Fixing battens to wall for granite worktop

[James_H]

I know that I will need battens on the wall behind the oven and diswasher, plus behind/around the sink unit to support the new tops. The cabinets are already fitted and with adjustment such as through the legs they are as good as perfectly level.

The problem I have is that my walls are made of a hideous block, that I can only describe as looking like a big grey Rice Krispies cake. Although easier now plastered, when drilling through, the drill bit tends to get deflected by the 'Krispies' and the hole is never exactly where you want it. (The blocks also have mininal sound insulation but that could be a whole new topic. )

With the existing millimetre-precision of the cabinets, just drilling the battens and drilling the wall, then fixing the battens to the wall will leave no adjustment and the battens almost certainly off-level/at the wrong height.

I could get around this by fixing L-shaped brackets to the batten with elongated holes to allow a more exact position, with the brackets fixed to the wall. It would be pretty similar to how the base units are fixed to the wall.

Does this sound a reasonable suggestion? The brackets for the base units only hold the units in position, with the feet taking the weight. For the battens, the brackets would be taking all the weight.

Any other ideas (not getting something other than granite or rebuilding the wall ) would be appreciated?

Thanks,

James

 

[Scrit]

The sliding L-bracket is one approach, or you could try polyester resin fixings. With a resin fixing the hole can be oversize and it doesn't matter. I'd also tend to run a bead of construction adnesive (such as Pink Grip) down the backs of the battens when you install them. No local supplier? Then you can do the same job with threaded studding and an epoxy cement kit.

Scrit