Mounting a bracket on a brick wall

Greetings, everyone!

I'm planning to use tapcons (just remembered the name - got CRS syndrome) to mount the corner bracket mentioned in my other thread to the outside brick wall of my house. I also need to drill a hole through the wall and into the house large enough to thread three cables with connectors attached. FWIW, they are one BNC, - oops, CRS strikes again - one 12VDC power cable with a coaxial center pin and an as yet undetermined connector for the two very low voltage RS-485 PTZ network controller wires. Advice needed about those, too - what sort of non-permanent connector would be best for what look like two 22 gage stranded wires? A 4 pin modular phone connector? Mini-plug and jack? Jelly beans?

Anyway, I got some long masonary bits from Harbor Fright and the bits that come with the tapcon kit but I am wondering how to make sure the hole I drill from the outside ends up exactly where I want it on the inside. The plan is to very carefully measure from a reference point accessible from the inside and out - in this case the window frame - and drill from the outside in because I am afraid the brick will spaul if I go from the inside out. I can always spackel a messy inside hole but I've yet to see brick spackel.

The problem is that the inside hole location is far more critical than the outside one. I have a B&D (alledged) hammer drill that's got lots of torque - 11A worth but I've never detected any particular hammering action no matter how I set the various levers and adjustments. It looks like a regular drill and very unlike the hammer drills Harbor Fright sells - which I would be willing to buy if such a drill is required to do the job right. I always welcome an excuse to buy a new tool! :-)

Someone said it's better to drill through the mortar, but I don't think the holes in the camera mounting bracket will line up with more than one mortar joint and drilling into crumbling old mortar spooks me a little. It's really old brick. I mean really, REALLY old. I seem to recall someone posting about a disasterous kitchen vent fan install thru a brick wall a while back, so I would like to hear (or be pointed to a good site) that discusses the trials and tribble-ations of drilling into and through old brickwork.

I am more than a little concerned because a neighbor mounted a new handrail on his brick porch and discovered that the mortar was bad and collapsed a whole course of bricks. Since my bricklaying experience is equal to my brick drilling experience (nada por dos) I thought I would seek advice from those who have been there and done that. Thanks!!!!

For what it's worth, I have a number of practice bricks that I will begin to play with tomorrow just to get a feel for things.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes
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Drilling into the mortar is generally how it's done. If it's a good quality "hard" brick it will be like trying to drill through stone.

In my town, 100 years ago there was a beautiful "Cream City" brick that is soft and has proven not to hold up well. That kind of stuff is probably drillable.

Reply to
philo 

I would look to either drill new holes in the mounting bracket or make a whole new mounting bracket so I could drill into the mortar. Never heard of anyone successfully drilling into bricks.

Reply to
hrhofmann

I would be careful of inside vs outside measurements for locating the cable hole. The trim around the outside of the window may be different dimensio ns from the trim around the inside of the window, so you should measure fro m some common point like the edge of the glass itself, for example.

Reply to
hrhofmann

Drill into the mortar joint and use plastic anchors and SS screws. I've done that in many places. One of them is to hold a hose reel weighing about 50 lbs. If the bracket holes don't line up with the joints, attach a couple wood strips to the mortar joints and screw your bracket to those. Don't risk cracking your bricks. If the mortar is crumbling, you need tuckpointing.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Don't drill into ANY mortar joint, drill into the HORIZONTAL mortar joints.

The vertical mortar joints on a brick wall will often only be filled with mortar for the first inch or so. Beyond that, the joint is empty. The horizontal mortar joints have to support the entire weight of the brickwork above, and will be completely full of mortar.

If the holes in your bracket don't line up with your mortar joints, drill more holes in your bracket.

Reply to
nestork

That's why I thought I would ask. When I looked around outside I noticed that the power lines from the pole, the phone lines, A/C control box, etc. were all mounted via the mortar. That's why I asked. Never done this before in my life! I probably would have figured it out - eventually.

I have some bricks I can test with, but I am assuming that brick widths are standard and the holes on the bracket I get *might* be spaced accordingly. If they aren't, they will be. Muchos gracias!

