Suitable fixings (wooden post to outdoor wall).

B0bbyEwing

Not really the most DIY of DIYers so don't really know the best thing to be looking for here, though I'm sure it's not screws & rawlplugs. 

Top & bottom of it is the wooden post that my gate hangs off is splitting top to bottom down the centre due to rot. I'll need to get a new post cut to size, since it's not standard 75x75 size, but I'm looking at a suitable way to secure it in to the wall exactly where the existing one is.

The wall itself has been dashed so what's underneath is likely block or brick. 

The gate is a bit weighty so whatever it's going to be needs to be able to take a reasonable amount of weight*.


* I've obviously not weighed the gate & while it doesn't weigh 1/4 ton, it also isn't made out of 2mm ply that's going to blow away in the wind either.

benson1980

I've used these for similar applications before and they've worked well. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TIMco-00100TCON-Multi-Fix-Concrete-Screw/dp/B0089XFEU6?th=1

FFHillbilly

https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-ff1-tx-frame-fixings-10mm-x-140mm-4-pack/702JF?kpid=702JF&cm_mmc=Google-_-Datafeed-_-Screws%2C%20Nails%20and%20Fixings?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=Google-_-TOKEN1-_-TOKEN2&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrMKmBhCJARIsAHuEAPTbKHBQrjXZeGoOMzmGdupKG-xm5pTUELQOMsMA1qQxi1aKqXK2HJMaAhpbEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#product_additional_details_container

FreeBear

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-fsa-sleeve-anchors-silver-10mm-x-120mm-m8-20-pack/83770 (available in different lengths) - Counterbore the hole in the post so that the head sits below the surface if clearance is an issue. Use a large (penny) washer under the bolt head to spread the load.

Another alternative is resin fixings - https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-r-kem-ii-styrene-free-polyester-resin-300ml/32863 - Drill a hole in to the wall, clean out the dust, and inject the resin. Push a length of threaded stud in before the rein has set (it goes off very, very quickly), and once cured, use a nut & washer to fix the post.

CliveOfIndia

FreeBear said:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-fsa-sleeve-anchors-silver-10mm-x-120mm-m8-20-pack/83770 (available in different lengths) - Counterbore the hole in the post so that the head sits below the surface if clearance is an issue. Use a large (penny) washer under the bolt head to spread the load.

I'd go with this - sleeve anchors are pretty much purpose-designed for just such an application.  Widely available in dozens of different types and sizes, from all the usual outlets - online, Screwfix, Wickes, B&Q, you name it.

Just make sure you've got a drill bit of the appropriate size.  I recently installed some, and they needed a 14mm hole drilling (pretty big by usual DIY standards), and I didn't have one amongst the many bits I've got.  No hassle, I went and bought one for les than a fiver, but it's worth just checking (the packaging/instructions on the sleeve anchor will tell you what size drill bit to use).

stuart45

The problem you've got with a rendered wall is that you don't know what you are fixing into. It could be Flettons laid frog down, soft stone in weak lime mortar, Bungaroosh etc. These type of walls can be a bit more tricky to get a good fix into. 
If you are fixing near the corner of the wall, sleeve anchors sometimes crack the brickwork, so in this case something like a Thunderbolt would work better.

Eldi_Dos

Is the existing gate  gate attached to the wall or secured in the ground?

If it is presently attached to wall can you reuse the holes and fittings on new post.
It is a good idea to put a nylon washer between wall and any new post to give it a bit of stand off and help keep dry.

Mistral001

I

FFHillbilly said:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-ff1-tx-frame-fixings-10mm-x-140mm-4-pack/702JF?kpid=702JF&cm_mmc=Google-_-Datafeed-_-Screws%2C%20Nails%20and%20Fixings?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=Google-_-TOKEN1-_-TOKEN2&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrMKmBhCJARIsAHuEAPTbKHBQrjXZeGoOMzmGdupKG-xm5pTUELQOMsMA1qQxi1aKqXK2HJMaAhpbEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#product_additional_details_container

These are very common and should work well.  They have the advantage of being "through fixings" ie. you can drill the holes in the wall while the post is in place ie. you can drill the wall through the post meaning that you  automatically line up the holes in the wall with the holes in the post

FreeBear said:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-fsa-sleeve-anchors-silver-10mm-x-120mm-m8-20-pack/83770 (available in different lengths) - Counterbore the hole in the post so that the head sits below the surface if clearance is an issue. Use a large (penny) washer under the bolt head to spread the load.

This is also a through fixing and is probably a stronger fixing than the frame fixing, but as said there could be a problem with the head clashing with the gate.  Counterboring is ideal to overcome this problem, but you will need a socket set wrench to tighten the bolt.

casper_gutman

If you're confident the wall is of sound brick or stone and you're well away from a free edge or corner, then sleeve anchors would work well for a large, heavy gate. For a smaller gate, like a typical pedestrian side gate, I'd probably use either concrete/masonry screws (the type with a thread that's designed to directly engage into the sides of a hole drilled into the masonry, like a 'Thunderbolt') or a frame fixing. The latter aren't much different from a big screw and wall plug, really. You can see some discussion of the relative merits of masonry screws and frame fixings at the page linked below. 
How to fit gate posts to a wall | Gate fitting guide (woodworkersuk.co.uk)

For my money there are two big advantages of masonry screws over frame fixings. First, they don't apply large expansion forces to the material they're screwed into, so can be used relatively close to free edges (e.g., near the corner of a building, or close to a door or window opening). Second, they allow through fixing - i.e., you can position the post where you want it then drill through into the wall and fix it in one operation. This is a big advantage, and the main reason I favour them. If you get one of the multi-material drills which will go straight through a timber post and into the masonry (I like the blue Bosch ones) then you can install posts very quickly this way. Much easier than a frame fixing where you have to drill the post, mark where the holes in the wall should be, move the post away again, drill (different size) holes in the wall, insert the plug part of the fixing, reposition the post, insert the screw part, hoping it lines up properly.... 

I would consider using a different approach in soft materials though, like bungaroosh, soft stone or AAC. As stuart45 says above, these can be problematic so I'd look for something particularly recommended for soft materials. I don't have much experience there (I'm in an old industrial area where just about everything built in the last 150 years is in brick, often hard engineering brick at that). Some kind of chemical anchor might be good if you're in real trouble with a wall made from dodgy material.

Mistral001

Most frame fixings these days are actually "through fixings".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NIUfORnK8g&t=304s

casper_gutman

Mistral001 said:

Most frame fixings these days are actually "through fixings".

Oh cool, thanks. That'll teach me not to read the thread properly, as you did mention above! Even quicker and easier with one drill for both steps.

BTW, you mentioned that sleeve anchors could be used but the post might need to be counterbored to sink the heads. This is of course somewhat unsightly, and what's worse the counterbore will then give water access to the untreated timber below the surface (assuming the post is pressure treated) so you'd also need to apply wood preserver in the counterbore which is a pain.

Best to use frame fixings or masonry screws, I reckon, and the hammer-in through fixed frame fixings seem like the way to go in terms of needing a minimum of tools to get the job done (everyone owns a hammer or something they could use as one!).