How to attach to house?

[Richard]

Several years ago, brother in law came. He added an awning above the garage door. Wife wants to duplicate it on the other side of the house.

Question is.... we can't see how he attached things. He didn't have a nervous breakdown.... but he's crawled into a hole and won't 'talk to the world' so I can't simply ask him.

As I recall, (and we have more) those are 12" long "log screws". Threaded 2-3 inches on the tip, rest is shaft. I can't believe he screwed those into the block itself.... is there any special anchor that you might use? Need any thoughts of epoxy or just tighten them down?

We've got the parts (that you see in the picture) already cut/stained, ready to mount. Already have the crossboards.... so this is essentially ready to go but for not knowing what he used and how he might have done it.

I'm always nervous drilling into blocks. Frankly, I would have rather NOT done it just so I can be 100% sure nothing is going to crack on me. Also, it's split face block. Wife seems to forget we won't be able to get a flat surface unless we take a grinder to it (like was done before). Again, I'm not keen on that but, it's been done and what do you say!!!

This "brow" is only two, maybe two & a half feet deep. It's just to help keep some water from landing closer to the house & splashing up on things. Thankfully, nobody will be walking on it!

 

[bdhsfz6]

Here are some general guidelines for attaching to cinder or concrete block:

For General/Medium Duty (Hollow or Solid Block):

• Sleeve Anchors: A versatile option that expands along its length, ideal for hollow block, and good for objects under stress.
• Lag Shield Anchors: A classic choice, with longer versions suited for softer cinder block.
• Toggle Wing Anchors: Specifically designed for hollow walls, they have wings that expand behind the block for strong holding power.

For Heavy-Duty (Solid Block or High Stress):

• Wedge Anchors: Provide extreme strength for heavy loads and are best for solid concrete or block.
• Chemical/Epoxy Anchors: Offer the strongest fixing by embedding a threaded rod in a chemical adhesive, ideal for very heavy machinery or structural attachments.

For Light-Duty:

• Tapcon Screws: Good for light attachments, but use a smaller masonry bit and consider adding construction adhesive for better grip, especially in hollow cores.

Key Considerations:

• Hollow vs. Solid: Cinder block has hollow cores, which significantly impacts anchor selection. Toggle wings and double expansion anchors work well in hollow areas.
• Drilling: Always use a sharp masonry bit and a hammer drill for cinder block.
• Adhesive: Modern adhesives can significantly improve the holding power of any fastener and help even out inconsistencies in the block.
• Material Hardness: For very hard block, short anchors or specific anchors are needed; for softer material, longer expansions are beneficial.

If it were me, I would try and attach to the hollow core of the block using stainless steel toggle bolts or toggle wing anchors plus adhesive. Contact with treated wood can cause ordinary steel to corrode.

I'm not sure of the weight involved but 5/16" or larger bolts would be best.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Anchor bolts like these should do the trick.

 

[Richard]

look at picture, appears he has the log screws (12" long) going into block. will the anchor bolts accept a screw? (im thinking no)

 

[Rockbadchild]

look at picture, appears he has the log screws (12" long) going into block. will the anchor bolts accept a screw? (im thinking no)

No they won't... its one or the other... I am guessing there is wood behind the bricks and he drilled holes through the bricks to anchor it. I don't know if there's a way to know how solid that wood his or to detect studs behind the bricks... but you are right sometime these bricks are simply appearance and are simply standing there.

 

[Richard]

These are structural blocks. The corners of the house, as I understand, were backfilled with concrete. These aren't near there so these "should" be hollow blocks.

No wood behind. What you see (without recalling measurements) are 4x6 solid "whitewood" (I think they call it). I'm doubting he used any type of adhesive between the wood and blocks.... I'm guessing he drilled into the blocks.

Knowing him, it's possible he "simply" drilled the screw, scored the blocks and then drilled hole into block (as opposed to inserting an anchor) Only way for me to know is to ask him or take apart and look. He's not returned anyone's calls/texts, anything.... his daughter is in wheelchair and isn't a good intermediary to go between.

Personally, this strikes me as an unnecessary "busy project" that the wife created as she's prone to creating busy projects. If it was screwed into wood or sunk into ground, I'd not mind as much but I really don't care to grind down portions of the blocks because you can't undo that.

(turns out yes.... she CAN greatly hide that by splattering some concrete on there and doing her magic..... she's pretty artistic. That doesn't change my mind that I'd rather not grind on house with a diamond wheel)