Wall Mounted Basketball System

[poolfan]

Serious help required! I purchased a GoalSetter Wall Mounted Basketball system to be installed on the side of my home above a large driveway. It is a 72 inch glass backboard that is to be attached to two steel brackets. The brackets are to be attached to the brick on the side of the home. Unfortunately, the directions fail to specify exactly HOW the brackets are to be attached. A call to the manufacturer reveals that for insurance purposes, they cannot instruct a buyer on the proper installation as every home is different. I was told to contract with an architect or an engineer to best determine how the system is best secured to the brick.

Before I follow that advice and incurr the expense, I was hoping someone could advise me. My thoughts were to drill holes in the brick corresponding to the holes in the two brackets. Anchors and bolts would then be inserted and held tight with either an expanding cement compound or a cement epoxy. I was then going to affix 2x4s against the brick followed by the steel brackets. My reasoning is to lessen the vibration of the basketball system directly against the brick.

Can anyone give me any advice? I am planning to rent a high lift to ease the workload as the backboard weighs over 200 pounds. Also, the system is designed to provide 4 feet of clearance between the hoop and the wall at a height of 10 feet. I do not know if I need to include the 2x4s to reduce vibration or the best way to secure the anchor bolts. Thanks.

[RayV]

DON'T attach it to the brick veneer of the house. Get a pole.

In most 'brick' homes the brick is mainly decorative and will not take the abuse of a BB hoop no matter how it is attached.

[dpb]

...

That's a _lot_ of weight and moment arm -- I agree w/ the other responder that if it's just a brick veneer you're asking for trouble. It _might_ stay, but it could easily bring the veneer down, particularly if there are any of the size that can reach the rim/net and put any additional load on it.

This is going to take a serious mount and w/o knowing much more about the house construction is pretty difficult to give good advice. Certainly w/ a b-board of that size I can see why the manufacturer doesn't want to be involved... :)

Only general advice I would have would be that hopefully this wall location is accessible from the inside (over a garage space or similar) and what would be required if it's conventional frame construction/brick veneer would be to go through the wall and put a load-bearing/-distributing plate on the inside to transfer the load across several adjoining wall studs. Even that easily might not be sufficient to prevent cracking of the mortar joints on the veneer and/or similar w/ drywall/plaster on the inside.

I'd not mount a b-board on the house anyway, personally, simply from the sound-carrying annoyance factor of being on the inside, and brick would be even worse than frame alone for that. Also, it could be a real detriment to the value on resale that way and much more hassle to take care of if it were a bottleneck in that regard. Of course, that's only an issue if there is a need to sell. I think despite the disadvantage of the pole from a play point-of-view, that would be my first recommendation. Of course, if the target point is the middle of the garage door opening, that is a problem, too. In that case, and you're still wanting to go ahead w/ the wall-mount, the advice of "get some professional advice" may be the best...

[dpb]

And, every bit of that "outward" force at the top mounting point will be balanced by an "inward" force at the bottom, creating a nice lever arm in between.

[mm]

In case the OP doesn't get it, that is a baddd thing.