home » Living room

Installation of dowel nail. Dowels for concrete and brick: parameters and installation nuances

In recent years, professional builders and home craftsmen have increasingly used dowel-nails to perform various installation work; we will tell you how to use this product in this article.

1

A dowel-nail is a special product used to perform fastening work. It consists of two elements - a special nail and the dowel itself, and is used for mounting objects to concrete, brick, stone, and other solid, dense materials. There are also types of the described fasteners designed to work with chipboards and drywall.

The design of the dowel-nail is very simple. It is made in the form of a cylindrical rod, which consists of a spacer part (it expands during installation and allows for reliable fastening) and a nail that is familiar to everyone. In some cases, the fastener we are interested in may be additionally equipped with a special cuff that acts as a limiter that does not allow the fastener to fall into the hole made. The shape of this cuff can be different, for example, cylindrical or hidden.

Also, modern industry produces dowel fasteners with a thread applied to the nail and a slot, which is located on the head of the product. This element can be mounted using a screwdriver. Working with it is quite simple, since the process of inserting a nail into a dowel is made easier due to the presence of a “smoothed” thread in the product. Let us add that the top of the thread of this mounting device is directed towards the head. Purely externally, the dowel-thread is no different from the standard thrust thread.

Most often, dowels are made from polyethylene, polypropylene or polyamide. But the dowel-nail itself is made from steel alloys with a zinc coating. To be fair, we note that there are many fasteners of the described type on the market without additional coating. Standard dowel diameters are 5, 6, 8 and 10 millimeters, and their length ranges from 30 to 160 millimeters.

2

If you are installing a fastener in a brick structure, you should follow these steps:

  • We choose the optimal place for the dowel (usually this is understood as the center of the brick).
  • Using an impact drill, we begin to drill into the material. This process must be performed very carefully (especially when starting drilling) so that the masonry does not crack under the influence of the tool. You can increase the speed of the drill after about 10 millimeters of brick have been drilled.
  • From the resulting hole, we blow out brick crumbs and the resulting dust with a vacuum cleaner, after which we boldly hammer in the fastener using a hammer.

When working with concrete surfaces, the fasteners are mounted as follows:

  • A hole is marked with a punch and a hammer.
  • A hole of the required depth is punched (with a hammer drill). Please note that the marking of the dowel-nail, which indicates its cross-section, must coincide with the marking of the drill. It is also important that the length of the dowel is 5–6 mm shorter than the hole being punched.
  • Using a vacuum cleaner, concrete dust is removed, and then the dowel cartridge is deepened with a hammer.
  • After all these steps, the nail is driven in. It is advisable to leave 2-3 millimeters of free space from its head, which will be required for hanging.

3

When installing drywall, you should take into account in advance the weight of the load that is attached to it. In cases where the weight of the load is quite high, it is impossible to use a dowel fastener, since it will simply destroy a fairly light plasterboard surface. In other situations (light load weight), driving a dowel-nail is a very simple procedure:

  • a hole of the required cross-section is made in the drywall;
  • the fastener is inserted all the way into the hole (in this case, you should not hit the fastening element with a hammer with all your strength, but only lightly tap);
  • The screw is tightened manually or using a screwdriver.

When working with tiles made of tiles or ceramics, installation of fasteners is also simple, but the work should be done with extreme caution, given its high fragility. The fastening diagram is as follows:

  • a marker marks the point of entry of the fastener into the tile (this can be either a seam or the surface of the material);
  • Lightly tapping a metal screw using a self-tapping screw makes a hole on the surface of the enamel (up to 0.5 millimeters), and only after that use an impact drill, which drills through the tile (ceramics) to its entire thickness.

Do not forget that you will also need to make a hole under the tile in accordance with the instructions for brick or concrete (they are outlined above), and then install the fastening device into the tile and brick or concrete surface.

4

All the previously described options for driving dowel fasteners imply that the nail is driven into the dowel. But there is another way to install the mount in question, which involves using a construction gun. This modern mounting device allows you to “shoot” the structure being fixed to the base using a dowel-nail.

In this case, a special dowel fastener is used, which by and large does not involve the use of the dowel itself. The presence of a special washer on the nail ensures a tight fit of the fastener into the solid material. The essence of the technology for operating the gun is that after shooting the dowel-nail, the washer on its tip moves to the head of the fastener and is tightly fixed there.

