Fixing battens to hollow block wall

bfclancy

Looking to fix 2*2 timber battens to a wall vertically so horizontal cladding can be attached to it, what's the best fixing to use, wall plug, express nail, other??? its a hollow/breeze block wall, about 7 feet high

LMHC

bfclancy wrote: »

Looking to fix 2*2 timber battens to a wall vertically so horizontal cladding can be attached to it, what's the best fixing to use, wall plug, express nail, other??? its a hollow/breeze block wall, about 7 feet high

60x8 mm expresses. SDS through the batts into block and hammer the expresses in. Quick and effective.

bfclancy

LMHC wrote: »

60x8 mm expresses. SDS through the batts into block and hammer the expresses in. Quick and effective.

i was hoping this would be the way, i find them easy to use just didn't know how effective they would be in a hollow block application

tDw6u1bj

Brick(/concrete) screws work well with hollow block, are quick and easy to use and are what I recommend here.

Concrete bolts aren't good on hollow-block, often they just don't seem to take.

Express nails? I wouldn't, they might work but I have my doubts and I haven't used one on anything since brick screws became common - they're so handy to take on/off/use/you drill smaller holes. Brick screws usually not much different in price either.

Smaller expansion bolts can work well, but they sound like overkill here.
On the other hand, regular screwplugs work fine on hollow block.

But yeah, brick screws.

bfclancy

tDw6u1bj wrote: »

Brick(/concrete) screws work well with hollow block, are quick and easy to use and are what I recommend here.

Concrete bolts aren't good on hollow-block, often they just don't seem to take.

Express nails? I wouldn't, they might work but I have my doubts and I haven't used one on anything since brick screws became common - they're so handy to take on/off/use/you drill smaller holes. Brick screws usually not much different in price either.

Smaller expansion bolts can work well, but they sound like overkill here.
On the other hand, regular screwplugs work fine on hollow block.

But yeah, brick screws.

okay interesting, so you just drill a pilot hole through the timber then through the hollow block of a smaller diameter than the brick screw and then drive the brick screw, i assume a cordless drill would drive these i don't have an impact gun or anything like that. and then to fix a 4 * 1 timber to these 2*2 battons would you recommend a screw or a nail

tDw6u1bj

Brick screws are kind of like self-tapping screws.

They're 7.5mm themselves, but you drill a 6mm hole into the concrete/brick.
Sure you can drill the 6mm hole through the baton and screw through that. You might find it a little easier to drill out the baton to 7mm to after but it's certainly not necessary.

Cordless drill...shouldn't be a problem with a hollow block, but i wouldn't be surprised to find it struggling either.

bfclancy

tDw6u1bj wrote: »

Brick screws are kind of like self-tapping screws.

They're 7.5mm themselves, but you drill a 6mm hole into the concrete/brick.
Sure you can drill the 6mm hole through the baton and screw through that. You might find it a little easier to drill out the baton to 7mm to after but it's certainly not necessary.

Cordless drill...shouldn't be a problem with a hollow block, but i wouldn't be surprised to find it struggling either.

so an impact driver would be ideal, should be able to get my hands on one.
Anyone an opinion on screws or nails for the 4*1 to be fixed to the 2*2

cruizer101

Got to agree with concrete screws far handier than any rawl plugs/express nails or that.
Depending on the cordless it may well do it, I've screwed them in with a cordless no problem.

bfclancy

cruizer101 wrote: »

Got to agree with concrete screws far handier than any rawl plugs/express nails or that.
Depending on the cordless it may well do it, I've screwed them in with a cordless no problem.

sounds a better solution to me all right

tDw6u1bj

bfclancy wrote: »

so an impact driver would be ideal, should be able to get my hands on one.
Anyone an opinion on screws or nails for the 4*1 to be fixed to the 2*2

TBH there'll probably be more resistance from the wood than the block.

With hollow block you've got to be a little careful. The thickness of material is a bit less than ideal (for any fixings, not just brick screws), so you risk over-doing it and hollowing out the hole - a lot easier to do with an impact.

(FWIW, for non hollow block the usual cock-up is to drill too shallow/not clear out the hole so you end up with a load of dust filling up the end of the hole so a 60mm deep hole becomes 45mm deep)

LMHC

bfclancy wrote: »

i was hoping this would be the way, i find them easy to use just didn't know how effective they would be in a hollow block application

They will work on the hollow block thats why I'm saying 60s rather then 80s or 110. They will be fine.