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

whole new mounting bracket so I could drill into the mortar. Never heard of anyone successfully drilling into bricks.

I won't be the one to break your streak. Into the mortar I go! If I need to drill new holes, that should be simple enough. Like a stopped watch being right twice a day, at least two horizontal holes should line up.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

I have some plastic coated screws called Tapcons. I hope they will do the trick.

Oooh. Ugly, but we're talking about a PTZ camera that looks like the head of a decapitated robot. I guess that makes ugly relative. :0)

I've already been convinced. Mortar is more easily drilled - and replaced if it crumbles.

What are you, my wife??!!!! I KNOW I need tuckpointing and we were just arguing about that yesterday because the front porch got seriously eroded from just one shot of that deicing crap and one of the bricks is actually working loose. My neighbors used some sort of expensive "safe for the environment and walkways" crap when we were away. So while I appreciated them clearing the porch and saving us from a lawsuit, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished. The rest of the mortar around the house is in better shape, but not much better. I guess I should start a new thread about tuckpointing and whether I should/could do it myself or whether it's best to hire it out. Dziekuje bardzo for your thoughts, Vic.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

Excellent points, especially re: vertical joints have less mortar. Never would have thought of that - it's why I love the "brain trust" of the internet. When the bracket arrives I am hoping that the holes will line up with the brick mortar joints but if they don't, by God they soon will! Does Harbor Fright carry a hole mover? Grinning, ducking and running! I should ask one of the clerks just to see what they say.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

Happy experimenting

Reply to
philo 

The rest of the mortar around the house is in better

Dla nics. You can use vertical joints. Haven't found them less sturdy than horizontals on my 2 brick houses. Wood isn't ugly if you do it right. I use tapcons for concrete, and plugs for mortar. Tapcons should work. I had the works, ladder jacks, tools and mortar color when I started tuckpointing my 2-flat. Did about 1/4 of one rough bricked side wall, and found it so mind-numbing I got a crew to do it. Glad I didn't try the finish brick. On my current house my son was old enough (15) to pay him to do the 2 rough brick walls. I showed him how to mix the mortar (sand, cement, lime, no coloring) and he did it, using the containers I provided. The 2 sides with finish brick were ok, and still are. He did a thorough if sloppy job, but I told him not to worry about it, just get the mix right and fill the joints. Simple pointing tools, with a convex joint. He was afraid to do the chimney, and I let that go. About 10 years later a guy scoping chimneys in the neighborhood rang the doorbell, and offered to do it for $150. It was done that day. He did a fine job. It all depends on how neat you want it. You want the face bricks absolutely neat, but may not care about the appearance of the joints of the rough brick. I didn't. You don't have to cut out mortar if the house had bricks laid with a good mortar. It weathers away. Just remove loose mortar and work new into the joints. Except for the face brick, which takes skill, it's very doable. You could do the finish brick with patience and time. But boring as all get out.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Good to know, still, I think Nestork might have a point. This house was clearly built on the cheap and if any house is going to have bad vertical mortar joints, its this one.

What kind of plugs? I have lead bolt anchors that I could use.

I guess I won't have to start a new thread. :)

I'm going to do more reading since I think I will have it done but I want to make sure they use the right stuff.

I am surprised nobodys come out to ring my doorbell and offer the service because all the houses in this neighborhood are the same age and most of them need repointing. This is the time of year to get it done, too.

I want to plug some of the major holes that have appeared. Its funny - I did not notice how bad it was until I started looking for places to mount the camera. It sort of blends into the background and as I age, I don't noticed as much as I used to. I tell my wife she still looks as lovely as she did when I married her but I don't tell her it's because my eyesight's gotten so crummy.

That's good to know.

A perfect job for someone other than me!!!!

I guess I should ask the landscaping crew chief - the only one that speaks English - if he knows someone who can do it. I've been putting it off but it's getting to be time to get it done.

Thanks, Vic.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

You better hope your wife doesn't read your posts!!!