This dowel-nail is used when fastening metal structures to solid bases made of natural stone, concrete, steel with low carbon content, and brick. The gun and the described type of fastener are very often used when installing canopies on the balconies of buildings. They produce “nails with washer” with a length of 30 to 80 millimeters, a cross-section of 4.5 and 3.7 millimeters from steel coated with zinc. It is extremely rare to find nails with a cross-section of more than 4.5 millimeters on sale.

I think you already understand how to use a dowel-nail. Humans do not encounter any particular difficulties with this fastener. In this case, it is very important to choose the right type of fastener, since dowel-nails, which, for example, perfectly connect the surface and the concrete base, are absolutely not suitable for fastening chipboard or plasterboard.

It is enough to contact the consultants (sellers) of a hardware store that sells various types of fasteners (for example, or) to obtain comprehensive information about the types of dowel devices. They will also advise you on how to use dowel nails. However, after carefully reading the article we have prepared, you will probably no longer need this information. You can easily mount fasteners into any type of surface without outside help!

When performing many repairs, it is often necessary to use dowels. When this part is driven into the wall surface, a reliable fastening unit is created that can withstand heavy loads. A correctly driven dowel is almost impossible to remove from the body of material in which it is fixed. Let's figure out how to drive dowels into a wall correctly.

Type of dowels

There are many types of dowels. For each specific case, different ones are selected - it all depends on the task at hand. All dowels are divided into two large groups: universal and spacer.

Spacer

Expansion dowels include fasteners whose body undergoes expansion during installation. The top part of the part is usually made of dense plastic, while the core, which is screwed into the sleeve, is made of plastic or metal. Such dowels are mainly driven into solid walls with solid filler.

Universal

Universal dowels can be fixed in a wall that is hollow. The material of the upper part of such a dowel, under the influence of the rotating force of the core, twists and forms a nylon surface that fits tightly to the surface of the hole made in the wall. To fix insulation, dowels with wide heads are used.

Disc-shaped

The length of the dowels varies widely - from 20 to 120 mm. The same applies to the diameter of parts – from 4 to 20 mm.

One of the most popular fasteners are plastic expansion dowels. The body in such parts is made of nylon, polypropylene or other identical materials. The sleeve of such a dowel looks figurative - many sharp protrusions and tendrils are visible on it, thanks to which the part “sits” firmly in the wall. The plastic expansion dowel is equipped with a metal core that is longer than the outer base. The core is threaded or has cone-shaped formations. Thanks to them, the inner part of the dowel, when screwed in, is firmly held in the plastic sleeve and, accordingly, in the wall.

The process of driving a dowel

During construction and repair, the dowel with a self-tapping screw or dowel-nail is most in demand; they can be fastened in different materials. In order to properly fix them in the wall, ensuring high-quality fastening, certain conditions must be observed. Only at first glance it seems that driving dowels into the wall is very simple. In order not to damage the material, you must follow the rule that the dowel body should not protrude beyond the edge of the wall surface.

A hole is being drilled

  • A hole is made in the wall with a hammer drill, and the diameter of the drill must match the cross-sectional size of the dowel sleeve. It is important that the depth of the hole is 0.5 cm greater than the length of the dowel.
  • After the hole is made, it must be cleaned with a long object at hand. To get rid of dust, the hole can be blown out with air or, for example, cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
  • Then you need to insert the dowel body into the hole and hammer it in until the edge of the part coincides with the surface of the wall.
  • After this, the self-tapping screw is screwed into the plastic base almost all the way. In the version with a nail, the latter is driven in with a hammer. The core, after entering the body of the outer shell of the part, will have a bursting effect on the base in the hole, and it will be almost impossible to pull out the dowel. To install the dowel efficiently, you need to follow all the necessary rules.

Dowel in hole

It is necessary to take into account that the core needs to be twisted, and not driven in with a hammer. Otherwise, the bushing may rupture and lose its fastening properties. This statement is only suitable for dowels whose core is a self-tapping screw. The nail must be driven in with a hammer until it stops.

Video

Watch an illustrative video on installing a dowel-nail:

kakpravilnosdelat.ru

How to hammer dowels into a wall

When carrying out repair work, it often becomes necessary to drive a dowel into the wall. This may be required, for example, when installing suspended ceilings or in other cases. Even hanging a simple shelf or picture on the wall without this procedure is extremely difficult. In this regard, it will be very useful to know how to drive dowels into a wall.

