Drilling For Trellis on Red Brick Wall

[Maling]

Looking for advice on how to drill into a red brick wall for putting a climbing trellis up... do you drill on the brick or on the mortar?

 

[mathepac]

Personally, I'd drill the brick, but not with a hammer-action drill and I'd use a specialist tile and glass bit of the appropriate diameter.

Sorry but I can't post pictures. Example of what I mean, not an ad

 

[Horatio]

Consider gluing it up there with TEK7. It's mighty schtuff!!

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[Leo]

I don't think I'd risk a climbing frame to adhesive alone. Expanding bolts into the centre of the bricks is the way to go for greatest structural strength.

Fixing into the mortar for light loads can be better as it's easy to cover up the holes if you ever remove the fitting.

 

[Blackrock1]

Mortar for something like that , if you take it down you can fill the holes much hard fill brick

 

[Leo]

Mortar for something like that , if you take it down you can fill the holes much hard fill brick

I used to be convinced that was the best way too, but mortar is a lot less dense than brick, so doesn't have close to the same hold. Drilling a hole sufficient to hold a fixing big enough will leave it weaker still and prone to crumbling. If you think about it, brick needs to be repointed over time to replace what has crumbled and disintegrated through exposure to the elements.

 

[jim]

But if we re talking about fixing a wooden trellis then i dont think that is too weighty and could fix to brick or mortar using Tec7? Id agree re drilling holes for better structural integrity if its a heavy enough object.

 

[Blackrock1]

I used to be convinced that was the best way too, but mortar is a lot less dense than brick, so doesn't have close to the same hold. Drilling a hole sufficient to hold a fixing big enough will leave it weaker still and prone to crumbling. If you think about it, brick needs to be repointed over time to replace what has crumbled and disintegrated through exposure to the elements.

Point taken but for trellis it should be ok imo

 

[Leo]

Point taken but for trellis it should be ok imo

You know, I read climbing trellis and just thought of my little lad climbing on everything in sight....was thinking wall mounted climbing frames! You're right that it's probably for plants, in which case I'd definitely drill into the mortar and save damaging the bricks.