials for the resin mix.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Fantastic stuff! Do you have a link to the SDS ones you've mentioned? 🤔

[@Edsbar]

I mounted a 3x3 oak beam for a hanging pub sign with two tubes of resin fix after I had taken it down for maintenance. It had previously been wedged in with pieces of slate and although I thought this was a great traditional method I considered it to be above my skill level so resin fix it was to be and three years later it is as strong as ever.

[@Edsbar]

I did have to read the instructions toughly and adapt to suit the irregular application.

[@GosforthHandyman]

It's incredibly strong when done right! Nice work! 👍

[@grahamocarroll9052]

Hi Andy great interesting video as usual! I use all of the fixings mentioned commercially and we have found that over the last 20 years engineers/specifiers have moved away from wall bolts and we now use chemical anchors (Hilti HY) almost exclusively. We always pull test a minimum of 20% of our fixings and very occasionally have any failures. We are normally fixing over or next to a live railway so failure could literally be catastrophic.

[@the_credible_hulk]

For through-fixing with the expanding bolts, I like to drill straight through with a smaller diameter hammer drill bit. Then I remove whatever I'm fixing and re-drill with the larger bit. That way my holes can be pretty much mm perfect.

[@geoffreycoan]

I’ve had lots of issues with threaded bolts for all the reasons you say. Concrete screws all the way for me now

[@dwalsh3469]

Top job Dude. My only observation is with respect to your un-preferred large-hole-and-big-washer method to secure ledger boards with the expanding bolts. It seems to me that if you do this, the tensile load in the bolt shaft, normally resisted by a washer fully bearing against the workpiece, is now bearing against an unsupported area of washer. That changes, imo, the likely failure mode when the bolt is tensioned. This method introduces two shear plane failure modes, around the edge of the bolt head, and around the edge of the big hole. There is also then a ‘thin plate’ failure mode in bending rather than shear of the washer. These are superimposed loads on a washer that is almost certainly not part of the fixing design. If I was forced to use this method, I’d use either a thick washer, or several thin ones, and I’d need to be satisfied that I understood the loading regime. I might actually use steel plate with known material properties if forced to do this.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Great info - thank you!! 👍💪

[@andyc972]

Thanks Andy, a very helpful overview, I've not yet used concrete screws but I know they're very popular these days as they're so quick and simple to use. My go to's have always been Hammer/Frame fixings or Wall bolts/Sleeve anchors ! I have experienced the problem you mentioned about getting the wall bolt/anchor back out of the hole and would always advise being very sure of your depths and lengths before committing to inserting the bolt even loosely !

[@idigbebop]

Andy, you are the anchor whisperer. Well done, friend. I bought the Fischer DuoPower insert plugs you recommended and they are the best I ever found. I’ve used them on wall board, concrete, stucco and ceramic tile. They were instrumental during our last Florida hurricane for securing window boards. Amazon carries them direct from the UK.

[@VintageStuff]

Great video! Totally aligns with my experiences. The only thing I would add is for damp/exterior locations, standard concrete screws/tapcons seem to be the most susceptible to rust/failing over time. Yes, most are coated to reduce the chance of rust. And yes, there are stainless versions. And yes, you can up-size the screw for the application to extend how long it may take to rust through. But I think all of these are important factors to be mindful of.

[@mrki412]

Thank you sir for this video, preparing to make wooden shed DIY on concrete.

[@stevebosun7410]

Hi Andy, very useful as always. I suspect like me, many of your viewers won't have a compressor to blow the holes out. I use a can of compressed air instead. Not especially cheap, but for most domestic jobs, works a treat. As with using a compressor, wear some eye protection.

[@robertsamagalsky1617]

Great video and great comparison. Really enjoyed it.

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Hi Andy, Good review on the right wall fixings, and all the pros and cons to use on the right job. As always a great video catch you soon, take care

[@GosforthHandyman]

Thank you!! 👍

[@mandyleeson1]

Incredibly useful, thanks Andy. This has arrived just in time for me.

[@johngrannan]

Great video Andy. I’d also include ‘frame fixers’ as a lower load option. Really good for ‘through’ fixings and relatively cheap 👍🏻

[@Doug....]

Nicely explained Andy. 👍👍

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers!

[@plunder1956]

We sometimes have to fix down lathes, milling machines or heavy buffs in our workshop. The concrete floor is VERY old, so not always sure how reliable it may be at a specific point. I've used Big Rawlbolts at times, which require a big hole.