Before we begin describing the technological aspects of the work, it would not be superfluous to decide what a dowel is and what it can be.

A dowel is usually called a device that serves to firmly hold fastening elements in any surface. In other words, simply screwing a self-tapping screw into concrete will not be enough. Besides the fact that this is quite difficult, it is also pointless, since such a connection will be fragile. It will be impossible to rely on such a fastening. To increase reliability, a plastic sleeve is inserted into the prepared hole in the wall, into which a self-tapping screw is then screwed. This sleeve is the dowel.

Based on the design features and application options, we can conditionally distinguish at least two types of these fasteners.

  • Expansion type dowels, which are usually used to attach something to walls made of solid material. They are plastic bushings that are fixed inside the hole due to the protruding elements of their design.
  • Universal dowels. They can be used when fixing elements on walls made of hollow materials. The essence of their action is that when the screw is tightened, the dowel expands and becomes deformed, filling the voids and providing a strong fastening.

It is worth saying that it is not enough to simply install a dowel into the wall, but you need to know how to do it correctly.

  • First you need to determine the required location. This is necessary so as not to drill the wall several times. Therefore, you need to mark the exact location of the hole with a pencil. It is better to spend more time on the necessary measurements and markings than to later look for ways to fill unnecessary holes.
  • Once the wall is marked, you can start drilling holes with a special drill. This is best done using a hammer drill or an electric drill with a perforation function. The tool must be positioned strictly perpendicular to the surface to be drilled. Otherwise, the drill is likely to break. Next, with slight pressure on the tool, a hole of the required depth is drilled, which must correspond to the length of the dowel.
  • When the holes are ready, you need to insert the dowels themselves into them. To do this, you need to lightly push the fastening element with its end into the hole, after which, with light blows of a rubber or wooden mallet, hammer in the dowel over its entire length. With correct calculations and work, the dowel should be tightly and firmly fixed in the hole, level with the wall.

It is worth saying that in order to properly fix the dowel in the wall, you need to choose a suitable drill. In addition, the dowel should be driven into the hole. It should be equal in diameter to the dowel. This is the only way to avoid worrying that a mirror suspended on such a fastener, for example, will not fall.

Video

In this video tutorial you will learn how to attach dowels to a concrete wall:

www.stroitelstvosovety.ru

How to hammer a dowel nail

In order to fasten technological and decorative elements to concrete and brick surfaces during repair work, dowel-nails are used in many cases; in other cases, ordinary self-tapping screws can be used. Due to the high friction force, they provide a high degree of connection reliability. Driving a dowel-nail can be done by only performing preliminary preparation of the mounting hole for it.

To drive a dowel-nail you will need a dowel-nail, a concrete drill, pliers, a hammer, a hammer drill or a drill.

You need to select and prepare all the necessary tools that you will use to drive in dowel nails. If the work will be carried out on concrete, you can use a hammer drill or an electric drill with a bumper. If you plan to drive dowels into a brick surface, you can use a hand drill or a hammer. For both cases you will need a concrete drill. It must have a diameter (stamped on the shank) corresponding to the same parameters of the dowel; the length of the working part (where there is a groove) must be at least five mm greater than the full length of the dowel. In addition, you need to prepare a center punch with a hammer.

You must choose the place where the dowel-nail will be driven in. Check to see if the thickness of the wall (floor, ceiling) is enough for you so that it does not break through during drilling. You must make sure that in this place there is no electrical wiring hidden in the grooves and channels located inside the slabs. When drilling into a concrete surface, you need to try to choose a place in such a way that it does not hit metal reinforcement. When working with brick structures, you need to avoid cement areas of the masonry, as this is where the dowel will not hold as well. You need to mark the selected location.

Drill a mounting hole for the dowel. To prevent the drill from moving away from the intended location at the beginning of drilling (especially when working with a hammer drill or concrete drill), you need to knock out a small hole in the surface using a punch and a hammer. Next, you need to place a drill in it and start working at low speeds. After deepening the drill by 5 mm, you can increase the rotation speed of the drill. When drilling brick, be careful and do not use the chipper mode.

Next, you need to hammer in the dowel-nail, but before that you need to get rid of the dust accumulated in the mounting hole. Next, you need to insert the end of the dowel there and, using light blows with a hammer, hammer it in to its entire length. If the dowel is damaged during the driving process, you need to remove it using pliers and use a new one. If you need to attach heat-insulating materials, then there is a special dowel for thermal insulation for this purpose.


