NAILING DOWN THE RIGHT FASTENER FOR YOUR HOME-IMPROVEMENT JOB.Byline: Edward R. Lipinski The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times The most common household fastener is the nail. They're good for joining wood together because wood fibers grip, but they're not effective in materials like wallboard, plaster Plaster A plastic mixture of solids and water which sets to a hard, coherent solid and which is used to line the interiors of buildings. A similar material of different composition, used to line the exteriors of buildings, is known as stucco. or masonry masonry: see brick; concrete; stonework; tile. masonry Craft of building in stone, brick, or block. By 4000 BC, Egypt had developed an elaborate cut-stone technique. because these materials offer little or no gripping power. Fortunately, specialty fasteners fasteners In construction, connectors between structural members. Bolted connections are used when it is necessary to fasten two elements tightly together, especially to resist shear and bending, as in column and beam connections. are available that are designed for such applications. Special fasteners are available for hollow walls; they grip the plasterboard by expanding in, or behind, the wall and remain securely in place. For plaster, concrete or masonry, there are expansion anchors that widen to grip the surrounding material. A well-stocked hardware store or home center will carry a wide selection of these fasteners. Specifications on the label will usually list the load capacity of the fastener, whether the device is suitable for light, medium or heavy loads. In general, light loads are those up to 400 pounds. Medium loads are between 400 and 4,000 pounds. Heavy loads are above 4,000 points. Bear in mind, however, that these load ratings are only for the fastener; they do not take into consideration the structural integrity of the supporting wall. Almost all specialty fasteners must be inserted into a hole drilled into the supporting material. Usually the specifications on the package will indicate the hole diameter required. If you're working with plaster board, you can drill holes with a high speed drill bit. Plaster, concrete or masonry will quickly dull an ordinary drill bit. For these, it's best to use a carbide-tipped bit. Carbide-tipped masonry bits are available in diameters up to -1/2 inch. If possible, use a variable-speed drill and run the drill at a slow speed (about 500 rpm). This will keep the bit from overheating Overheating An economy that is growing very quickly, with the risk of high inflation. . For larger holes, it's easier to drill the hole with a smaller bit (about -1/4 inch) then enlarge TO ENLARGE. To extend; as, to enlarge a rule to plead, is to extend the time during which a defendant may plead. To enlarge, means also to set at liberty; as, the prisoner was enlarged on giving bail. it with a larger bit. If you have to drill a number of holes in hard concrete, you can rent a hammer drill A Hammer drill, also known as a "rotary hammer" or "roto-hammer", (see also rotary hammer drill) is a rotary drill with a hammering action. The hammering action provides a short, rapid hammer thrust to pulverize relatively brittle material and provide quicker drilling with less for about $10 per day (rental costs may vary from store to store). This tool uses a special percussion percussion /per·cus·sion/ (per-kush´un) the act of striking a part with short, sharp blows as an aid in diagnosing the condition of the underlying parts by the sound obtained. masonry drill bit that can bore a hole in few seconds. Make sure that you ask the dealer for a demonstration before you operate the tool, and be sure to wear proper safety gear. While there are a number of new hollow-wall fasteners available, the most popular are still toggle To alternate back and forth between two states. toggle - To change a bit from whatever state it is in to the other state; to change from 1 to 0 or from 0 to 1. This comes from "toggle switches", such as standard light switches, though the word "toggle" actually refers to bolts, hollow-wall expansion anchors and plastic anchors. A toggle bolt consists of a pair of spring-loaded wings threaded onto a long bolt. To use the toggle bolt, squeeze the wing section together against the bolt and push it through the hole you've drilled in the wall. The wings will expand to grip the opposite side of the wall. When the bolt is withdrawn from the assembly, the wing section will disengage dis·en·gage v. dis·en·gaged, dis·en·gag·ing, dis·en·gag·es v.tr. 1. To release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles. See Synonyms at extricate. 2. and drop behind the wall. If you are mounting a fixture An article in the nature of Personal Property which has been so annexed to the realty that it is regarded as a part of the real property. That which is fixed or attached to something permanently as an appendage and is not removable. on the wall, it must be installed on the bolt and held in place while the toggle bolt is tightened. This is no problem for a lightweight hook or shelf bracket, but it can be difficult if you're mounting a heavy fixture. Here it may be easier to use an expansion anchor. The expansion anchor is inserted into a hole drilled in the wall. When the companion bolt is threaded in the anchor, the anchor expands and grips the wall. The bolt can be removed without dislodging the anchor. This feature makes it easy to install a cumbersome fixture by first securing the anchor in place, then attaching the fixture with the bolt. Plastic anchors are another type of expansion plug. Tap one into a -1/4-inch hole and drive a screw into the plug center; it will expand to grip the wall. These are relatively cheap anchors and are suitable for light-duty applications. Another type of hollow-wall anchor combines the advantages of the toggle bolt and the expansion anchor. It's made of plastic and has wings like the toggle bolt. Squeeze the wings together and push the anchor into the drilled hole. The wings will expand on the other side of the wall. Because concrete walls are thick, masonry fasteners can only grip from within; they cannot fasten to the opposite side of the wall. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion