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When doing a project that requires fastening, choosing the right material is essential to doing the job accurately. It can be especially challenging when working with different materials, such as brick, block or concrete, to find fasteners that can get through those hard surfaces. While structures made with these materials are sturdy and long-lasting, these materials can also be difficult to work with.
Luckily, with the right tools and building materials, fastening to brick or concrete is a lot easier. Masonry anchors can help make a seemingly impossible job much easier to accomplish.
How can you make sure that you’re using the right materials on your next project? Let’s take a closer look at the key features of brick, block, and concrete to find out.
Start with a Drill
Before we get into any of the specific anchors available, it’s important to discuss the tools required for fastening to concrete or brick. No matter how good your fasteners are, you’ll be hard pressed to drive them into a concrete wall without a good power drill.
For drilling into concrete or brick, we recommend a hammer drill. These drills use rotation and concussion to bore through materials. So, while a standard drill can work with hard materials, it will take much longer to do the same job.
Types of Anchors
Once you have a hole bored into the concrete, you’re ready to attach an anchor. There are few types of anchors you can choose from when fastening to concrete or brick.
Lightweight Anchors
The type of anchor you choose will depend on what you’re trying to fasten. If you’re hanging something relatively lightweight, such as shelf brackets or towel bars, then you don’t need a heavy-duty anchor.
Plastic anchors are a great choice for smaller jobs where you are hanging something that weighs less than 50 pounds. Metal shield anchors are another good option, especially with materials like brick, which are slightly softer. These are the anchors that are often used to secure drain pipes to a brick home.
Heavy Duty Anchors
Of course, if you’re fastening a heavier object, you will need a sturdier anchor to get the job done.
A good mid-range option is a concrete screw. These attach directly into a hammer drill using a special bit, which makes them easy to install.
For your heaviest or weight-bearing items, choose either sleeve anchors or wedge anchors. These both use a combination of a heavy nut and washer to fasten wood to concrete.
Get the Right Fasteners for Your Job
At the end of the day, there are no “right” or “wrong” fasteners. Rather, there are some that work more effectively for certain projects. To choose the best ones, it’s important to understand what your needs are and what the benefits are of each material.
If you have more questions about choosing materials for your next project, contact us. We can help you select the right products, and even provide you with a free quote.