FIXING HOLDS TO BRICK, BLOCK WORK, STONE OR CONCRETE

The question we often get asked is can I put some of your holds on the side of my house? The answer is usually yes as long as you have a flat surface. On a similar vein the Beacon has been involved with many school projects where bolt-on holds have been fixed to playground and gym walls. This can provide a low budget opportunity to provide a climbing wall. If you are considering this type of wall you need to consider the following points:

• Is your wall structurally sound, if there is any doubt you should get a structural engineer to check it out. If we are given full details of the proposed wall we can have the check carried out by our structural engineer.
• Are there adequate flat areas to take bolt-on climbing holds, if the surface is particularly uneven holds will have a tendency to spin and may break on tightening.
• Are you able to drill into solid areas of wall. It is possible to obtain good resin fixings in hollow materials but it is far preferable if there are no cavities.
• If you are planning to provide roped climbing the structural requirements are much higher and are governed by BS12572, again we can give you advice on this
• This is a very economical way of getting a climbing wall but will it be interesting enough. Bolt-on holds work best on ply wood they can be moved around easily, the ply can be textured and angle changes are possible.

If you decide to fix to brick, block work, concrete or stone it is possible to use either internally threaded expansion sockets or resin sockets. Resin bolts should be used for walls that will be used by the public, although expansion fixings will usually suffice for ‘home walls’.

Fixing expansion sockets
Expansion sockets are used for fixing holds to brick, block or concrete walls, and holds used for this purpose will be supplied with a thin rubber backing. To fix:

• Using a 12mm masonry bit, drill a 42mm deep hole, perpendicular to the wall.
• Clear the hole thoroughly of dust.
• Tap home the expansion fixing using the ‘setting tool’.

Fixing resin sockets
Resin fixings give stronger and more consistent fixing in poor surfaces. These, and tubes of polyester resin, can be purchased from The Beacon, and you will also need a mastic 'gun' for injecting the resin. To fix:

• Drill a hole (slightly longer than the fixing) perpendicular to the wall surface with an 18mm diameter masonry bit.
• Clean the hole thoroughly - a bicycle pump and toothbrush should do the trick.
• Inject the hole approx 2/3 full of resin.
• Carefully insert the sleeve ensuring that excess resin is cleaned away.
• Allow 1 hour before mounting holds and a further 24 hours before use.