Construction of energy facilities
Construction of the Kutuzovskaya substation Sitemap: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

www.nevasm.ru

How to firmly drive a dowel into a wall

In this article you will learn how to hammer a dowel for a durable and reliable fastening. In this matter, the correct selection of the hole diameter plays a key role, since the plastic element of the dowel must fit tightly into the wall. The choice of auger or drill type depends on the required hole size.

Also, do not get carried away with the depth of the mounting hole. So, how to hammer a dowel correctly the first time? The best criterion when choosing depth is the direct length of the plastic element of the dowel, with a possible addition of 1-2 mm for the cap to fully fit into the wall. If you make the hole too deep, the dowel will become loose and will not withstand the expected loads.

When drilling or drilling a hole for fasteners, you must keep the hammer perpendicular to the wall. This is due to the fact that drilling at a different angle leads to an involuntary expansion of the hole, and therefore reduces the fit of the dowel base.

After completing the drilling, you should thoroughly clean the hole to remove any accumulated dust; it is better to use a vacuum cleaner for this. Blowing through the hole with your mouth is not recommended, as it is less effective and can cause contamination of the eyes and respiratory tract.

How to hammer a dowel into a base made of different materials

When working with walls made of soft building materials (such as foam blocks, cellular concrete), it is necessary to use special fasteners. The use of traditional dowel elements is not effective, as they expand the base and do not allow the dowel to be fixed in the wall.

There is an option in which you can limit yourself to ordinary dowel elements when working with soft walls. For this purpose, a gypsum solution is used, which must be poured into the hole before driving the dowel into it. With this option, the plaster will fill the voids and secure the base of the dowel in the wall. But this is an ineffective method and should be used only in cases of extreme necessity.

For walls made of soft materials, it is more effective to use dowels with full twisting into the plastic part. This fastening retains high strength and firmly fixes the dowel in the wall material. How to hammer a dowel of this design? In the usual way: the plastic base is strengthened, and then the metal element is screwed in (at this moment the dowel is rolled into a knot). Easy and reliable!

Today there is a huge number of fasteners that allow you to install certain items. One of the most popular fasteners is the dowel. This is a special element that has a large number of varieties. Now let's look at the most popular types of dowels and learn how to attach a dowel.

"Quick Installation"! Dowel nail

Another common name is “quick installation”. Its popularity is mainly due to the fact that there is no need to use a screwdriver or tighten a screw to secure it. In this case, everything is much simpler. A hole is pre-drilled in the brick/concrete, then a dowel-nail is inserted into it and driven in with a hammer. Installation of certain items on this type of self-tapping screw is very quick and easy. Where is it used most often?

Very often it is used for installing skirting boards. In most cases, skirting boards already have the required number of holes. The hole should only be made in the wall, in previously marked places. It is very important that installing skirting boards using a dowel-nail is very convenient, quick and simple. When all the holes are ready, a dowel-nail is inserted into the holes on the baseboard, which is driven with a hammer all the way to the edge. As for the size, for skirting boards it is best to use 6x40 dowel-nails, and a 6 mm drill for drilling holes. It is best to use a dowel with a fungus. A hidden cap will not provide the necessary stability, unlike a fungus. However, for plastic skirting boards a hidden cap will be sufficient.

It should be noted that the dowel-nail has different types and sizes. As mentioned above, the dowel-nail has a secret cap and a mushroom-shaped cap. The secret one has a small side, the fungus, in turn, presses much harder. The dimensions of the dowel-nail are:

  • 6x40.
  • 6x60.
  • 6x80.
  • 8x60.
  • 8x80.
  • 8x100.
  • 8x120.

As for choosing a drill for drilling a hole, it should be chosen directly to the diameter and length of the dowel-nail you have chosen.

Note! The nail in this dowel has a head with slots for a Phillips screwdriver. This is done for the purpose of dismantling if necessary. It is not designed to be screwed in; it just needs to be driven in with a hammer.

