I have just installed a 1.4m X 150mm X 50mm spruce beam between the garage and house. At present it is a good interference fit but I am a little worried when it gets saturated it might expand and put pressure on the brickwork.. Is there any place I might find the information?

I also need to attach a 100mm X 100mm gate post to the brickwork, I intend to use some shield fittings with projecting bolts, the drill size being 20mm diam. With the bricks having frogs which in the past I have found not fully filled with mortar, I was wondering if I would be better aiming my holes in the mortar lines rather than the centre of the bricks. Any advise welcome.

Richard