Adding Shelves to my 1980 Single-skinned Garage

[bbrundell]

All

I've hunted high and low for this and have a lot of conflicting information. At the side of my 1980 house is a garage, built with a single skin of bricks. I'd like to add a set of shelves to these, using vertical channels (like this:

and shelves sticking out.

I'd like them to carry some significant weight (eg be full of books/paint/etc.) and be directly attatched to the wall. I'd like the channels to run from floor to ceiling (c. 10')

My question is: should I fix my uprights into the brick; or the mortar? Would drilling into mortar/masonry undermine the brickwork? What sort of weight will it hold?

Any ideas appreciated -- especially on the brick/mortar question.

Thanks

Ben

[Phil L]

The holes should be drilled in the brick, the mortar isn't strong enough

That depends on many factors, such as what fixings you intend to use, what spacings between fixings, how strong the masonry is etc...on crumbly masonry, lots of fixings will be required to get even a chance of it holding up...on solid masonry, 3 or 4 good fixings will hold it solid for decades

[Dave Fawthrop]

| [e-mail] wrote: |> All |>

|> I've hunted high and low for this and have a lot of conflicting |> information. At the side of my 1980 house is a garage, built with a |> single skin of bricks. I'd like to add a set of shelves to these, |> using vertical channels (like this: |>

|> and shelves sticking out. |>

|> I'd like them to carry some significant weight (eg be full of |> books/paint/etc.) and be directly attatched to the wall. I'd like the |> channels to run from floor to ceiling (c. 10') |>

|> My question is: should I fix my uprights into the brick; or the |> mortar? Would drilling into mortar/masonry undermine the brickwork? | |The holes should be drilled in the brick, the mortar isn't strong enough | |> What sort of weight will it hold? | |That depends on many factors, such as what fixings you intend to use, what |spacings between fixings, how strong the masonry is etc...on crumbly |masonry, lots of fixings will be required to get even a chance of it holding |up...on solid masonry, 3 or 4 good fixings will hold it solid for decades

In that sort of situation I extend the support/channels down to floor level, so that a good amount of the weight is taken by the floor not the fixings.

[Lobster]

What conflicting info are you worried about?

Definitely into the brickwork, those shelf systems you indicated will be fine for the job. Use brown rawlplugs

; drill the holes to the size specified on the rawlplugs and 10-gauge screws which reach 1.5" into the brickwork and it'll be as solid as a rock.

David

[Simon]

;> drill the holes to the size specified on the rawlplugs and 10-gauge

When doing a job like this a few years ago I found that the bricks were not all at the same level. Putting thin steel plates behind the uprights at some of the fixing points helped to fill-in the irregularities, so that the screws could be firmly tightened without distorting the uprights. The sort of pre-drilled mending plates sold in DIY sheds are ideal.

[bbrundell]

Thanks, all, for your help so far. While searching for information, I came across two sites that suggested that mortar would be less liable to crumble, and therefore should be used for the drilling. Common sense said to me that couldn't be the case -- your comments have cleared this up.

I'll go for drilling into thr brick and using a rawlplug.

Good suggestion about supporting it at ground level. As my garage floor is lightly damp (rain sweeps under the door), I'll put the frame starting at floor level and working up. This would be more durable than using wood.

Thanks again.

Ben

[Arne Knut Roev]

You're welcome!

Further down in the message, bbrundell@ wrote: > I'll go for drilling into thr brick and using a rawlplug. >

I may be a bit late here, but I would like to take up an alternative suggestion. It may sound a wee bit weird, but it might be a good way of avoiding having to do something to the brick walls.

How about setting the uprights at the shelf wall on "feet" (or something similar), then putting up two or three uprights along the opposite wall (assuming that you are not going to put up shelves here too), and then put up a "beam" across the top of the uprights (fastening these to the beam), then finish off by putting up two (or threee) eams across the top of the whole keeping the two shelf assemblies in position ?

By doing it this way, your shelves would be supported entirely by the verticals standing on the floor, and you would not have to take any chance of ruining the wall...

-akr (wacky ideas to order...;-)

[Tim S]

Personally I think the OP is worrying too much. Single layer brick wall will take a fair bit of load but it would be best not to put much torsional/pulling load near the top few courses of brick as these do not have the benefit of any force from above holding them in place (depending of course on how the roof is mounted).

A lot depends on how hard the bricks are at to how to arrange the fixings. Generally, fix to the brick, only in the case of a thermalite block wall is the mortar likely to be a better bet!

The shelving rails will spread the load too - I've had similar shelving rails hanging on plasterboard and they took a fair bit of weight - stop worrying :)

Cheers

Tim

[bbrundell]

Thanks to all posters. A vist to Screwfix today got me a new masonry drill bit; some hex masonry screws and some Fischer plugs.

The channels are up: as one poster suggested running from floor upwards. Next step is to add shelves...that's for another day.

Drilled into the brick with no problems; and everyting is solid.

Thanks again.

Ben