The design of the butterfly dowel and its installation

A fastening device that resembles a butterfly in shape. During the process of twisting, the dowel is compressed, due to which special legs are pressed against the back wall of the drywall. One of the advantages of this fastener is that it increases the area of ​​pressure generated when hanging an object. In other words, the specific shape of the butterfly dowel evenly distributes the entire resulting load on the drywall. Several design features should be highlighted:

  • Used for installing single and double sheets of drywall, respectively. The butterfly dowel can also be used for fastening chipboard, gypsum fiber board and other sheet building materials that are suitable in thickness.
  • Sold complete with a self-tapping screw according to the length and type of thread. However, if for some reason it does not fit, you can replace it with another type of screw.
  • The part of the dowel that is inside the drywall sheet does not rotate around its axis. This is achieved thanks to the ribbed surface of the element.
  • Internal threads on the far head facilitate clamping and folding. And the presence of special internal legs, which are attached to this head, provide greater rigidity when the butterfly dowel is twisted.

Fastening this dowel is quite simple and reliable. A few minutes are enough for this. The installation sequence is as follows:

  1. Where it is planned to organize the fastening, a mark is made with a pencil.
  2. A drill makes a hole. It should be of such depth that the plastic dowel fits completely.
  3. Then fasteners are put on the self-tapping screw. It could be just a bracket, a hook, a special plate, a clamp, and so on.
  4. At the last stage, a self-tapping screw is screwed into the dowel until it stops. During the screwing process, the plastic dowel behind the sheet of drywall folds. You can feel this as you twist it. To check the strength, lightly pull the dowel towards you. But be careful not to tear it out.

In some cases, it can be problematic to use a butterfly dowel. This is due to the fact that the space between the drywall and the wall is very small. In this case, you need to drill a small hole in the wall. This will allow you to screw the screw into the plastic dowel without any problems. This method will avoid using a long dowel and screw to secure it to the wall. Thus, the suspended structure will rest securely on the drywall.

Molly dowel attachment

This type of dowel also has some installation features. A hole is drilled with an eight millimeter drill. Then a dowel is inserted into the drywall, which has a side with two teeth and is pressed tightly. This action will prevent the anchor from twisting when it is fixed. After this, using the screw that comes with the kit, using a screwdriver or screwdriver, the dowel is screwed tightly to the drywall. In this case, the central part of the sleeve is twisted, thereby providing excellent fixation to the object that will be secured.

Dowel molly has a number of advantages, for example:

  • Has the ability to withstand loads of up to 35 kilograms.
  • The screw and dowel are sold as a set.
  • If necessary, the structure can be dismantled.

In turn, it has one significant drawback, namely the high price. However, a molly dowel for drywall is ideal!

Drywall dowels

Particular care must be taken when choosing and, accordingly, installing dowels for drywall. To secure a shelf or cabinet to drywall, you will need special dowels. Their choice will largely depend on the weight of the suspended structure. If you make incorrect calculations, there is a high risk that the structure will simply fall.

One of the most common types of dowels is the plug dowel. It consists of two parts, namely a cork and a dowel, respectively. In most cases, it is used for fastening certain objects in a concrete wall. Its spacer part consists of three nylon sections. There is a passage hole in the tail section. It is this that greatly facilitates screwing, as well as good movement of the screw during the process of tightening it. Thanks to the expansion, which is carried out simultaneously from three sides, the dowel is securely held in the wall. In some cases, the dowel plug can also be used for fastening in drywall. However, as experts recommend, it is better not to take risks. Although some people consider a dowel-plug to be a universal fastener, it is best to use a special dowel-nail. In general, all specialized dowels for drywall have one main difference - the harpoon expansion principle. It is he who ensures high-quality fastening of the structure. All drywall dowels can be divided into two groups:

  1. Unclamping.
  2. Walkthroughs.

Spring pass-through

Walk-through dowels are practical in cases where the fastening should be carried out in the ceiling, for example, when installing a chandelier. The spring pass-through dowel has a threaded metal rod, a spring mechanism, and folding locking wings. During its installation inside the plasterboard structure, the spring mechanism opens when acted upon by the locking hook-wing. This creates a reliable fastening. In this case, the other end of the spring dowel can have a different shape: in the form of a ring, a rod, a screw, etc. The choice of shape is directly influenced by the object that will be suspended. This mechanism is also practical in cases where drywall is lined with ceramic tiles.

