best fixing for this mantelpiece?

[Harold Davis]

I'd be grateful for advice on fixing a mantelpiece to my chimney breast on top of 2cm thick brick slips. Beneath the slips there will be maybe 5mm of adhesive and then around 4cm of fire render, put on in two layers to even up the wall. Underneath the render there are concrete blocks. I am putting up the slips at the moment, so can put the fixings under where the grout will be without having to drill through the brick. The idea is to screw two timber battens to the wall using whatever fixings I decide on, so that brackets can then be fixed to the battens to support a wooden mantelpiece of depth 15cm, thickness 5cm and width 1.4m.

Should I use plastic wall plugs? If so, what type? Should I leave part of each plug poking out above the render, going all the way to the front of the tiles? Or would that stress the screws too much? Should I use anchor bolts instead?

Many thanks in advance for any help with this!

Harry

[Harold Davis]

Harold Davis wrote in news:XnsA3A2DF5EB338harolddavis@78.46.70.116:

I have found four green wall plus, length 6cm, diameter 1cm, which seem as though they might do the job. What do people think? Couldn't find them shown on any website listing colours of wall plugs; they must be pretty old.

Harry

[Harold Davis]

"Rod Speed" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks for this. I am just worried that too much stress will go on the

2cm thick brick slips if I fix the battens to the front of them, even if I use an anchor bolt going into the render (which is rock hard) and through a short way into the blocks behind.

Harry