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I'm trying to install some shelves in my apartment (brick/concrete) but when I drill holes the walls almost seem like they're made of sand. I'm not able to securely fix the screws (I'm using wall plugs) and the shelves appear like they're going to fall down at any minute.
Is there anything I can do about it? I was wondering if I could use some material inside the holes after I drill them (and before putting the wall plugs) so I can make the screws stay firm in their place.
Any tips?
Are you sure you are not drilling between the mortar? That is the weakest point to drill.
There are a couple different things you can do. I assume you are using concrete anchors so you can apply a generous coating of Loctite Metal and Concrete Epoxy onto the anchor before you insert it into the hole.
The other option is to take furring strips (pressure treated 1x4's) and attach them to the wall with blue concrete anchor screws, at least 2 and 1/2 inches long. These should make a good thread and the furring strips will add to the support structure. Space your anchors 2-4 inches apart vertically and on-center.
A better solution might be to build a framework to support the shelves rather than trying to "bodge" (as we say in the UK) the holes. What you need to do is spread the load from the shelves over a larger area.
Without knowing the layout of your walls it's difficult to suggest anything definite but if you had an alcove you could fix vertical battens up the sides and then hang the shelves between those.
Another alternative is to use a glue such as "No Nails", however, you need to check that it's suitable for your walls and can handle the load.
I've got two ideas.
The first is to use a chemical wall plug, but the second has a requirement.
If you can drill through that wall, I suggest to put on the other side of the wall a metal plate (width, height and thickness are up to you that know how many Kilograms the shelf it supposed to get on itself), then make three holes in the shape of a triangle (with the single vertice facing the floor and the other two facing the roof) and use one screw thread for each hole.
You can use different fittings, such as frame fixings (the kind of thing you'd use to hold a exterior door frame or window in it's hole). Also, you could fix up a batten with lots and lots of long rawlplugs and fat screws (two rawlplugs per hole, one deeper so the whole screw is biting into rawlplug), then screw your shelves to that nice study wood batten.
What color is the dust that comes off when you drill? If it's just white, you could be just drilling into the plaster instead of the actual solid material underneath. Try drilling deeper holes and see if you hit a more solid surface.
i recently moved into an old brownstone and have a similar situation, i was recommended to drill through the plaster into the brick (which is directly applied to the brick) and then fill the whole with epoxy. once set, i was told i can drill the screws directly in the epoxy and it should hold the shelves. does anyone have any comments regarding if this will work or not?