Self-tapping dowel

This type of drywall dowel is made from two different materials:

  1. Nylon grade TT22.
  2. Metal DRIVA.

As a rule, they are used in cases where it is necessary to attach to a single-layer or multi-layer plasterboard sheet. Moreover, it may have a decorative coating and insulation on the inside. The main difference between self-tapping dowels is their size. When choosing it, you should make sure that it will not stick out on the other side. As for the DRIVA self-tapping dowel, it is made from an alloy of aluminum and zinc. It is noteworthy that to attach them there is no need to pre-drill a hole in the drywall. The end of such a dowel is equipped with its own drill. They are very easy to screw into drywall, providing a secure fastening. They can withstand quite a lot of weight of an object. The dowel itself is tightened using a simple screwdriver or screwdriver.

Note! If the sheet thickness exceeds 15 millimeters, then it is recommended to first drill a thin hole.

Dowel umbrella

Its shape resembles an umbrella. The umbrella dowel provides reliable support. It opens in the space behind the stove. It is especially popular for fastening objects to the ceiling. For example, it can be used to mount a chandelier. To install it you will need to pre-drill a hole in the drywall. Thanks to its full opening, an even distribution of the load is organized over the entire area. Here is the installation sequence of the dowel-umbrella:

  • The first step is to drill a hole in the plasterboard ceiling. The hole should be slightly larger than the diameter of the dowel itself. This is an important requirement, since at the time of fastening there is a risk of damaging the sheet.
  • Then you should screw the dowel into the drywall. This must be done carefully so that the last turn does not spin in the drywall.
  • At the next stage, the object itself is attached, and the resulting hole near the fastener can be covered with special putty. It is advisable if it is acrylic putty, as it has a rubber base, which will prevent cracking.

So, we have looked at the most common types of dowels that are used for fastening objects in drywall and more. If you want the item you are hanging to be held firmly, you should carefully select the fasteners. We welcome your comments. You may also know some other types of dowels that can be used to secure objects in drywall.

Dowels are used to attach furniture, paintings or other objects to brick walls, as they can withstand heavy loads. In order for the fastener to be securely held in the base, it is necessary to select the correct type and size depending on the grade of brick or concrete. If the dowel is not used for its intended purpose, it may not withstand the load and fall out of the hole.

1. Externally, the dowel looks like a cork and has a cylindrical shape with a cavity. When the screw is screwed in, its body expands and rests against the walls of the hole. The most common are nylon and polyethylene expansion dowels. To prevent a screw or nail from falling inside, the fastener is equipped with a special collar equal to the diameter of the screw head.

2. For walls made of porous or hollow bricks, anchor fasteners are used. As soon as such a dowel begins to be screwed into the brickwork, its end expands or twists into a knot. The resulting “nut” inside the voids securely holds any object.

3. Nail dowels are used for fastening slats under cladding with finishing material; they are small in size. They come with a nail. Install them together through a hole in the rail and wall. Then they hammer it in with a hammer.

4. Special umbrella dowels are used to attach thermal insulation. An umbrella is inserted into the hole in the wall and through the insulation, and then a nail (plastic or metal) is driven in. For large loads, for example, up to several tons, metal dowels for concrete and brick are used.

5. Metal fasteners are best suited for suspended ceilings. In the event of a fire, the plastic ones will melt and the ceiling will collapse.

Advantages of dowels:

  • reliable fastening that can withstand heavy loads;
  • easy to use;
  • Can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Due to the presence of spikes and whiskers on them, they do not turn while screwing in the screw.

Before drilling, you need to find out what the wall is made of. To do this, install a Victory drill bit into the drill and turn it on in shockless mode. Slowly make a test hole. In this case, the drill should only be held perpendicular to the wall. The degree of softness of the material is determined by the effort expended. If at times the drill passes easily, with gaps, it means that the walls are built of hollow bricks.

The material can also be determined by dust from the hole:

  • concrete – light gray, white, feels like flour;
  • silicate – white, like sand;
  • foam concrete - soft, coarse-grained, also like flour;
  • brick – red.

When choosing dowels, you need to take into account the load they will have to withstand. For example, for exercise machines it is recommended to use fasteners with a depth of at least 85 mm. The dowels should be the same size as the hole.

Installation Guide

The mortar between bricks can crumble due to mechanical stress, so you need to work with brick walls carefully. For drilling, you should use a drill, not a hammer drill. Because the brick is destroyed by impacts. This not only spoils the appearance of the wall, but also makes subsequent use of the damaged area for installing a dowel difficult. Making a hole even and the right size in a brick wall that is crumbling is extremely difficult. Hollow building material should never be drilled using the impact method, as this will cause it to crack.

