I need to mount a shelving system to a wall. I’ll need it to carry some weight, so I want to see if anybody has a better idea than mine. The wall is old wood paneling furred out 1/2″ from a block foundation wall. I dont want to attach anything to the furring strips, because I have no idea how those are attached to the block. I was just thinking tapcons, but am having doubts because the part of the shelving system that attaches to the wall won’t actually be in contact with the block wall its attached to. Does that make sense? It will be the shelving support, then the wood paneling, 1/2″ of dead space and finally the block. BTW, the shelving support will run perpendicular to the furring strips so the tapcons won’t suck the support up against the block. Thanks.
Edited 12/17/2008 10:59 pm by day off
Edited 12/17/2008 10:59 pm by day off
Replies
What kind of shelving system? Some mount a top ledger rail and let the verticals hang freely. Some screw verticals to the wall at two or more places.
If the latter, you could put Tapcons through the furring strips (they run horizontally, right?), thus avoiding bending the shelving supports and gaining a little shear value from the furring strips.
If the former, you would have to mount the ledger on a furring strip or cut through paneling and place a backer board behind each Tapcon to bring the ledger flush with the paneling.
Blocks are only about 1 1/8" thick at the voids, so unless they are grouted solid, you will get no value from extra long Tapcons.
It's the type of shelving system with the top ledger that everything else hangs off of. If the ledger is rigid steel, do you think I need to put backer blocks behind the paneling? The steel ledger will run perpendicular to the furring strips so it shouldn't suck in between the strips.
Attach your steel ledger by installing the tapcons at the same locations as the furring strips. Drill thru the paneling, furring strip, and finally the block and install the tapcon.
Size your tapcons so as to have enough length to penetrate into the cement block. I don't know how heavy a load you plan to carry, but also make sure you use the proper diameter size...5/16 dia is bare bones minimum...3/8 dia usually works fine for most things, 1/2 inch dia if really, really heavy...anything larger is probably overkill for shelving.
Also using too long Tapcons can be counterproductive as most of the longer ones have longer shoulder/unthreaded part. They should be sized with shoulder equal to held material and in this case including panel and furring.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
I have not found tapcons to be reliable in block. I am willing to grant that there might be better and worse blocks out there ... but as a result of my experiences, I avoid using tapcons in block.
Instead, I would use 'drop in' anchors, that you use a pin to set a wedge in the base. Then you use the bolt of your choice.
Another possible choice .... one that I personally have not tried .... would be to epoxy anchors into the block.
When it comes to fastening with tapcons, I'm with you....sometimes they grab real well, and other times not at all.
I believe the fastener you were describing is sometimes referred to as a wedge bolt. Hilti makes them in all sizes and lengths and refers to them as Quick Bolts.
They work excellent. That too would be my first choice when fastening heavy loads.
For light loads, I've good success using a fastener that we always called a "hit anchor."
Hit anchors contain a lead body with a split in the bottom . A pin, which resembles an 8 penny nail is located in the top. You drill a 1/4 dia hole, insert the anchor thru the piece to be anchored and into the drilled hole in the concrete, then hammer the pin tight. The pin spreads the split end open and wedges tight into the concrete. These have always worked well, but are hard to remove, so you gotta make sure the piece you are fastening is lined up just right.
Concrete block might imply a basement situation. IF the floor joists above the wall are perpendicular to the wall and you can live with an industrial work, then I hmbly suggest this idea:
Suspension shelves
There is a fastener called a "Sammy" or "Sammie" which has a 1/4" or 3/8" wood thread on one end and a machine thread nut [1/4" or 3/8"] on the other end. [There are other versions for sheet metal and also 90*.] You can drive them into the ceiling joists with an impact driver.
Then you hang all thread from them. I recommend 3/8" for stiffness. Then in your planks, you drill your holes and thread them in place with washers and nuts, top and bottom. TaDa and Viola!!
Note, you can replace the Sammie's with hanger bolts and rod coupling nuts.
~Peter