In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy. There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going through
the battens and into the thermalite. The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On Tuesday, 18 June 2019 12:19:49 UTC+1, Tim+ wrote:

In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy. There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going through
the battens and into the thermalite. The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

Options include coach screws into large wooden plugs, or resin bonding them in, or supporting the supporting sheet at the ground. The 1st is the least strong. Or use floor sitting rads.


NT

wrote:
On Tuesday, 18 June 2019 12:19:49 UTC+1, Tim+ wrote:

In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy. There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going through
the battens and into the thermalite. The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

Options include coach screws into large wooden plugs, or resin bonding
them in, or supporting the supporting sheet at the ground. The 1st is the
least strong. Or use floor sitting rads.


NT


What sheet? Theres a plaster coat on the thermalite into which the battens
are embedded, or rather, were.

Think I might fix new battens that extend down to the floorboards to take
the vertical load.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On 18/06/2019 12:27, wrote:
On Tuesday, 18 June 2019 12:19:49 UTC+1, Tim+ wrote:

In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy. There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going through
the battens and into the thermalite. The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

Options include coach screws into large wooden plugs, or resin bonding them in, or supporting the supporting sheet at the ground. The 1st is the least strong. Or use floor sitting rads.


NT

I'd also expect long frame fixings to work, at least 125 mm. These
Anchor fixings might be even better

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rigifix-M8-.../dp/B01L4PQK9Y

On 18/06/2019 13:12, Tim+ wrote:

What sheet? Theres a plaster coat on the thermalite into which the battens
are embedded, or rather, were.

ditch the battens,. re skim and use long screws and plugs straight into
te thermalite



--
All political activity makes complete sense once the proposition that
all government is basically a self-legalising protection racket, is
fully understood.

On 18/06/2019 12:19, Tim+ wrote:
In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy. There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going through
the battens and into the thermalite. The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim


use the sort of plugs that kitchen fitters use, i.e. longer than
normal plugs and with parallel sides, the tapered ones are no
good. Drill the hole using a wood drill bit so that the plug
is a fairly snug fit, and make sure the bit does not 'wobble'
or you will end up with plug that just goes round and round and
makes the hole bigger.

On 18/06/2019 13:40, newshound wrote:
On 18/06/2019 12:27, wrote:
On Tuesday, 18 June 2019 12:19:49 UTC+1, Tim+Â* wrote:

In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings
were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy.Â* There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going
through
the battens and into the thermalite.Â* The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load
seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

Options include coach screws into large wooden plugs, or resin bonding
them in, or supporting the supporting sheet at the ground. The 1st is
the least strong. Or use floor sitting rads.


NT

I'd also expect long frame fixings to work, at least 125 mm. These
Anchor fixings might be even better

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rigifix-M8-.../dp/B01L4PQK9Y

The internal partition walls in my house are 3 inch blocks so that
would not be great idea !!.

On 18/06/2019 14:21, Andrew wrote:
use the sort of plugs that kitchen fitters use, i.e. longer than
normal plugs and with parallel sides, the tapered ones are no
good. Drill the hole using a wood drill bit so that the plug
is a fairly snug fit, and make sure the bit does not 'wobble'
or you will end up with plug that just goes round and round and
makes the hole bigger.

If this does happen, car body filler instead of a rawlplug is ideal.

I've lost count of the times that haqs got me out of trouble...sticks to
anything, can be drilled and tapped, takes woodscrews and self tappers,
spreads loads marvelously, can be filed sanded and painted..

--
"I guess a rattlesnake ain't risponsible fer bein' a rattlesnake, but ah
puts mah heel on um jess the same if'n I catches him around mah chillun".

On 18/06/2019 14:24, Andrew wrote:
On 18/06/2019 13:40, newshound wrote:
On 18/06/2019 12:27, wrote:
On Tuesday, 18 June 2019 12:19:49 UTC+1, Tim+Â* wrote:

In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings
were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy.Â* There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going
through
the battens and into the thermalite.Â* The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load
seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

Options include coach screws into large wooden plugs, or resin
bonding them in, or supporting the supporting sheet at the ground.
The 1st is the least strong. Or use floor sitting rads.


NT

I'd also expect long frame fixings to work, at least 125 mm. These
Anchor fixings might be even better

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rigifix-M8-.../dp/B01L4PQK9Y

The internal partition walls in my house are 3 inch blocks so that
would not be great idea !!.


well use bolts then!


--
€œSome people like to travel by train because it combines the slowness of
a car with the cramped public exposure of €¨an airplane.€�

Dennis Miller

Andrew wrote:
On 18/06/2019 13:40, newshound wrote:
On 18/06/2019 12:27, wrote:
On Tuesday, 18 June 2019 12:19:49 UTC+1, Tim+Â* wrote:

In the process of changing a radiator and found that the old fixings
were a
bit too flimsy for my liking.

The new one is a 2000x450 double convector so fairly heavy.Â* There are
currently three battens with two wood screws each, the screws going
through
the battens and into the thermalite.Â* The battens and screws just about
fell out when I tried to remove the screws. All the vertical load
seems to
have been carried by the plaster coat around the battens.

Whats the best wall fixing for this sort of load in thermalite?

Tim

Options include coach screws into large wooden plugs, or resin bonding
them in, or supporting the supporting sheet at the ground. The 1st is
the least strong. Or use floor sitting rads.


NT

I'd also expect long frame fixings to work, at least 125 mm. These
Anchor fixings might be even better

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rigifix-M8-.../dp/B01L4PQK9Y

The internal partition walls in my house are 3 inch blocks so that
would not be great idea !!.




In the end I decided I was being a bit paranoid. I found a bunch of 10mm
diameter long frame fixers in my odds and ends drawer so I drilled 10mm
holes in my battens and through the full thickness of thermalite. After
de-dusting I squirted a good wodge of €œno more nails€� (or equivalent) down
the holes and over the backs of the battens.

It all feels really solid now and Its got to be a lot stronger than it was
before (which must at least have been €œadequate€� all these years).

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

A nearby timber supplier in his hardware section has some concrete bolts that have a very coarse thread in a slow helix and it occurred to me that they might make quite a useful termalite fixing. Unfortunately having left termalite blocks in our last house I am not going to be able to try them out. At our last house the most effective fixing I ever used was a Fischer nylon plug with four vanes in a slow helix. To fix you drilled a 10mm pilot hole if I remember correctly and then hammered the fixing in. These were the only fixing I ever found that you could fix to and undo without losing integrity in the block. If you were unlucky to hit a mortar line then they could be problematic to get in. Unfortunately it seems that Fischer no longer make that particular plug but claim their general purpose nylon plug is suitable for aerated concrete.

Richard

Correction apparently they still make the plugs I described in my previous post, GB10 & GB8

https://www.fischer.co.uk/en-gb/prod...gb/50492-gb-10

RICHARD