[@JustLikeBuildingThings]

I fixed a new walkway in on 10 M12 chemfix anchors. Amazing stuff to work with and might I say most fun.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Once you know what you're doing it's great! Nice work!

[@MaxMakerChannel]

I almost exclusively use resin. Because I find it much easier to drill the hole and insert the bolt. For a 12mm bolt, I can drill a 16mm hole. So the bolt has 2mm of play to all sides. Especially if you need to add 4 bolts for a anchor plate its much easier.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Once you're used to it resin is great. I see far too many people taking shortcuts with it sadly. 👍💪

[@gingerelvis]

I've generally found the chemical anchors to be good into unknown substrates. My house is stone and lime with lime plaster so even red rawlplugs can blow the plaster and the morter lines are huge and unpredictable. As you say clean the hole out thoroughly to get rid of the dust and they do the job usually. Obviously they are better with a shear load. With modern sand and cement I wouldn't even worry about hitting a morter line with them, theyre commonly used to hold rebar into concrete pads and shuttering. For small jobs R-Chem II is much cheaper or you can get the glass capsules that you brake in hole to mix the two parts with no waste. With the tubes it is hit or miss if you can use them again like you say but you definely can't use the nozzles again which is a bit of a pain.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

A can of air duster is good for cleaning out holes ( the type with a tube on to get it to the bottom of the hole and blow outwards)

[@dannykimble7671]

I’ve gotta fix a register plate in a fireplace & cannot use rawlplugs for obvious reasons, I’ve bought some metal rawlplugs which I’ve never seen before (didn’t know they existed) was contemplating the just drill a hole jobies ( can’t think what you called them) but the shop only had 10mm x3” long ones which seemed bit overkill . Thanks for your explanation very helpful.

[@fazzini3868]

Really useful video, very helpful. Other than not bothering, which may be valid 😂, what fixings would you recommend for aircrete style blocks? The useful side wall of my garage is all these type blocks, and when you try to fix anything they just crumble in and around any drilled holes and fixings, and fixings tend to just pull out.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

11:33 for the through-fixings with bolts, you can just drill bolt-diameter full-depth pilot holes for the mid positions, which will then be accurate when you take off the wood to drill out to the final diameter

[@ianpearse4480]

Great advise yet again Andy.

[@jasonbevan6275]

Resin capsules are relatively straightforward and very strong. At about £16 for 5 they are good value.

[@richardpawlowski4540]

What you have termed wall bolts are in my neck of the woods called shield anchors or at least the part that goes into the wall and the bolt screws into. There is another form of these does not have a bolt instead is simply a threaded rod on which a nut is screwed down. The effect is just the same as the nut is tightened the cone is pulled through the anchor expanding it. The beauty of this type of anchor is that you are not limited by the length of the bolt defining how thick the material you are fixing you just use an appropriate length of threaded rod. The other advantage is that the with its threaded rod can be inserted in the wall then the pre-drilled ledger can be slipped over, assuming all the holes are accurately aligned, the protruding threaded rods before securing with nuts.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yup defo - great points! I call them shield anchors too... but they mostly seem to get called wall bolts up here. 👍😎

[@markdavies794]

Otherwise known in most of the UK as Rawl bolt, never heard them called wall bolts.

[@bluesky7838]

Thank you. This was really helpful.

[@GosforthHandyman]

No worries!

[@garbo8962]

Numerous times had lazy mechanics drill four holes at maybe a 25 degree anchor to bang in four drive in anchors to secure conveyors to concrete floors. Had to grind them off every time they wanted to move a conveyor to get a large machine in or repair floors.

[@twelvebears1971]

I remember using some 10mm concrete bolts to fix a shade to concrete fence posts and it felt like it was just about the most solid mechanical connection I’ve ever made. Really good in decent concrete or brick but avoid it anything questionable like old Victorian/Edwardian walls which can be more mortar than brick in places.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yeah they're incredibly strong! 💪

[@williamwills492]

Need to attach railing base fixing plates to a terrace, with irregular shaped natural limestone stone and cement mortar, cant guarantee fixing 100% into stone and may contact the cement in places, would you recommend wallbolts over the resin where ever the fixing plates holes hit the mortar? Thanks

[@Equiluxe1]

With chemfast type compounds unless you need high tensile you can just use threaded rod cut to length, makes it a lot cheaper.

