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Radiator rawplug fiasco


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Hey all,

 

Back once again to pick to pick your builders brains and gather sage suggestions :D

 

Over time the factory provided screws & rawplugs have worn loose, to the point i had to remove the radiator for fear of it falling! The screws provided were 60mm long and solid enough for the job. But the old brickwork/plasterwork is incredibly crumbly and left me with huge holes (see pic below) - i could literally pull them out the wall in the end. the radiator is 46kg weight (i'd assume empty), and has 4 mountings with 2 screws in each - that leave the holes in the pic for each mounting

 

So my conundrum is what to do next. I already have some 10mm wide/60ml long sturdy rawplug replacements, but i can see the 1st 20mm into the hole is just dust & wont hold up

 

Would you guys consider any of the following:

  • Buy 80mm (or longer) screws & drill deeper
  • Fill the 1st 20mm with standard masonry filler (add some sort of rock hard adhesive perhaps?). Any brands/suggestions?
  • Use rawplug resin filler & add the original screws/rawplug replacements into the wall, then cake up around it the 20mm layer with resin when it situ?
  • Use rawplug filler pads that line the hole & bond to that?
  • Make fresh holes 10cm along?
  • Something else?

 

Apologies if it's been asked a dozen times before - i couldn't find it on the forum

 

Many thanks for your time

Shadow

 

thumbnail2.jpg

Edited by SilverShadow
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36 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Use resin and screwed rod, and put nut on it once bracket in place.

.... But just to be clear, don't tighten the nut until the resin is well and truly set which takes a few hours.

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Many thanks guys 

 

 

just to clarify if I may.

 

I presume the resin solution comes as a kit with rawplugs & screws, so no need to use my existing replacement rawpligs, or old screws?

 

For fitting, I assume I'd fit the raw plug, fill with resin, cut down the screwed rod to say 60 or 70mm then insert, then add more resin to fill the last 20mm wider hole almost back to wall surface? Then leave to dry of course 

 

Many thanks again 👍

Shadow

Edited by SilverShadow
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Impatient?

 

Drill new holes in the bracket.

 

Buy 80 mm screws and brown wall plugs. Drill deep holes in the wall. Push two brown wall plugs deep into each hole using a screw. Use say three screws per bracket. (two at the top and one at the bottom) That should get you into the brick not the plaster.

 

If you're an animal you hols the bracket in position then drill the bracket and wall at the same time with a 6.5 mm SDS then bash the wall plug through the bracket and into the wall without removing the bracket. (the 6.5 mm SDS bit in crumbly brick should give you a tight fitting "just about possible to bash it in using a screw as a drift" wall plug. Some experimentation might be needed depending on brand. 

 

Up the screws to 100 mm if you've got solid walls and thick plaster rather than cavity walls.

 

You can't fix into plaster. That's what's probably happened. Maybe yoy hit a mortar line. Either way just whack a hole through the bracket where the wall wants it to be rather than where the bracket wants it to be and you're good.

 

Fill the old hole with some non structural whatever. Or resin in some threaded rod with a nut on the end. Leave the nut loose; hang the radiator relying on the screws; then nip behind with a spanner to finish tighten later because it's cold just now.

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Thanks again guys 😁

 

I'll look at getting some 80 or 100mm screws & drill the existing holes deeper. The wall is indeed solid brick with 20mm plaster

 

I have these 50mm × 10mm Rawlplugs, & was wondering if they will do the job nicely if pushed down to brick level?

 

Combined with using resin it should hopefully be enough. Or should I try those mesh rawlplugs down to 80 or 100mm as required?

 

Thanks for all your expertise 👍

Shadow

 

89398-1.jpg

Edited by SilverShadow
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>>> Use resin and screwed rod

 

+1 something like this: https://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/resin-fixings/cat840022

 

Sometimes called chemical anchors. Read and follow all the instructions exactly, including the bit about sweeping the hole carefully with a bottle brush. Discard the 1st bit of resin from the tube if it’s not mixed thoroughly. You might want to plan for the rod being not exactly centred in the hole, but you can jiggle it into centre when you first put it in to help.

 

Forget the screws and rawlplugs unless you want to do the job again later.

Edited by Alan Ambrose
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Another option (used many times on old walls or dot and dab etc.). Make a big hole, fill with plaster with a bit of cement added - goes off quickly and rock hard. Drill and fix into this.

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Thanks again guys 😀 

 

My plan is to clean the new deeper holes of dust, then put some resin in 1st (half fill the drill holes), then push in the raw plugs & let it set, before adding the screws later

 

This way I can screw in afterwards, and check the mountings are aligned and level, then finish off with more resin once I'm happy the radiator fits back on correctly 

 

Does this seem sensible? If not then will I be able to remove the screws later (if added at the time of applying the resin) and adjust/rescrew if needed? 🤔

 

 

Edited by SilverShadow
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If you have a small bendy straw, bit of electrical earth sleeving, or other thin tube they clean out the hole better than just a brush. 

 

I've even used a balloon pump to clear a hole of debris before. 

 

Resin fixes better than anything I know.. But it's a one time fix. Make sure your brackets are level, or the radiator won't be! 

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If if was a big hole, a damp rag on a stick brings out the last of the dust. For yours perhaps a cotton bud!

BUT. Trade tip, once you've squirted  or forced the mixed resin into the hole you must push the rod in slowly while rotating it slowly.otherwise the resin scooshes out. Also this turns any dust into harmless filler. 

Then support the bolts horizontally....maybe need some bits of  of stick for that.

Look at the resin instructions for times for handling. Very slow in cold, very fast in the warm.

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1 hour ago, FuerteStu said:

If you have a small bendy straw, bit of electrical earth sleeving, or other thin tube they clean out the hole better than just a brush. 

 

I've even used a balloon pump to clear a hole of debris before. 

 

Resin fixes better than anything I know.. But it's a one time fix. Make sure your brackets are level, or the radiator won't be! 

 

Thanks Stu - that was my original concern.

 

I had wondered whether Coach screws would be a feasible alternative to studs 🤔 

 

Apologies for so many daft questions - I'm just exploring whether its possible to use coach screws, to be able to insert/remove later once the resin had set around the rawplug 

coatch_screw_1-824493886.jpg

Edited by SilverShadow
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Mark hole.

drill 8mm hole, follow instructions

get 6mm rod- Screwfix sell it for under £5

resin into hole, filling from the back to front, 

fit bracket, twist rod into hole filled with resin

fit nut to rod and tighten

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