Blue masonry screws in a block wall?

[marc rosen]

Hello Group, I was helping my nephew mount his kitchen cabinets on a block wall that has a 1/2 inch plaster finish. He is using those blue masonry lag screws to hold the units up. I have only used these screws in solid caps or solid concrete, never in blocks. The screws only have the thickness of the block wall (not certain how much that is)for thread contact, not the entire threaded portion. He is only using four screws per unit but I suggest six. Who out there has used these screws in block walls and what are your recommendations? Thanks in advance for your responses Marc

[Tom]

He sould use an anchor that expands in the hollow part of the block. You are correct, the Tap-Con (the blue screw) can pull out of the soft thin outer surface of the block.

[marks542004]

The wall thickness of a concrete block is about one inch. If he hits the edge of the block you have the full block depth to drill into.

I would be concerned with spot loading these types of blocks.

I have always tended to use toggle bolts but then I always tend to overengineer.

[gfretwell]

The guys who do this for a living use epoxy in the TapCon hole when they are in block.

[Robatoy]

I wouldn't call that over-engineering. I'd call that common sense. Toggles are good...and cheap. I will use a couple of tapcons to hold the unit in place while I drill a hole right through the cabinet and block wall. I use a nice big fender-washer.

A falling cabinet could knock over a fine wine. Who needs that?

[DanG]

I am one of those guys. I've never used epoxy on tapcons. I have used epoxy sleeve anchors for substantial loads. I would not consider kitchen uppers as a substantial load though I do work at making the tapcons bite in the end web or center web of the blocks.

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