[@Psychlist1972]

They're sometimes called "Tapcon" screws, because that's a brand name of that type of screw.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍 Think it's one of those where the brand name as become the descriptive name, like a hoover in the UK! 😂

[@carbonstar9091]

I've used a can of computer duster to blow out holes if getting an air hose somewhere is not convenient. Works well for small and medium sized holes. Not great on larger holes.

[@jcoul1sc]

Need to be careful with condensation

[@johnclements6614]

@@jcoul1sc Some resins can be used in wet holes but it does reduce the strength.

[@carbonstar9091]

I've never used resin. Either Tapcons or Lag screws with expanding anchors similar to the second option shown.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Can work great providing there's enough pressure. 👍

[@oml81mm]

Depends on what you are fixing, what you are fixing it to, 0:33 how heavy it is, the temperature, is it a wet or dry environment. And more.

[@peterwest7855]

What do you think about the wedge type throughbolt systems from the likes of Hilti, Fischer, and Rawplug?

[@GosforthHandyman]

They're good! Work along the lines of the wall bolt - might make a separate vid about them. 👍

[@peterwest7855]

@@GosforthHandyman Interesting, thanks Andy. They all seem a bit short. If you have a 63mm wall plate how far does the fastener have to penetrate the substrate?

[@wyrdlg]

1 Andy Mac? Tasty!🍔 Thanks again!

[@Joe90V]

Hi Andy, that raised a issue that I have with a gate post fixed right at the return of the garage wall (half brick thick). It's always coming away by 2mm with repeated opening and closing. Want to replace the existing fixing with a resin fixing but how deep should i go? Gate is heavy timber, 2.00 x 0.90m.

[@BillfakingGates]

i am sorry do you know if the resin can keep a pull bar

[@iwantagoodnameplease]

Pfft, just use a red plug for everything and you'll be fine! :)

[@GosforthHandyman]

😂👍 They're amazingly strong!!

[@paulg2243]

Great video thanks!

[@GosforthHandyman]

No worries!

[@clivewilliams3661]

Rawl Bolts are shown here as wall bolts and they are a special one brand of expansion anchor. One of their disadvantages is that they require a large hole compared to the size of the bolt. Rawl Bolts have fallen out of favour in preference to wall anchors that have a much smaller sleeve that is used for expansion that is generally as good as any Rawl Bolt. A typical brand name would be Fischer Anchors. The sleeve for these bolts is thin enough so that it can be drilled through the material you want to fix Fischer Anchors perform as well as or better than Rawl Bolts in most situations and are cheaper to boot! .

[@garbo8962]

For installing 100 & 200 amp meter enclosures found 1/4" lead Rawl anchors used with a Greenlee anchor setter ( sets anchor flush with wall ). Houses with stone walls might require one to six flat washers to provide an even surface. A 1/4" lead anchor is rated for believe 200 to 225#'s.

[@Liverpool1ne]

18:47 I remember being 80kg 😅 need to get back there soon

[@johnclements6614]

It is quite easy to test resin fixed threaded rod but it will not be cheap as you will need to hire a special jack. There are things called strand jacks that have a hole through them which you can pass the threaded rod. Then fix the jack to the structure with the rod then jack it to a proof load. Obviously you are only going to do that on something where the implications of failure are not good. If you blow holes out with a compressor you have to ensure that there is no oil coming out with the air or you will be oiling the hole.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Interesting!! Also this sort of thing... www.hilti.co.uk/c/CLS_FASTENER_7135/CLS_FASTENERS_ACCESSORIES_7135/r4052 👍

[@johnclements6614]

@@GosforthHandyman The jack that I used the threaded bar went through the jack, jack like a polo. That could test any stud as long as it was long enough. The ones I tested were about 300 long sticking out the side of a bridge which we were hanging a working platform off. That Hilti jack seems to be good for testing shorter fixings.

