Attaching Wood To Concrete

A very important tip is to use the right tool forconcrete or masonry with this system as well,
each method. When you're dealing with concreteespecially when using screws. Once screws are
and masonry, you're obviously dealing withjarred loose, they may not retighten.
extremely hard material. Woodworking hammersExpansion Fasteners. These fasteners are simple,
are too light and steel drill bits too soft. Theeffective and can carry a heavy load. They may
concrete is also brittle. Hard sharp chips are likelybe retightened should they be jarred loose.
to fly out as you work on it, so always wearBecause they require a larger hole, you really
safety goggles to protect your eyes.need a hammer drill to bore the concrete. If you
Nails. Nailing wood directly to concrete is probablycan't buy, borrow or rent one, try boring a 1/8
the simplest, quickest and cheapest method.inch hole first with a carbide bit. Then use
Unfortunately, once driven, these nails may jarprogressively larger carbide bits until you reach
loose from a few hammer blows to the side ofthe proper size.
the board. So, they are better for temporaryBuy these fasteners long enough to wedge into
fastening.the concrete as deep as the wood is thick. Drill
You'll usually find two types of special nails at theyour hole an extra 1/4 inch deep, since the bolt
hardware store, cut nails and hardened concretedraws back slightly when tightened.
nails. Drive nails with a 2- to 4-lb. hammer.Power Fasteners. These are extremely fast,
Actually, it's very hard to drive nails into curedpowerful and dangerous. They are primarily
(hardened) concrete, even with a 4-lb. hammer.professional tools which any untrained homeowner
They work best in concrete that's only cured forshould steer clear of until they fully understanding
a few days.the safety precautions. With power fasteners you
Nails can be quite effective in mortar joints,can quickly nail into just about any concrete or
however. Mortar is softer than either themasonry surface. Both the air and the
concrete block or brick, and it holds nails fairly well.power-actuated systems drive hardened nails
For best results, drive them right along the jointthrough the wood and solidly into the concrete in
edge. And here's a professional tip: for improvedone shot. Flying metal, wood or concrete are
holding power, run a bead of glue along thecertain hazards, so eye protection is essential.
backside of your wood before nailing it up.Glue. Over the past ten years construction
Predrilled Fasteners. There is a family of fastenersadhesives have improved and become more
that can be driven into a predrilled hole. These notspecialized. You can securely glue just about
only fasten wood to concrete, but will fasten justanything to a wall now. Since glued wood must be
about anything else to concrete as well.held tightly in place until the glue sets, it's handy to
They install easily, simply drill through the wooduse an adhesive with another fastening system
and into the concrete and drive the fastener.for mutual reinforcement; the glue dampens the
Drilling the hole is the only difficult part. Use avibration and jarring that may weaken the
carbide tip bit. Because these holes are relativelyfasteners, and the fasteners hold the wood tightly
small, your standard 1/4-inch or 3/8 inch poweruntil the glue sets.
drill can do an adequate job, although each holeProper preparation ensures a good glue bond. Be
may take several minutes to bore. A hammersure the wood and the concrete surfaces are
drill, however, will drill your hole in a matter ofclean and dry. Loose paint, surface chalking or
seconds. A hammer drill is expensive, but theymoisture will cause the bond to release. When
can be rented. If you have a lot of holes to drill,working with a very rough surface, apply a
they'll save a lot of time.generous bead to bridge the wider gaps between
It's a good idea to glue your wood to thethe wood and concrete.