Jack wrote:
I have a new KraftMaid cabinet (to be used as a bookcase) that I want to
mount on a stone wall (actually the chimney in an old New England center
chimney home). The surface is very irregular, and I am assuming the stone
is granite. It's been painted so many times, it's not easy to tell which
is stone and which is mortar.

My intent is to mount a board to the wall with masonry anchors, and then
mount the cabinet to that. First problem is that most local hardware
stores (including the HD) only have light duty anchors, and where I found
mid or heavy duty, I couldn't find anyone who could explain the different
types or make a useful recommendation.

In addition, the first hole I drilled hit a void in the mortar, and so
seems useless for any anchor. The next hole I tried didn't go anywhere,
although I was using a very old masonry bit.

Will a new masonry bit make a dent in the stone, or do I absolutely need
to find the mortar or rent or borrow a hammer drill?

OK, let me see,... where do I start?

First, let me start with the intricate nature of drilling into
masonry. You would probably need a hammer drill with a
percussion bit (not a masonry bit). Masonry bits are
destroyed when used in a hammer drill. If you are drilling
into mortar, you will probably get by with a masonry bit and a
standard drill. If you are drilling into stone, then you will
need a percussion bit on a hammer drill, preferably a rotary
hammer such as a Hilti TE-55 or so.

Keep in mind that you are drilling (pounding actually) into a
wall which may cause cracks if you get too close to an edge or
corner.

Next we have fasteners to choose from. In this situation, I
would probably opt for the more expensive epoxy fastening
system due to its strength, but also because using any type of
expansion anchor may cause the rock or mortar to crack,
thereby rendering it useless. If you do not want to go that
route, then I would use a sleeve anchor, as they are strong
and do not put as much pressure on the sides of the hole as
other anchors do.

HTH


--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX