Best fixings for Gardena hose reel on coastal rendered brick wall?

[hammerandnails]

I’m installing two Gardena 30m retractable hose reels

on the rendered brick exterior of my house, which is located near the coast. I’ve read that the included wall plugs may not hold well in brick over time, especially with daily use of the reel.

I’m after recommendations for suitable fixings that will provide a secure, long-term hold, are coastal/weather resistant, and won’t risk damaging the render or brick face. I’d ideally like to purchase everything from Bunnings, but I’m also open to other suppliers if needed.

Has anyone done a similar install and found a reliable fix? I’d really appreciate hearing what worked for you — especially on rendered or coastal properties.

Thanks in advance!

[EricL]

Hello @hammerandnails, 

I propose using the Ramset 300ml Chemset UltraFix Plus along with the Ramset M10 x 130mm Galvanised Chemset Stud - 10 Box and Ramset Multifit Sieve - 4 Pack. This anchoring kit is specially designed to go onto brick walls.

Here is a handy guide that will help: Ramset™ UltraFix PLUS Polyester Anchoring Kit.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag and @Noyade for their recommendations. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @hammerandnails 

To offer an alternative bolt to secure the retractable hose, how about Ramset 8 x 60mm Galvanised AnkaScrew Masonry Anchor I have found these to be solid and stay solid. You can also get them in boxes of 10 or more.

You drill the specified hole for your size screw and then you use a spanner to do it up. Thats it, If your holes on the retractable hose are large you may need some washers to make up the ifference.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @hammerandnails 

I have installed a lot of hose reels over the years including the Gardena 30m retractable hose reels which I have two of myself. Both of these are fastened to a rendered wall using the supplied fixings. They are of the right length and head size so they fit within the recessed openings of the mounting bracket without crushing the side walls. And like all my installs to date they are coastal, which has zero impact on the fastening system. Nor does the weather.

If you prefer to use different fasteners, make sure the head of the fastener fits within the body of the mounting bracket and that you can access it with a socket.

Then whats most important when fastening heavy objects into masonry is ensuring you fastening all 4 screws (min 3) into solid brick and not into the course behind the render. And finding that location is typically not an easy one. The anchor screws @Dave-1 recommended are great, but will only work well within the edge of a solid brick or it will tend to crack it. They also don't fasten in mortar. Plus I'm pretty sure the head of a 12mm wont fit within the bracket recess. The Ramset™ UltraFix PLUS Polyester Anchoring Kit @EricL is an excellent new product and worth considering if you do strike either a hollow core section of a brick or hit mortar. The video is worth watching, though I'm not sure how well it will fasten in mortar, but @EricL may know?

A bit of personal feedback on the Gardena hose reel being at the top end of the price point and with excellent reviews, they haven't lived up to my expectations after around 3.5yrs. Both of mine are becoming increasingly weaker in retracting, especially the last few metres. They generally always require a lot of back'n fourth assistance with no water pressure to stiffen the action. And the one that gets more exposed to the weather has faded badly on the top. See the image below which is a screenshot of a review with the same issue. The rest of the reviews are made straight after installation and yet to be tested over time.

At the other end of the price-point, nearly all my customer installed reels tend to be these Holman ones These are typically chosen on price when they add installation on top. Despite the poor reviews, I haven't had one comeback. Though the issue would be back to Bunnings and not my installation. What I don't like about these is the overly-strong retraction system. If you don't have a good grip, they tend to pull out of your hand at high-speed all the way back to the reel. However at half the price, they may possibly retain their retraction strength over time. Having said that, the customers like them, especially when they have been extended full length.

Nailbag

 

[DIY4Knuckleheds]

G'day hammerandnails l am always wary when attaching a heavy item to a brick wall especially when attaching something like a large retractable hose reel that is going to be constantly reeled in and out putting pressure on those fixings. To counter that, even though my walls aren't rendered brick, when l installed my 30 metre Hoselink seven years ago l concreted two galvanised 50 x 50 posts into the the ground, painted them black and then attached the garden reel to it. Works like an absolute charm and l never have to worry about it coming loose from the wall. I've attached a few photos to show you what l did. Cheers 👍

[hammerandnails]

Thanks very much for the info you provided on this one! Just wondering if something like this would a be also be a suitable option & what your thoughts on it were: https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-12-x-100mm-stainless-steel-dynabolt-plus-hex-nut-masonry-anchor_p...

Mainly asking as it seems simple, low cost & won't rust - drill the hole then put the anchor in & tighten.

[JacobZ]

Hi @hammerandnails,

DynaBolts don't tend to work particularly well on common house bricks that have holes in the centre of them. 
 

This is because the expansion can crack the core of the brick, which can irreparably damage the brick and make the Dynabolt unable to grip .

If your house was constructed with these bricks, then the option @Eric_L recommended is your best bet, as the Chemset and sieve will work together to fill the holes and create a good, solid anchor. Have a look at this video on Ramset's YouTube page for an example of how it works - Ramset™ UltraFix PLUS Polyester Anchoring Kit.

If your house is built with core-filled besser blocks, then you would be fine using the Dynabolts you mentioned.

If you weren't sure what your house was constructed with, then it would be better to use the Chemset and sieve method just to be safe.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[hammerandnails]

Thanks everyone for your great input! I've decided to go with Eric's solution but with stainless steel chemset studs to prevent rust (had to order elsewhere but rest from bunnings).

Will let you know if I have any issues, but expecting it to be straightforward. Thanks again!