Rawl Plugs in Masonry

[Thermo]

still use them on victorian garden walls, as they disintergrate too much to fit any kind of plastic plug in, when we put up trellis!

 

[joinerjohn]

I'm always amazed how many people don't know how to make proper wooden plugs for between brick joints and rely just on plastic plugs!
Oh the days of plugging chisel and axe

Ahh Ladylola,, the joys of using a plugging chisel and cutting timber down to make the plugs. Had to do skirting boards in a house once using this method. Seemed to take forever.
Drill, brown plugs and screws would have seen it done in a day

 

[drnail]

I'm always amazed how many people don't know how to make proper wooden plugs for between brick joints and rely just on plastic plugs!
Oh the days of plugging chisel and axe

still do it now when theres no drill or the drill has been left at home
long winded thou

 

[ladylola]

Agreed on the time thing. I don't use them all the time, only when I have to. I've said before I work mainly in restoration and sometimes trying to get a decent fixing is a right pain in the ----. Also we are often not allowed to fix into stone work , only the joints which are often crumbly lime mortar which aren't much of a friend to plastic plugs.
I've seen in the past where someone has tried to speed up the process and just nail directly into the wall, it works sometimes but more often than not it doesn't. I once came across a lenght of skirting that was a fraction over 26" and it had some two dozen nails holding it to the wall and it still came off with nothing more than a tug with a claw hammer.

 

[JohnD]

Here is the best DIY tip I've learned in 30 years (I heard it here)

Trying to screw into a crumbly wall? Or into a mortar joint?

Drill a hole which is an easy (loose) fit for the plug and screw

Clean out the hole thoroughly (I prefer squirting the dust out with water)

Poke the nozzle of a No More Nails or similar adhesive gun deep into the hole, so it fills from the back, and fill it as you slowly withdraw the nozzle
(with a bit of practice you will know when to stop)

Poke the plug into the hole so that it is seated in adhesive within the hole, with no air space. You can put the screw half a turn into the plug if you want, to tap it into place and so you can find the hole in the plug later.

Smooth it off with a wet finger

Leave it to set (preferably overnight. If the plug is a tight fit and will not turn you can use it straight away)

Drive in your screw. With no gap the plug will not turn or come loose. The stuff sets resilient and does not crack

In a garden wall exposed to the weather I suppose it would be better to use a waterproof type of adhesive.