UKC

Hey,

There's been a few questions around this but a comment I saw has made me question what I've read.

I want to mount it directly into a brick wall. From what I've read, one thing to pay attention to is to get it on the brick and not on the mortar.

The comment that made me question was someone saying "I used the wrong plug and ripped it off the wall". What is the right plug?

Other than that, because it's a thick wall, I was going to give it at least 60mm depth with some concrete / masonry screws and some standard wall plugs. There are the six beastmaker holds (and actually the bottom two will go into thick hardwood).

Even if I made a backboard to it, it would go in the same place so the only advantage of that I see is moving the hole a bit in case I hit mortar instead of brick.

Does anyone have anything to add or comment before I make a mistake?

Edit: my autocorrect keeps changing hangboard to hamgboard.

Or if someone with better knowledge has a direct recommendation of which screws/plugs to get from Screwfix then I'm all ears.

Right now, I've got these at hand: https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-tx-frame-fixings-8mm-x-120mm-12-pack/626...

The other thing I'm not convinced of is that as the hangboard is 50mm itself, I might have to trim the plug down to size. I know that's fine to do when hanging lighter things but obviously, we need it to be load bearing in this case.

Thanks!

I would recommend a backboard. I put mine straight into masonry at the beginning of the lockdowns. Although just one screw hole was very slightly off (slightly wider at the entrance), that was enough to make it work its way looser over time. It still worked, but weighted pulls were out immediately and it got worse over time. Using a backboard means if you do make a mistake, you can drill a new hole and keep the fingerboard in the same place - this is particularly relevant if you have a narrow doorway. I think it will also spread the force better.

It sounds like you are not a DIY expert, like me, in which case there is a higher chance of making a mistake and the backboard gives you a way out. Whatever you do, I would strongly recommend using the highest power drill you can. My mistake was probably using an underpowered drill. 

That's a good point. That way I can also put more screws in than the minimum 6.

I'm not sure why the drill power would make a difference? If the hole is there then the plug is what makes the difference surely?

It will depend on the surface. I was drilling into some ancient exterior wall, your brick might be a better surface. But if the drill is underpowered then you have to apply more force and there is a greater chance of slipping as the bit enters the material. Rather than getting a clean hole of the same diameter as the bit, you might get slight funnelling around the entry point. Because masonry doesn't give, it can only get worse over time. 

plus one for doing it on a backboard...

I would guess that the "wrong plug" comment is either the wrong plug for the screws used OR the wrong plug for the wholes drilled. If your drill walks while drilling (either because of thew drill, user or bit) you end up with an oversized hole, at which point I would drill it out to the next plug size up and use an appropriate screw.

If you use a backboard you'll be able to get several screws into the hardwood, don't forget to predrill holes close to edges, then your masonry screws (which are trickier in my experience) aren't the only thing holding weight.

Success. I did use a backboard in the end and it feels pretty solid. I have maybe gone overkill with the screws but I feel safe on it.

Now I can hang while at the pub.