Step by step guide:

  1. In the place where it is planned to drill a hole, a mark is applied (pencil or pen).
  2. A recess is made with a knife or nail. This will make it much easier to start drilling a straight hole.
  3. When choosing the diameter of the drill, it should be taken into account that the dowel should go in with little effort. If the diameter of the fastener is 9 mm, then the hole should have the same diameter. If the brick dowel moves, it may fall out under the weight of the load. The depth of the hole should be equal to the length of the dowel. It is also necessary to check that the screw matches the length of the dowel and is not too short or too long.
  4. The drill is installed perpendicular to the recess, and they slowly begin to drill in a non-impact mode. As soon as the depth becomes 1 cm, increase the speed and drill further to the desired size.
  5. If the drill does not have a stop-limiter, then in order not to make the hole too deep, a mark is placed on the drill. To do this, apply a dowel to it and apply a mark or tape at the same level as it.
  6. After a hole has been drilled in a brick wall, it is thoroughly cleaned of dust and pieces of brick. A vacuum cleaner is great for this purpose. Simultaneously with the technique, you can clean with a pencil, moving it in and out.
  7. A dowel is inserted into the hole and carefully hammered in with a hammer, not too hard, so as not to damage it, otherwise it will have to be replaced. If you plan to hang the cabinet on special hinges, then first screw in the screw, but not all the way, leaving a gap of about 2 mm. After which furniture is hung on it. In other cases, for example, when attaching sheathing slats, it is twisted (hammered) to the end.

Recesses are made in concrete using a hammer drill. In this case, the cross-section of the drill must match the size of the dowel. Unlike brick, the hole in concrete is made 5 mm longer than the fastener. After which it is cleaned of dust and crumbs, and only then the fasteners are clogged.

If you don’t have enough dowels, you can always make them yourself. To do this, a round peg of the required length and diameter is cut from a wooden block. It is desirable that it has a cone shape, as this makes the fastening more reliable. Standard dowel sizes: diameter – 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm, length – from 25 to 160 mm.

Construction pistol

This modern device will help you quickly “hammer” dowels, or rather, it uses special dowel-nails with a moving washer. There is no need to make holes to work with it. Thanks to the strong piston, the construction gun fires the fastener with great force. It is excellent for both solid bricks and concrete. The driving depth can be adjusted. At the end of the dowel there is a washer, which moves towards the head during driving. As a result, the landing is even more reliable. A construction gun is used to secure metal and wooden objects to concrete or brick.

Before choosing fasteners, you should accurately determine the load that it will experience, as well as the material from which the wall or ceiling is made. To keep it as firmly as possible in the brick wall, you can use dry tile adhesive. The solution is pushed into the recess, after which the fastening element is inserted. After a day (depending on the speed of drying of the glue), you can screw in the screw.

Materials characterized by a dense structure and high hardness, which include concrete, brick, natural and artificial stone, are actively used not only in the construction industry, but also in repair work. That is why the question of which dowels to choose for concrete and other solid materials in order to securely fasten various objects to building structures is very relevant.

The fastening element, which will be constantly under load during operation, must be correctly selected not only in its dimensions, but also in other parameters. Only in this case will it be able to ensure high reliability and durability of the formed connection.

What is a classic dowel?

The classic dowel for concrete and other solid materials has been preferred by specialists in the field of construction and repair for a long time. Consumers often call it a “dowel-nail.” Concrete fasteners can be made of metal, nylon and various types of plastic. Naturally, products made from different materials differ in their characteristics and, accordingly, in their area of ​​application.

The load-bearing capacity of a dowel on concrete is determined by its design features. In the classic design, a dowel-nail is a sleeve, the entire outer surface of which has special notches that prevent such an element from turning in a hole in a wall or in any other building structure. Special whiskers, which, due to their elasticity, are constantly in a decompressed state, help prevent the fastening element from being pulled out of the wall. When a screw is screwed in, the fastening element expands due to longitudinal slots on its surface, which ensures high reliability of its fixation.

Parameters of dowel-nails with a mushroom-shaped edge used for through installation (click to enlarge)

In addition to dowel fasteners, which operate on a mechanical principle, the modern market offers dowels for porous concrete and other similar materials, fixed in the holes through the use of a special adhesive composition. By filling the internal cavities of the porous material, the adhesive composition reliably fixes such an anchor element in a previously prepared hole.

