I have a client who wants to reglaze her windows, but there are security bars over all of them that will have to be removed. The bars are attached with hammer-set anchors set into the exterior brick walls. How can I remove the anchors without damaging the brick? I assume I’ll have to drill into and pull out the “nail” in each anchor. Is there a special tool for this?
Thanks!
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Replies
Never heard of a tool for this. I think I would just grind off the heads, then reset them a little higher or lower and just drill new holes. Don't know if the drive pins are hardened. If they aren't, drilling should work.
Rich
If you are faced with what I think you have, yes, you have a problem. Are these the type of things that are like a big fat nail into which a smaller nail is driven into the center to expand the big nail?
If so, one approach would be to use an angle grinder to grind two flats on either side of the little, middle nail and then grasp the whole thing with a big pair of ViseGrips and twist it or the little nail out. Should take about 15 minutes apiece.
~Peter
Unfortunately, the heads of the wedge nail have been ground flush with the tops of the anchor bolt. My client said she had a guy from a window bar company come out once and he removed a set of bars in no time. I wonder if he cut the entire head off the anchor bolt? Sounds like a pain anyway.
The nail heads probably were not ground flush...they were hammered flush...which is the norm when installing a hit anchor...drive the small nail down tight. The nails are soft and will smash easily. Drill out the center nail and then pull the outer casing back out.
A lot of times, take a claw hammer and with another hammer, tap the 2 hammers to gently get enough bearing so to pry the hit anchor out. They can pry out...otherwise, drill em out.
Davo
Maybe you should call the guy and ask. Or hire him to remove/replace the bars.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
That would be the easy way. It wouldn't be the cowboy way. (Five points for anyone who gets THAT really obscure media reference.) And besides, that guy came out so long ago the client can't remember who it was. That's why she called me...
Wouldn't the cowboy way involve a calf to suck it out?
Here is my method - using a sharp small chisel I split the head of the lead anchor and then
chip that off which leaves the nail protruding then i pull the nail leaving the rest of the anchor in the wall I have had luck with needlenose vicegrips for that.
Good Luck
Grind the whole head off with an angle grinder. You will be pretty sure of not damageing the brick if you can keep the grinder from skipping off the mounting flang of the security bars.
Drive the remaining stub on into the brick, or if it is in a mortar joint you can try to pull the center hardened nail out. trying to pull it out of a brick may pop the face off of the brick. drive it in and set it with a center punch.
Holes in the motar are easily patched. Holes in the brick,... I dunno. Maybe someone else has some ideas on them.
I really need to remove the entire fastener because I'll need to put the bars back up in the same place when the reglazing is done.
Can you remove the stops on the windows and pull them out from inside?You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
If you can grind enough of the sleeve cap away it is possible to pull the pin sometimes. That leaves only the sleeve to drill out.
Might work but be a tediouse job.
Hope he but most of them in mortar joints.
A small concentrated Semtex charge perhaps?
The short version? You're SOL.
There is ONE way you might get lucky, though.
Using a rotohammer againxt the end of the bolts, you might be able to pulverize the brick around the anchors - making the holes a bit larger - then remove them. You can then use the same holes, and epoxy, to set new anchors.
Air chisel. Chisel the outer sleeve, it'll deform, then a wonder gar on the pin. BTDT.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"
Jed Clampitt
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A wonder gar! Who'd a thunk it? Now one of them suckers would be able to pull those measly pins out no sweat!
Course, keeping a wonder gar in the truck could get a bit dicey at times. ;-)
Wonder gar dentition:
View ImageMike HennessyPittsburgh, PAEverything fits, until you put glue on it.
Man, I can't get used to this new keyboard on a clunky LT I am switched over to..it's differnt than my other one JUST enough to throw me into Piffen pecking.I hit back space more than letters to correct every word.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Bumped into one of those tubing a Texas river once. Luckilly it was sunning with a full belly rather than shooing off rivals.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
He was concerned about damaging the brick.
I've used the chisel and pull method often. You sometimes get a little blow out around the hole with that method, which could be problematic on the face of the brick.
Then he wants to use the same holes to remount the security bars. I 've not had much luck with using old anchor holes unless I redrill for a larger size.
Hopefully all the anchors are in mortar joints. It would be a piece of cake then.
The metal frame that is there keeps the brick from taking a beating, has been my exp. The soft sleeve just deforms enough to get under it.The beauty of the air chisel is like a lot of little taps, instead of big force whacks like a hand sledge and cold chisel. Very little collateral damage or vibration shocks.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Good to know.
What kinda of compressor will handle an air chisel? i always thought they were air hogs.
I've run mine off my little 2 hp 5 gallon, it's not like you need the chisel at full bore for a long time. I never checked the CFM needed at 90 lbs but for short runs it's fine. I have an air ratchett that is much worse for air use.Hadda cut the rivets on a ball joint recently, got thru em in no time flat, faster than a grinder and cut off wheel.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
View Image
<I 've not had much luck with using old anchor holes unless I redrill for a larger size.>I've never had any luck trying to enlarge a masonry hole and having it come out circular. Always comes out triangular... how do you do it?http://www.tvwsolar.com
We'll have a kid
Or maybe we'll rent one
He's got to be straight
We don't want a bent one
He'll drink his baby brew
From a big brass cup
Someday he may be president
If things loosen up
Think about a diamond hole saw. You probably wouldn't have to go all the way, Chip it out and pull the anchor with vise grips
"Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
could'nt you just leave them in and color grout over them? too easy? too lazy? I don't know that's just me.
Ok...I used a regular old 1/2" chisel and a hammer to cut the heads off the anchors and then used a prybar to draw the nails out. That worked like a bleedin' charm on the first three, and then got a bit more dicey after that. Sometimes the nail would come out no problem, sometimes it would come part way out (which was enough to release the anchor come) and sometimes nothing would budge and I'd just end up pulling the whole anchor out and enlarging the hole a little. Occasionally on the hard ones, the face of the brick would chip a little. Be that as it may, the anchors are out and the holes are mostly intact.Next...what can I use to patch the holes and/or chipped brick? Everything will be hidden pretty well, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but I'd like to fill and redrill some of the holes at least. Is there a colored epoxy product or something?BTW...the anchors in the mortar joints (there were a couple) were completely ineffective. The bars have to be anchored in brick or they'll just eventually fall off the wall. The mortar isn't strong enough to hold something as heavy as security bars.
If as you said that the holes will be completely hidden then that opens up a whole field of options. Try going to a local hardware store if you have one in your area and they might set you up. If it was me I would just use a little mortar patch with some dye to match the brick. Good luck.
Ranger Doug would be proud of your work, doing it the cowboy way.
Five points for Jock!