Attaching cables to outside walls

[Graeme]

Having at last purchased an SDS drill, thanks to the advice from the Two Daves, I'm ready to do something about various telephone and aerial cables that adorn the outside walls of the house. The external walls are granite and, over time, various people have tried to attach cables with ordinary cable clips. The nails never penetrate properly, unsurprisingly, and cables tend to just flap around in the wind.

Plan A is to drill holes, then insert lengths of dowel, held with No More Nails, then use ordinary cable clips, with the nails going into the ends of the dowels.

A suitable plan, or is there an alternative?

Thanks!

[Andrew Gabriel]

I have done something similar. Drilled very tiny holes, hammered in matchstick sized splinters tightly, and then just hammer nails into those. No glue required -- ends up working like a rawlplug for a nail.

I've never tried drilling into granite, so I don't know if that presents any special problems.

[Vortex4]

How about cable tie plugs:

of course cable ties.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - there are plastic plugs made for just this purpose. B&Q had them last time I looked - but in the electrical section beside the cable clips rather than with other wall plugs.

[Cicero]

=========================================

Drill small holes and replace the nails in your standard clips with oversize masonry nails.

Cic.

[Bob Eager]

I got my last lot on eBay, following a post here.

[dorothybradbury]

Depending on colour & mortar gaps...

- Nylon P-clips into small rawlplug & screw (can look ok a-la-pyro)

- Fischer or similar "U"cable clips (drill hole, loop over cable, push- in)

Whatever, try to avoid festooning which can look ugly.

Nail-in clips can compress aerial cables when used ham-fistedly. If you go that route, instead of wooden dowel perhaps rawl-plug pieces?

[The Medway Handyman]

Which one did you buy?

[Graeme]

Eventually chose the Ryobi ERH 750v, partly because it comes with three drills and a chisel, and partly because it was ten pounds cheaper at the Pro Tec site. 89.84 including VAT and delivery. Ordered Sunday evening, and arrived today. Longer term plans include removing a million 1960s tiles from the kitchen and bathroom walls, so the chisel may be useful, eventually.

Regarding walls and cables, thanks for all the suggestions. I had not seen the plugs before, and have just ordered a pack, via eBay. I already have a large bag of cable ties, and the plugs require an 8mm drill, which is one of the sizes supplied with the drill. Perfect.

[Andy Wade]

Tower 'pin plugs':

[Ron Lowe]

There are things designed for the job... I used these:

a 6mm hole with an SDS, ( Granite here too, Aberdeen ) hammer one of these in, and tie the cables to it. Job done.

[ARWadsworth]

These are the things (4th item down)

I actually used 6mm dowel and a 5.5mm SDS bit on the last job.

Adam

[Graeme]

In message , Ron Lowe writes

Excellent - thank you. Yes, that is what I have ordered. I'm about 45 miles west of you, and delighted to hear that an SDS drill will make a hole in granite!