Reply to
hrhofmann

If the bracket holes don't line up with the brick mortar joints, just use a piece of lumber to install the bracket. Screw the lumber to the horizontal mortar joints, and then screw the bracket to the lumber. If that camera doesn't weigh more than a few ounces, you can fasten the bracket to the lumber with 5/8 inch screws and that will be plenty strong enough.

Paint the top end/edge and back side of the lumber (facing the brick) with end cut preservative so that any rain water accumulated there won't cause the wood to start rotting. Allow a half hour for the end cut preservative to be absorbed, and then wipe the excess off before mounting the lumber. You can paint the rest of the wood to match the brick colour if you want.

PS: And, if it were me, I would caulk around 3 sides of the wood (Top and both sides, leaving the bottom uncaulked) with Stone Mason Gutter and Siding Sealant sold at Home Depot in Canada (at least) to prevent rain water accumulation behind the wood. This product is made by the Henry Company, which I think also operates in the USA. If you can't get this, then an identical product is called "Kop-R-Lastic" caulk which you should be able to find locally. Kop-R-Lastic comes in 8 colours, whereas Stone Mason Gutter & Siding Sealant only comes in white and clear. Kop-R-Lastic has a larger colour choice, Stone Mason's packaging (the tube graphics) are a little more attractive, but what's inside the tubes is identical.

'Stone Mason | Stone Mason Gutter & Siding | Home Depot Canada'

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The reason why you want to use this caulk, and nothing but this caulk, is because it's cohesive strength is even higher than it's adhesive strength, meaning that it sticks to itself even better than it sticks to most construction materials, like brick and mortar. So, if you ever want to remove that bracket, to replace it or eliminate it, you just have to get one end of the caulk started and it'll pull off the brick and mortar cleanly, just like a rubber rope. It won't leave a mark on your porous brick that's difficult to remove like other caulks will. I have 66 windows in my apartment block, and I won't use any other caulk on them except this one. If you can't get this caulk, I wouldn't use any caulk at all.

Reply to
nestork

Not a chance! You don't think I'd post something like that where I would have to answer for it???!!!!

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

Any 1/4" or 3/8" plastic plugs should do for a camera. Same as you use for drywall, but get SS screws. Lead plugs are for heavy stuff, like porch ledger beams. Get the right drill bit with plugs, and just tap them in with a hammer.

He was a little middle-aged Polish guy. Hustling. Knew his stuff.

And it gets progressively worse as water penetrates and freezes. You can practice your mortar mixing on the joints behind the camera. Before you put the camera up.

That method has worked for me, or spotting a crew doing the work. The price can vary tremendously, so shop.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Camera is two and a half kilos, or so it says on the box, but it also says worth $50 for customs declarations, so who you gunna believe? It feels like

15 pounds but I will weigh it just for the helluva it.

I am really hoping that if it doesn't line up, my drill will fix that. If that's not possible, I may punt and consider a wooden intermediate plate. I may consider smearing construction adhesive on the flange that contacts the brick to give it some added strength and as a sealant. Good idea.

Thanks!

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

I got the lead jobbies for some masonary project maybe 20 years ago and for the life of me I can not remember what. I have matching lag bolts that could be SS but I'll bet they are not. I was really hoping to finally do a project that didn't involve even ONE trip to Home Depot. Oh well.

I think the tapcons will hold, especially if I drill an extra set of holes. If it ends up I have to go to the depot, I will consider SS screws/lag bolts/whatever. Can't tell for sure what I will use until the bracket arrives, hopefully tomorrow.

Very few Polish people hereabouts. Even my wife is only 1/4 Pole and now that I am a little worried she might someday see this, I'll keep the joke about what quarter and why to myself.

In this neighborhood its only Hispanics that hustle for work. Some good, some not so good, mostly so-so.

You are violating my tried and true principal of "one thing at a time!" I have plenty of low-down (pun intended) mortar joints to practice on if I feel so inclined. Getting some test mortar is enough of a reason to go to HD to get the SS screws. Now I remember - I have stainless machine screws but nothing for anchors. Just the normal zinc plated stuff.

If I had the time I would relate one truly disasterous experience doing things that way. Every once in a while, a second story guy poses as a workman to get a close up view of the place and possible points of entry.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

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