[@firesurfer]

We needed to fasten some extremely heavy fascia above elevator entrances. Each one was 700 lbs x 3. We needed to fasten a winch near the ceiling for them. There were several rows of CMUs and then poured concrete above that. We had 4 x 2 man teams for 24 elevators. I was in charge of the last group at the end. I started to drill holes in the concrete blocks for the hoist. It was ok I thought, but I wasn't happy about it. After two rows, I changed to the poured concrete above that which gave a much more solid mount. In the middle of hoisting the next fascia we heard a horrible mind numbing crash a couple rows away. Nobody got hurt in a miracle. Two sections were destroyed. It was a lot harder to get near the ceiling beam for the drilling but after the crash, it didn't matter. Everyone switched to the poured concrete for the mounts. Nobody died and we dodged a horrible mistake. We used the super high strength epoxy tubes as specified and supplied by the factory engineer.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Oof - goes to show! Scary! 👍😬

[@joseph9915]

When I used wall bolts to fasten machinery in a workshop, they always seemed to vibrate loose. Worked worse than 10mm frame fixings

[@benchippy8039]

A cheap and ridiculously strong fixing into concrete is a 7mm hole and 2 wire nails banged in. I use this for sole plates quite often

[@tomrichardson7792]

Ooo its been a while. For a fixing video i mean.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍😎

[@secretsix6]

with resin anchors if you spin the fixing with a drill while fitting it any dust in the hole becomes part of the fixing resin

[@GosforthHandyman]

Can sometimes help a bit! Generally good to give them a twist anyway. 👍

[@secretsix6]

@@GosforthHandyman yes it does i used to set resin roof bolts for 5 years unground an twisting of the bolt was in the support rules

[@gslavik]

In US, Tapcon is a brand of such screws. :)

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yup! 👍😎

[@hughtattersall7583]

There are Hex head and Hex nut versions of wall bolts.

[@robertkiessling9700]

For me, the biggest pro of resin anchors is that they work in poor material such as 100+ year old, brittle bricks. It's easy to fix in solid concrete, but fixing in such bricks is something else.

[@Chris-yj1zg]

Concrete bolts with chemfix.

[@jcoul1sc]

If in doubt, contact a Structural or civil engineer locally. Not worth saving a penny if its going to cause future hassle or heartache

[@GosforthHandyman]

Defo! #1 rule for anything mission critical. 👍👍

[@whirled_peas]

Expanding bolts can go in the sea.

[@bascodelagamma]

👍

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍

[@monteglover4133]

On the concrete screws Do Not install them with hammer mode on it will strip them out I’ve installed thousands in an industrial environment

[@garvielloken3929]

😎

[@GosforthHandyman]

😎

[@glynprice3815]

Thought I was the only one that said cack handed these days

[@GosforthHandyman]

😂 Me setting up a left handed shot when I'm right handed. 😂

[@BB49.]

A good few double entendres in this video👍😂

[@GosforthHandyman]

There's got to be a good handful. 🤣

[@harbor.boundary.flight]

Don't use the concrete screws for breeze block. It did say so on the packaging but I clearly didn't read it!

[@CrimeVid]

I don't like Tapcon type fastenings, they'll fail if there's any vibration. I know that's not what they're supposed to be for, but I have had a lot of success with Hilti's frame fixings. even for ledgers. Hilti's resin anchors particularly if used with the stainless mesh tubes are great in doubtful brickwork. Do not forget the excellent ragbolt and rapid hardening cement ! One thing, with the lean-to ledger I've taken a few pretty hefty lean to roofs down And they are invariably held up by cut clasp nails toshed in god knows how long ago !

[@stoatystoat174]

:)

[@catabaticanabatic3800]

You didn't include through bolts. Those "Rawl" type fixings are a waste of space. They are old hat and messy/inaccurate. Through bolts can be drilled through the hole that has to be fixed down with the appropriate size drill and the fixing just blatted in with a hammer then tightened down with a spanner/ impact driver and the holding is instant. I've installed countless pieces of industrial plant with them and thev've never failed to do their job. Chemical anchors are a bit more specialised and rely on being installed under ideal conditions. The hole must be blown out,the ambient temperature must be correct to enable proper set times. I cannot see a valid reason why Rawl fittings would be needed today wit the other options available. Concrete screws are an excellent alternative

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yeah I kinda lumped them in with wall bolts but I've added a bit of an extra note to the article. Probably warrants a dedicated video as there's so many variations of those. 👍

[@jcoul1sc]

Fixings are metal and could fail, rely on good design and joints and not on 1 fixing alone - metal failure due to hydrogen embrittlement, a natural phenomenon on the Cheesegrater London kzbin.info/www/bejne/oquVXo17fZqgrc0

[@GosforthHandyman]

Very interesting!