The classic dowel-nail intended for concrete is such a universal fastener that it is quite difficult to list all the areas of its application. With its help, they install frames for various purposes, attach furniture and interior items to the surface of walls, fix household appliances at the required installation location, and also solve a whole list of other important tasks.

What is the difference between a dowel for concrete and a dowel for brick

High reliability of fastening obtained using dowel-type products will be achieved only if they are correctly selected not only taking into account their size, but also the material of the structure in which they will be mounted.

Experts do not recommend using concrete dowels for installation in brick building structures. This recommendation is especially relevant when it comes to hollow bricks. In this case, special fasteners are used for installation, which differ from a conventional dowel-nail both in design and in the features of use.

Masonry fasteners have extended dimensions and a double thrust mechanism. Like a dowel designed for concrete work, such a fastener can be plastic or metal. The reliability of fastening a brick dowel is ensured by the fact that at least one of its spacer elements does not fall into the cavity in the brickwork, but into its solid part; it is this that ensures the required fixation of the anchor in the wall or any other building structure. The expansion of the dowel spacer sleeve occurs when a threaded rod or screw is screwed into it, the diameter of which must be selected correctly.

A dowel intended for concrete works on a completely different principle and can only be used for installation in solid solid materials. Such a dowel is driven under pressure (which is why it is often called a nail) into a previously prepared hole. If you try to fix concrete fasteners in a brick wall, the internal structure of which has many air cavities, you can simply destroy the mounting hole. Even if such a dowel is metal and has a considerable length, you still will not achieve reliable fixation in brick or any other porous, hollow and not very durable material.

Considering all of the above, you should take a very responsible approach to the selection of fastening elements for structures made of various materials, differing both in their hardness and the characteristics of their internal structure. The markings applied by manufacturers on the packaging of such products helps to understand what a particular fastener is intended for.

Rules for installing dowels for brickwork

Considering the fact that installing a dowel fastener intended for brick is somewhat more difficult than fixing a dowel used for concrete work in a wall, you should understand this procedure in more detail. In this situation, it is very useful to take advantage of the experience of specialists, who are often faced with the need to securely fix objects that have even very significant weight on brick building structures.

If in order to fix a dowel for concrete work in a building structure, which is driven in like a simple nail, it is enough to use a minimal set of tools, then to accurately and securely fix the fastener in a brick wall you will need:

  • a hammer drill or drill needed to drill a mounting hole;
  • drill of the appropriate diameter;
  • adhesive intended for laying ceramic tiles;
  • a set of rubber spatulas of different sizes.

The procedure for installing a dowel into a brick wall consists of the following steps.

  1. The first thing to do is to carefully drill a mounting hole for mounting the fastener. This can be done using an electric drill or hammer drill with only drilling mode (no impact) turned on. It is important that the diameter of the drill used to perform this procedure exactly matches the diameter of the dowel itself.
  2. After drilling, the hole must be thoroughly cleaned of construction dust and pieces of material that have crumbled into its internal cavity. You can check how thoroughly you have cleaned the hole using the dowel itself: it should fit in without difficulty or obstacles.
  3. When the hole is thoroughly cleaned, you can begin work with dry tile adhesive, which must be diluted with water in the proportion specified by the manufacturer. After the adhesive mass is ready for use, it is necessary to fill the hole drilled for the dowel. You can use a rubber spatula for this, and you can push the adhesive mass into the depth of the hole using the dowel itself or an ordinary pencil. When the hole is completely filled with adhesive, you can insert a dowel into it, which should go into it all the way. After this, you need to let the adhesive composition completely harden, which is quite enough for 24 hours.
  4. After the tile adhesive has completely hardened, you can screw a threaded element (pin or screw) into the dowel. In this case, be sure to pay attention to the fact that screwing occurs with some force. This means that your dowel is securely fixed into the brickwork. Fasteners obtained using this simple technology are highly reliable and can withstand even significant weight loads.

You can also use this method if you need to install fasteners in a porous material (the use of concrete dowels for such structures is also prohibited). Such materials, in particular, can be gas or foam concrete, porous brick, etc. Taking into account their high popularity in the modern construction market, the choice of fasteners that could ensure reliable fastening of objects fixed on such structures is a rather serious problem.