"Rawlplug" for Aircrete/Thermalite/Celcon blocks

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The Bear

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My workshop is made of Thermalite blocks, which can be problematic to fix to if the item is heavy. I saw in a magazine a few years ago some plastic wall plugs that had a large thread on the plug. You screwed that in the wall first then your actual screw.

Anyone know where to buy them from? Or is there a better type of plug?


Mark
 
I think the ones you want are the metal version, widely avaialble, which cuts a thread as it goes in. Stronger than the plastic but I'm sure you would want to drill a clerance hole first. I'm sure cut nails were recommended for thermolite.... but going back to when they were popular. Grounds were nailed and so on....cannot remember for heavier loads.
 
hi have a look at the wall plugs sold by axminster have just tried them myself for fitting kitchens and find they don't seem so spin like the cheaper brown rawl plugs we normally use
hth dave
 
The ones I saw in the mag were definitely plastic, the thread on the outside of them was massive. They obviously need to be plastic in order to screw a normal screw in and it get gripped. I seem to remember you did drill a pilot first.

Mark.
 
hi are you sure they are not ment to go into plaster board as that sounds very similar to what you use to fix in that
pip =D>
 
These are the ones Pip is talking about. IU was thinking the same lol
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no need for plugs use 5 or 6mm diameter screws.

they go straight in with no pilot hole..............


fromthe thermalite website:


Fixings
The majority of general purpose fixings give excellent performance in
Thermalite. Examples of such fixings are as follows;
• Cut nails, with a minimum penetration of 50mm
• Wood screws - No. 12 or 14 screws fixed directly into Shield
or Hi-Strength 7 with a minimum penetration of 50mm
 
With regards to Deejays post
masonsry screws are the way forward but are rubbish in thermalites. But if you use them and put a brown plug in aswell they provide a super strong fixing and relatively cheap and easy. Just drill a 7mm hole 10mm longer than the fixing.
 
I'm sure I used some in the past from Plasplugs. They were a dark blue plastic inser that you screwed into a pilot hole in the block and then ypu pushed a plastic thread locking rod to stop them getting screwed in further or unscrewed. I found their use a bit hit and miss. The current version seems to be http://www.plasplugs.com/acatalog/Therm ... xings.html

More recently I've used Fischer plugs http://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-high- ... f-50/92197 which seem to work OK. I always use long plugs and screws to give purchase further into the wall. I also used a very large version of these to fix a handrail to part of a wall that had been 'filled in' with these blocks (there used to be a window there before alterations). So far all the Fischer fixings have been fine you just have to make sure you tighten the screws enough - I find doing the last bit by hand helps to feel the time to stop.

Misterfish
 
Morning all

I've used masonry screws successfully in 'Thermalite' blocks, so it can be done. I think it's a question of drilling the right sized pilot hole and not over tightening them. I finish them off by hand and run a candle down the thread to help them in. Perhaps I've been lucky with the grade of block.

Thanks for the link Misterfish. I thought Plasplugs had gone bust. I'll order a few for really soft blocks.

Cheers

Dave
 
Another way I've had success with is to use ordinary wall plugs and a squirt of No Nails or similar in the hole before pushing the plug in. Allow it all to 'go off' a bit then give the screw a final nip up, sets very solid. Getting the plug out later can be problematic though.
 
Ive tried all sorts, the fischer UX10 plugs that misterfish liked to are definately the best, ideally with a 5x100 screw. anything stronger like resin is pretty pointless really as it's far stronger than the substrate.
 
Bizarrely I had a delivery from Axminster yesterday and bought some of the plugs Davem62 referred to in order to get free delivery. I will report back on how they are for me

Mark
 
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