Child Item

How to install clothesline with masonry anchor?

Bit of a silly question, but I'm trying to install the Hills Clothesline: https://www.bunnings.com.au/hills-26m-woodland-grey-single-folding-clothesline_p0170054 but had a question about installing the anchor into the wall.

This is the current state:

From the videos I've seen, they hammer the entire thing through the fixture and into the hole in the wall. But I can't seem to hammer it any further in without hitting the bracket itself. Am I supposed to be able to hammer it in all the way before tightening?

This is my first time using masonry (?) anchors - I'm used to using hollow wall anchors inside the home where the fixture isn't in the way when securing the anchor itself so this is a bit different.

Thanks in advance!

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Building and Construction

Comments

MitchellMc

That's not a silly question at all, @barydos. In fact, I've sat here for five minutes trying to think of what the issue would be.

Just to confirm what I believe you're stating, it's the sloped bracket that is impeding the bolt going fully home, not that you didn't drill the hole deep enough?

If we presume there is nothing around with the design of the product, then my first thought is that you've placed the holes ever so slightly too close together. In the first image, it appears that the top bolt could have been placed slightly higher, and then the head would have cleared the sloped internal side of the bracket. Have you already tightly done up the bottom fixing? If so, undo it slightly and attempt tapping on the top bolt again. If we are lucky, that might allow the bracket to shift downwards and give you the room you need to install the top fixing.

I presume there was a template for the bolt holes, but I know when drilling masonry, the bit tends to wander on me. So, where do we go from here? Well, given that it's quite difficult to remove Dynabolts from masonry, I'd likely try and remove the one that won't go in and find some washers to pack out that space between it and the bracket. Placing the washers on the shaft of the bolt will allow the expansion of it and lock it in place. Failing that working, you'd need to remove the bolts and shift the locations of the holes.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

barydos

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/33221#Comment_33221

Thanks for the quick reply 🙂

Allow me to clarify further! Firstly the top and bottom ones have been tapped in slightly but not tightened at all yet.

Also I was referencing this video: https://youtu.be/fjySuK0uc2c?si=ncNoIUn05sTkMbiH&t=63 where it appears they simply hammer it in and then tighten. But it's the hammering in part which is my concern because at this point it's not flush with the wall yet (probably another 1-2cm until the anchor is flush). The drilled out holes are definitely deep enough but if I try to aim the hammer at the anchor, my hammer is too fat, and will hit the bracket instead.

Perhaps I shouldn't have relied entirely on this video, and assuming this is the only way to install. I wonder if I can just treat this as a normal anchor (like a hollow wall anchor)??? For instance, maybe I can just remove the bolt from the anchor and the bracket off the wall, then re-tighten (SLIGHTLY) the bolt to the anchor, and hammer the anchor into the wall. And then finally remove the bolt and add the bracket, and then with the bolt again tighten completely?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/78937#Comment_78937

Oh, so sorry @barydos. I presumed you meant the inside sloped wall was preventing the bolt from being driven home as it was contacting it. Now I see you mean it's the outside of the bracket, and that prevents a hammer from hitting the bolt home as the head of it becomes recessed below the height of the bracket.

I presume you'll be using a socket set to tighten the bolt as in the video due to it being recessed? If so, just pop the socket on the head of the bolt and tap it with the hammer to drive the bolt in.

Mitchell

barydos

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/103754#Comment_103754

Thanks! I was never sure if that was a bad idea to hammer the socket set directly or not but that did the trick.

Side note, I also tested out a Ramset Dynabolt on a spare brick and confirmed that I should definitely not treat it like a normal anchor inside the house where you secure the anchor and THEN put on the fixture - whereas the Dynabolt needs to be tapped in directly through the fixture. I actually tried unscrewing it and then the bolt head could no longer be screwed in to the threaded part... but that hole is hidden behind the bracket now (phew)! The more you know..

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/118927#Comment_118927

No, it's not good practice to go whacking away on a socket @barydos. But, using it to tap a Dynabolt into a correctly-sized hole shouldn't be an issue.

Great work and I'm so pleased you've resolved the issue.

Mitchell

Child Item