mounting on cinderblock

[coilman]

helo all, got a project for church -- wanting to mount a flat panel to a cinderblock wall. wanting to know if iron anchors are the best method for hanging the panel? By the way, it's the church dining hall that has white wall with flourescent lighting and lots of blinds and windows which display tech would you suggest
for this area? I must say that i'm sort of bias due to the fact that i have a 58" panny at home. any suggestion would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance

 

[96cobra10101]

5/8" x 2" lag sleeves, cover them in epoxy and insert them. 4 are pleny, 8 are not a bad idea. Bosch are my favorite economy bits, and if you have an SDS type drill, there even better. I think that the 3/8" screws will fit the lags, but the bag will tell you for sure. Everything is available at Home Depot or Lowes. If your not too sloppy you'll only need one tube of epoxy.

 

[Alex2507]

I'd use 1/4" Tapcons but drill the holes using their masonry bit in a normal drill to prevent the cider block from being blown out. A hammer drill is a little much for cinder block. Use lots of them.

 

[96cobra10101]

I'd use 1/4" Tapcons but drill the holes using their masonry bit in a normal drill to prevent the cider block from being blown out. A hammer drill is a little much for cinder block. Use lots of them.

Sorry but I disagree, Tapcons are horrible in cinder block, they crumble. They are best used in poured cast walls or floors that aren't porous. Also if you over tighten a tapcon (which someone might do if they aren't used to using them) you'll blow the holes and have to lag it anyways. I hang tv's a lot, in commercial settings, many times overhead where people will be sitting, and tapcons aren't on my list. Also, the hardware included with the mount will be a sort of lag (plastic sleeve usually). I don't recommend them either, get the metal ones.

 

[Alex2507]

Sorry but I disagree, Tapcons are horrible in cinder block, they crumble. They are best used in poured cast walls or floors that aren't porous. Also if you over tighten a tapcon (which someone might do if they aren't used to using them) you'll blow the holes and have to lag it anyways. I hang tv's a lot, in commercial settings, many times overhead where people will be sitting, and tapcons aren't on my list. Also, the hardware included with the mount will be a sort of lag (plastic sleeve usually). I don't recommend them either, get the metal ones.

Yeah, I wouldn't use them in overhead cinder blocks either.

Good point about over tightening them. I should have mentioned that.

 

[96cobra10101]

Yeah, I wouldn't use them in overhead cinder blocks either.

Good point about over tightening them. I should have mentioned that.

No worries. Tapcons are useful, but a lot of people don't use them right. Same thing with toggles. Folks put them in drywall without a backer board and wonder why the drywall blew out.

 

[Rickster71]

I don't think the OP literally meant 'cinder' block as in the old gray blocks.
Some people call all blocks cinder blocks, without knowing there's a difference.
Though I probably shouldn't assume.
If it's a cast concrete block, the Tapcons are a good bet for the inexperienced.
A 60 to 80 lb static load is nothing for 4 to 6 Tapcons.

I've hung hundreds of pounds of switch gear on 1/4" x20's with lead shields.
Inexperienced users tend to blow out the back of the block and the shield has nothing to grip, or they put them in the grout line.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I believe I've used Snap Toggles as well in a true cinder block wall with a 65" LCD without any issues whatsoever. The larger sized Snap Toggles have incredible holding power and the wider toggle design can handle the weight with distributing it without issue.

 

[lsiberian]

No worries. Tapcons are useful, but a lot of people don't use them right. Same thing with toggles. Folks put them in drywall without a backer board and wonder why the drywall blew out.

Why would you need a toggle if you have a backing board for the drywall? I thought toggles were engineered to be installed in drywall.

 

[96cobra10101]

Why would you need a toggle if you have a backing board for the drywall? I thought toggles were engineered to be installed in drywall.

Sure, if your holding up light weight. Drywall's strength comes from the paper, and when heavier weight is going to be held up on the wall, the toggles tend to cut into the paper (especially when torquing the screws down tightly) taking away the strength property of the drywall. Backer boards distribute the weight over a larger area. Of course in these types of walls there are usually studs you can hit with lag screws.

I may be on the extreme side of doing an install, but I believe in safety above all. I've gone to two different installs done by different vendors where the wrong materials were used and tv's were literally falling off the wall. I'm not sure, but I am guessing a 42" plasma falling a couple feet and hitting grandma in the head is not going to end well. Anyways, take what you want from my input.

 

[lsiberian]

Sure, if your holding up light weight. Drywall's strength comes from the paper, and when heavier weight is going to be held up on the wall, the toggles tend to cut into the paper (especially when torquing the screws down tightly) taking away the strength property of the drywall. Backer boards distribute the weight over a larger area. Of course in these types of walls there are usually studs you can hit with lag screws.

I may be on the extreme side of doing an install, but I believe in safety above all. I've gone to two different installs done by different vendors where the wrong materials were used and tv's were literally falling off the wall. I'm not sure, but I am guessing a 42" plasma falling a couple feet and hitting grandma in the head is not going to end well. Anyways, take what you want from my input.

Each mounting device has a rating for strength. I don't suggest pushing the limit on it, but as long as you are well within tolerances you should be okay. For anything heavy you'd definitely want a stud. Installing a backing board is likely to be a lot more work than necessary for the install. Plus we are hanging on the wall not the ceiling. My screen hangs from two toggle hooks and they are a lot stronger than I thought they would be.

I also have shelves mounted with drywall anchors. They hold very well.

 

[Beatmatcher247]

3/8" Drop-in Anchors is what I would use, with 3/8" bolt, lock washer & fender washer on each.

 

[Rickster71]

One thing to keep in mind if anyone is having reservations about the size of the fastener to use. Look at the mounting holes the provided by the TV's manufacture on the back of their sets.
The vast majority of TV's use four 1/4" to 5/16" bolts to mount the TV to a mount.