Brick anchor fasteners attach an item to bricks or mortar joints in a brick wall. Brick anchors are used in place of concrete fasteners because brick contains hollow spaces, unlike concrete that is solid. The hollow space requires a brick anchor in order to obtain the needed holding values in the hollow areas.
Sleeve anchors are your best bet. Tapcons will work depending on your brick and mortar. Plastic plugs could be used... but I wouldn't recommend them.
You should always drill into the brick; the mortar is not dense enough, and will loosen up and powder crumble over time. Those anchors will become weak. Of course the mortar is easier to drill into, that's my point.
Tapcon screws into the brick is the best way for hanging things. Anything into the mortar will eventually work it's way out. Be sure to use the size drill bit that's recommend for the tapcon. And a hammer drill is the best way to drill threw brick.
In this video, I talk to you about whether you should drill into brick or mortar. If you are planning on hanging something on the wall, you can put the wall anchor directly into the brick or into the mortar that is between the bricks. This is also true with other types of stones like cinderblock and various masonry.
A sleeve anchor also works well in solid mortar joints. The mortar quality and quantity are most important to determine the sleeve anchor's ultimate holding value. There are many applications for sleeve anchors; one drawback is the lower shear strength than a similar female anchor.
Drilling into the mortar or the brick and inserting wall anchors is the most common and secure way to hang a picture on a brick wall, no matter the type of brick. Take down anything that's already hanging on the brick wall before you start to drill.
The hole was not drilled deep enough and the masonry screw is bottoming out in the hole. Make sure that the hole is a minimum of 1/2” deeper than the screw will penetrate the base material. In some cases, using a generic imported masonry screw may be inferior to using the American made Tapcon brand masonry screw.
Mortar is not as strong as concrete and typically is not used alone as a building material. Rather, it is the "glue" holding together bricks, concrete blocks, stone, and other masonry materials. Mortar is commonly sold in bags, in a dry pre-mixed form to combine with water.
Mortar is easier to drill through because it's a softer substance than brick and is also easier to patch or repair. Drilling into the mortar with a screw expansion plug or another fastener will cause the anchor's force to push against the intact bricks instead of expanding the material.
Because mortar is softer than brick, using this location could cause deterioration of the anchor's grip over time so you always want to drill directly into the brick.
Drywall Anchor Types for Heavier Items
Expansion anchors can hold up to 100 pounds per pair on concrete, brick and masonry walls.
It's always best to use masonry drill bits or concrete diamond point screws. Both are designed to grind and bite into the material. A regular drill will require more force to push through the concrete or brick and all-purpose drill bits are more prone to snap under that pressure.
Drill a hole into the brick or the mortar joint using a hammer drill with a carbide drill bit that meets ANSI standards and is the correct diameter of the tapcon being installed. Drill hole a minimum of 1/2” deeper into the brick or mortar joint than the tapcon screw will penetrate.
Wedge anchors can only be used in solid concrete.
They cannot be used in brick, block, and mortar joints. While natural base materials such as stone and granite may be solid, they are inconsistent and their holding values have not been tested.
Fastening into the solid section allows for a better opportunity for successful fastening as compared to the hollow section. The mortar joint can be an excellent place to position a fastener, but the holding values obtained depend on the quality and quantity of mortar in the joint.
Mortar is used mainly with brickwork, binding the bricks together but providing a softer finish than concrete. This is so that there is just enough give in the material for when brickwork and structures shift slightly over time.
Crushing brick units showed masonry failure with 13 mm of mortar thickness, and 27 mm of mortar thickness showed the shearing failure of brick-and-mortar units. A joint thickness of about 20 mm is advised during the construction of standard masonry walls to sustain the loading.
Just drill into the mortar with a hammer drill and an appropriately sized bit, then use either a sleeve type anchor with the screws, or you could just use a couple tapcon type screws as well.
Tapcons can be installed in concrete, brick, block and in the mortar joints between the brick and block. The harder the base material, the less embedment is required to attain sufficient holding values. The minimum embedment for a Tapcon® concrete screw is 1” and the maximum embedment is 1-3/4”.
Zinc plated sleeve anchors should be used in indoor dry areas, stainless steel sleeve anchors should be considered for use in outside applications. All sleeve anchors come pre-assembled and ready to use. The hole that is required to be drilled into the brick is the same diameter as the sleeve anchor being used.
As a general rule, always drill into the brick unless you're hanging something very light (under two pounds). Mortar is much softer than brick and doesn't have the strength to hold significant weight.
Double-Sided Tape
Double-sided tape that sticks to brick can be surprisingly strong, especially if it's heavy duty. It can easily help you hang lightweight items on brick—just make sure to clean the brick thoroughly before sticking the tape (and your item) to it.
The Differences
Facing bricks are more aesthetically appealing, with their sides often finished and smoothed. Common bricks can vary in colour and texture when delivered. Facing brick colours are often more consistent and uniform. There are far more colour and texture variation options in facing bricks.