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Unit: Installing cabinets on-site

Supporting: LMFKB3006A Install fitted cabinets and components

Section 1: Fasteners and sealants

Fasteners for masonry


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Masonry fasteners are used to fix items to brickwork, stone, concrete, and similar materials.

Most of them require a pre-drilled hole to allow the fastener to be pushed into position and then secured.

An exception is hardened steel nails, which are fired into place using an explosive powered tool.

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Where a pre-drilled hole is required, you need to use a masonry drill bit, which is similar to a standard 'twist drill' bit but with a tungsten carbine tipped point.

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You should also use a drill that has a hammer or percussion setting, unless you're drilling into soft material such as mortar joints between bricks.

Set out below are some common examples of masonry fasteners.

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Anchor bolts

These are sometimes called sleeve anchors, expansion anchors, or simply 'dynabolts', which is a particular brand name. They work by expanding the sides of the sleeve inside the hole as the bolt is tightened up.

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Self-tapping masonry screws

Self tapping masonry screws cut their own thread into the concrete or brick as they are screwed in. They have less strength than a dynabolt, but are quick to install and useful for lighter loads.

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Nylon screw plugs

There are various designs of nylon plugs for screws, but they all work on the same principle. As the screw is tightened up, the plug expands and holds fast inside the hole.

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Nylon anchors

Nylon anchors work in a similar way to nylon plugs. The difference is that they use a nail with a threaded shank to expand the sleeve, which means that they are hammered into place, rather than screwed.

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Plastic plugs

Plastic plugs are designed for wood screws. They are a simpler version of the nylon screw plugs, and come in a range of colour-coded sizes. (See the Just for fun exercise for more details.)

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Power actuated fasteners

These fasteners are generally hardened nails, and are fired into place using an explosive charge. The gun is commonly called by its brand name, such as 'Ramset gun' or 'Hilty gun'.

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Chemical anchors

Chemical masonry anchors use a heavy-duty adhesive to glue the bolt in place. Because the anchor does not require an expansion sleeve, it can be used close to an edge without the fear of the edge breaking out under pressure.

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Learning activity

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You're probably familiar with at least some of the fasteners we've described in this lesson, and you may have used them many times in your work. However, there could be particular fasteners that you have never used or even seen before.

Patented designs are always known by their brand names, such as 'Loxin' (a type of expansion sleeve anchor bolt) and 'Chemset anchor stud' (a chemical anchor).

Choose a masonry anchor that you either currently use at work, or would like to know more about. If you're not very familiar with the anchor, do some research on what its particular advantages are (that is, why it is used in certain situations) and how it is fitted. If possible, see if you can use it in a couple of jobs to find out for yourself how it works. When you've finished, write down the following details:

  • Brand name of fastener

  • General class of fastener (e.g. 'expansion sleeve anchor', 'nylon anchor' etc.)

  • Advantages (including the applications for which it is most suitable)

  • Disadvantages (including situations where you would not use it).

Share your findings with other learners in your group and your trainer. You may take digital photos of the anchor, both loose and in a completed job, to include with your answers.

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