HOW TO
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Skill
Level
One hammer: Novice
Five hammers: Experienced |
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Anchoring
— from lath and plaster to solid concrete
By Lou Granata
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Figure
1
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Figure
2
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Figure
3
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One day
I asked Jon Hearron, Vice President and General Manager of W.C.
Winks Hardware, what was the most common question asked by his
customers. The answer came quick, anchoring. How do I mount
this to that?
With the
help of Arti Lilien, Product Manager, he selected anchors that
he felt the home and small business owner could use to fasten
or hang items to a few common surfaces.
Hollow
Walls
Lath
and Plaster
The best hangers to use with lath and plaster are Floret Hangers
(figure 1). They come in five sizes, all rated to how
heavy the object is, from 10 lbs. to 75 lbs. The nails are what
separates this product from the rest, made of harden blue metal
gives them the best chance of not bending. With older homes
pre-drilling increases your success. Replacement nails are sold
separate.
Drywall
There are
a few anchors that work well with drywall. The best at holding
medium to heavy objects are back bearing anchors (figure
2, E&F). Predrill a hole to the size of the anchor insert
and compress.
Molly (expansion)
anchors (figure 2, A), also back bearing, expand in the
wall with a set screw, after reaching max expansion remove the
screw and use it to attach the article you need to hang.
E-Z anchors
(figure 2, B) are like screws, use a power drill with
a phillips driver to insert this anchor. Comes in a variety
of sizes.
Alligator®
anchors by Toggler® (figure 2, C) come in a variety
of types and sizes. All are great to use with hollow walls.
Yellow jackets
or conical anchors (figure 2, D) work best to hold smaller
objects like smoke detectors.
Solid
Walls
Sleave or
wedge-type anchors (figure 3, A) work by pre-drilling
a hole into the object and surface at the same time. Using a
wrench to tighten, their internal action spreads holding to
the sides of the mounted surface. All anchor or hit and set
(figure 3, B) work the same as wedge-type but can be
hit and set with a hammer.
Split bolt
(figure 3, C) are the best to hang wood to concrete.
Prep is
the same as above, the nub at the end does the holding. Once
set these anchors can’t be removed without serious damage
to the mounting surface.
Nail-in
or hit nails (figure 3, D) work in the same manner as
above. Designed to hold light to medium size objects, and meant
to be a permanent anchor.
The types
of anchors are numerous. We have covered only the basics of
a few. The customer representatives at W.C. Winks Hardware can
assist you in finding the right product for the job.
W.C. Winks
Hardware is located at 200 SE Stark St., Portland, OR. They
are open Mon.-Fri., 7:30a.m.-5:30p.m., for more information
call 503-227-5536 or log-on to
www.winkshardware.com.
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STRAIT-LINE®
Laser Level
Designed for a wide variety of do-it-yourself and professional
applications, the STRAIT-LINE® Laser Level casts a
line on any surface without leaving a mark. Perfect
to hang a picture or wallpaper, lay tile, install shelving
and any project that requires a straight line. Retailing
for under $50 this is a must tool for everyone.
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