Suggestions / Tips for attaching Hard Top brackets to garage wall

Hi All!

With summer around the corner, I thought I'd go ahead and get some wall brackets to store the hard top on the garage wall (bought from MG Mania LTD on Ebay). Given the hard top is 18-20Kg's and a bit of an awkward shape I just thought I'd see if there was anything to note from anyone who's installed them.

Plan is to ensure all the holes go into brick and not morter, the rawl plugs that came with the bracket look pretty cheap so was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what to use to ensure these brackets never falls out (as if it does it'll probably hit the car)? I'm good with securing stuff to plasterboard but not done anything with any weight on brick before, so wanted to check  

Thanks for any help!

Jonny

 

I tend to always go up a size of screw or rawlbolt if you can. Also if the brackets are large enough I usually drill at least one more hole in each bracket to add another screw. Use a masonry drill the right size for the rawlplug. Its right when the rawlplug needs a light tap from a hammer to go in as it will then expand correctly when the screw goes in.   For heavy duty jobs though I tend to use masony screws that go straight into brick without need for a rawlplug    masonry screws on Ebay

I made my brackets out of pieces of wall plate brackets, fixed with at least 3 2" screws and brown wall plugs into 10mm dia holes. Held solid and strong enough for the last two years.

Would you deem hanging the hard top a heavy duty job or you think a rawl would be suitable? Those concrete screws sure do look much simpler! 

Do you then go up a size in screw relative to the rawl plug to just get as much expansion of that plug as possible?

Bracket has 2x holes, so I can see if I can a position to drill one more and not hit any morter. 
 

In my other reply I showed the brackets, they have two holes in them (they are a copy of the original OEM ones I believe). You'd suggest one more hole in them too then it seems. 

Will see if I can get correct spacing to avoid any morter, off too the tool shop for me to get some more bits!

I would drill another hole in that bracket. Be aware that some bricks are not completely solid the ones we used to build our bungalow have 3 vertical holes instead of normal frogs. So I have to drill into the mortar joint in most circumstances. But the garage is lined with concrete blocks so not so much of a problem in there. Good luck. G.

"Do you then go up a size in screw relative to the rawl plug to just get as much expansion of that plug as possible?"

Sorry I meant go up a size of screw and rawlplug. If they have supplied thin screws and smal yellow plugs or smallish red plugs I'd suggest going up to the brown plugs and slightly larger screws.

Those long brackets are just crying out for at least one extra screw hole

Get proper metal expanding wall plugs from Hilti, Ramset or the like. A lot of the plastic stuff is rubbish, not all but most is, and you don't want to risk finding the hard top on the floor with chunks outta the gelcoat and all scratched up, because the wall plugs were not up to the job!

Good to have you back Cobber. Hope recovery is progressing well.

As to wall mounting I made a wooden platform the shape of the bottom of the back end of the hard top. That was screwed to the wall, and to stop it overbalancing the top i.e. the bit that fits to the screen fits between the wall and the roof truss timbers. To keep the bottom from being accidentally displaced I ave two bent aluminium flat bars that rotate down for removal and back up for keeping safe.
 

Good wall anchors will have a load rating of what they'll hold in a straight downwards pull at 90deg to their axis.
I have no idea what a hard top actually weighs.......but lets say for arguments sake it weighs in at 20kg, now lets assume there are 4 mounting screws required.....divide 20kg by 4 = 5kg per anchor now as the hard top has it's centre of gravity away from the wall double that to 10kg per anchor, now add a further safety factor of at least 25% because you can never be sure that all the anchors are holding equal as one of the bricks may have an unseen crack and that brings you to at least 12.5kg for each anchor. Over engineered? Yes of course but better than doing a half arsed job that falls off the wall!
This is of course assuming it's solid bricks you're drilling into, some modern bricks are of hollow type construction and will hold very little without crumbling to bits you may be better off drilling straight through these and mounting a plate on the other side to spread the load across several bricks.......it's the price we have to pay for the modern age of crapification, where everything is made cheaper and nastier!

So much depends on the material and condition of the wall you are fixing to so it is difficult to recommend fasterners that will be suitable in all cases, but it's worth bearing in mind that the pivot point is where the bottom of the bracket touches the wall, so it is the upper fixings that will be subject to the greatest tensile force (trying to pull the fixings out of the wall).

If you have any concerns, then I would consider fixing horizontal battens or a sheet of plywood to the wall first, and then screwing your bracket to these, as that will alow you to spread the load across a much wider area and allow for a greater number of fixings into the brickwork.