My house was built in 1848. I was wondering what I would do to put an outlet on the wall of the stone foundation. I have put them on block but I feel a little leary of trying to drill holes in the rocks of a stone foundation. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks Shane
Drill into the mortar, then attach the box using either TapCon screws, or regular sheet metal screws with lead or plastic anchor inserts. (Lead's the better choice, IMO, if you can find them.)
I'd personally mount a 2x6 to the wall and mount the handy box (actually use a 4" square box, makes things much easier) to that. Of course, that prompts the question, "how do you mount a 2x6 to a stone wall" which probably doesn't help you any...
nate
A decent hammer drill and 3/16 carbide bit will drill the rock as easily as block
this is where I am leary, would the hammering from the hammerdrill loosen the surrounding mortar (or what ever they used in 1848)?
Thanks for the replies. Shane
How about a glass-drilling bit? (it's not a hammer bit) I've used one to drill thick porcelain floor tile. If it'll cut through that, stone blocks should be easy. Put a lead anchor in to hold the screw.
Bob
Highly likely unless the stone is huge and the hammer drill is puny. I've had mortar give up on 30 year old blocks trying to get a small hole for a gas line. A regular drill with a diamond bit (think Harbor freight) and an epoxied wood plug would be my choice. Old lime mortar doesn't have the high strength of today's products. HYH
Joe
I was gonna say a square of 3/4 plywood construction-adhesived to the wall, and screw to that. What I'd probably do is the same way you hang telephone patch panels- hang a flat panel like a curtain, in this case from the sill plate, using a standoff block if needed. For a single outlet, a 1x6 would probably work. You could even add a rot-proof metal foot to the bottom, and do a jam-fit against the floor. No way would I disturb that old mortar- the stone foundations I have seen, that stuff disintegrates if you look at it wrong. Some foundations, it is more like a stacked-stone fence with a slightly limed chinking mud.
aem sends...
Any mortar dislodged from that slight vibration isn't doing anything anyway
I mounted a single switch box to a block wall around 20 years ago. It is still there. All I did was glop a bunch of Liquid Nails (TM) onto the back and stick it to the block. Propped it in place overnight till the LN dried.
The LN bonded to the block and the box plus extended into small screw holes in the box making 'keys'.
Harry K
how about a outlet in a weatherproof box mounted on a short piece of conduit concreted in ground.
you drill thru foundation below ground, use direct burial cable, and dont have to mess with the foundation but still have a outlet.
I installed one like this near my driveway in the late 70s for working on vehicles and yard clean up. the pipe inally rotted off a couple years ago so I added a pile of cement around it, and its as good as new.
amazing how time flies............
If not now, some day you're going to have an old house question you need to be answered by an old house guy. Make friends with someone like that or join a club. If you don't know where to start, ask the curator of some historic home that age, or just knock on the door of a house that looks that age. He'll be glad to show you around and tell you who he consults with.
He'll probably even admit it if he doesn't know what he's doing or if he's made mistakes, but maybe not so don't rely 100% until you have some experience. If he has a clearly good method, you can judge yourself.
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