How To Use Chemical Fix – Polyester Resin Anchors

How to use chemical anchors? This product has a multitude of uses. The real usefulness is clear when trying to anchor fittings into loose stone walls and soft red bricks. The beauty is that chemical fix resin type bonding agents is that the chemical fix not only sticks to the sides of the hole but locks behind the stone or brick. We are located in France but we are keen to share our experiences in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Chemical Fixing for mounting into walls.

You may not know what chemical fix is? You may be familiar with other methods of fixing into walls. 

Such as: 

• Rawl plugs
• Anchor bolts
• Rawloc
• Wooden plugs

Welcome to our blog, but first, let us introduce ourselves.

We are a small company manufacturing window shutters that has an affinity with the beautiful country that is France. Our workshops are powered by 60% of electricity produced in an environmentally friendly way. Additional electricity needs are supplemented by EDF . The wood we use is certified by PEFC . Working ethically is important to us

Pitfalls with traditional wall fixings

Rawl plugs are probably the most used form of wall fixing but there are other methods that would probably suit your particular situation. The simple plastic or wooden rawl plug is very capable. These do have limitations but have many potential applications. Plastic Rawlplugs is only good if the wall is firm and in good condition. 

If the wall is in poor condition the plastic rawl plug can pull out. This is where chemical fixing can be a good choice.

The RED Rawl Plug

The most common rawl plug is the RED and in most cases require a 5.5mm masonry TCT drill bit. This Red plug is ideal for 4mm 4.5mm & 5mm diameter screws

The BROWN Rawl Plug

If you need to use a more substantial screw? The next size to the Red is the Brown. The BROWN Rawl plug is good for screws of 5mm, 5.5mm and 6mm. When using the brown plug then you will need a 7mm TCT masonry bit in a percussion drill.

Are Rawl Plugs any good for mounting shutters

Rawl plugs are good for mounting fixed items to walls. If you want to mount a moving object to a wall such as a shutter then a rawl plug is likely to fail. Read on to find out how we prefer to mount our volets or shutters. 

Expanding Bolts

If a heavy-duty mounting option is needed The Expanding Bolt has the heritage. These expanding bolts have been available for years. In my experience, these expanding bolts are only good in a solid cast wall or concrete slab. 

These expanding bolts have limitations

I have seen these expanding bolts used in brick or stone walls but these expanding bolts tend to split the brick. The expansion force is too much for most man-made bricks. 

Natural stone is not a good material for the fixing into using expanding bolts. Natural stone like you will find in France making window reveals has a grain. The expanding bolt can split the stone in the direction of the grain. 

Because of this the mounting of shutters using expanding bolts is ill-advised. The pintle will be mounted to close to the edge and expanding bolts will fail. 

The position of the pintel on the window reveal is usually only 50mm from the edge which does not bode well for the stability of the reveal if using expanding bolt type fixings.

A trick if compelled to using expanding bolt close to the edge?

If you have to use these expanding bolt pintels then drill the hole at 45° so the stress of the expansion is deeper into the stone or brick.

What is the alternative to Rawl plugs or Expanding bolts?

The fixing methods above are quite traditional but there are alternative solutions. 

Chemical Fix is a permanent solution

After much experience using Chemical fix, I am a convert. 

What is Chemical Fix?

Chemical Fix is a polyester resin. This polyester resin Consists of two parts. 

• Polyester resin
• Hardener mixed via the nozzle
• An aggregate as a filler

The makeup of this chemical fix is similar to P38 car body filler with sand added.  I have in the past actually made my own chemical fix using these exact ingredients with great success.

The chemical fix requires mixing

The mixing of the chemical fix is not labour intensive. Luckily the design of the tube which chemical fix comes in is that no mixing is required.  In fact, the mixing of the two parts required for a chemical fix is done in the nozzle. The nozzle has a spiral mixing device within the design.

How do you apply the chemical fix

The chemical fix comes in mastic type tubes which require a gun. The gun is the same as you would use with silicone mastic stuff that you would seal your bath with.

Preparing your chemical fix product

Getting ready to use chemical fix for the securing of shutter pintles or other things you want to fix into a wall is easy. Like silicone mastic you just need to remove the end of the tube and insert into a mastic gun one.  The cage type will do just fine. Screw on the supplied which has the spiral mix up inside. 

You have time before it hardens

At this point, you have opened the Tube and ideally, you need to use it.  Don’t worry the tube will not Harden yet. The mixing of the hardener and the resin is done in the novel and this does not happen until you apply pressure to the handle of the mastic gun.

Making the hole for the chemical anchors

Like any metal objects, you wish to fix into a wall you required to drill a hole.  when mounting shutters on pintails you have to decide what type of print out you were going to use.  ask yourself some questions will the pintails be round such as the screw type Intel or will they be fat like the fishtail Pinto?  the flat type of Pinto we require you to create a slot for the Pintail to slide into. the round pin tells like the screw type Pinto will only require you to drill a hole. 

When using a chemical fix adhesive you are required how to drill a hole larger than the metal object us to fix into it. For instance, if you have a 14 mm diameter Pintel you will need to drill a 16mm hole or create a 16mm slot

Why do I need a larger hole than the ironmongery to be used?

The reason we need to drill a larger hole or slot for the pintel or ironmongery in use is that we must allow room for the chemical fix adhesive to Bond 

How to make the hole or slot?

We use an SDS type drill to drill a hole or create a slot. 

If installing flat bar or pintel

Obviously the flat bar or a fishtail pintel a slotted hole is required. I would use a 16mm sds masonry drill and drill 2 holes. One above and one below I  Whittle the material away with the SDS drill at an angle toshing the bit. This sideways motion will put some strain on your drill so don’t use excessive force.

What is an SDS Drill?

When we equip our tool kits we are hit with an abundance of options. If buying an electric drill look for a minimum of 2KG impact force in masonry. The SDS has a specific method of producing the percussion impact. This SDS uses the drill bit design to produces a long stroke impact. A key difference to another budget drill which produces the impact with a serrated gear. The Cheap drill has an impact that is too short and more of a vibration than the SDS. The SDS gives a stroke length of up to 18mm

SDS or Special Direct System was developed by Hilti and Bosch in 1975.

My experience with Chemical Fix

For many years I have used chemical fix. Experience using this anchoring solution was in London East Barnet to be exact.

We used chemical fix for the securing of brackets onto the wall plate. Is brackets for use for a cladding system. 

a 16 mm hole was drilled and the chemical anchoring solution was squeezed in. A 12 mm stainless steel threaded rod was inserted into the chemical fix. After about 30 minutes the chemical fix was hard enough for us to tighten the brackets with a nut. It was surprising how tight you could tighten a nut. This method was extremely secure. 

In my opinion chemical fix is much stronger than using an expanding bolt fixing.

I believe so much in the chemical fix for the mounting of pretty much any heavy item into a stone or brick wall but I don’t even say it any other form of mounting. 

I find chemical fix such a practical solution for the mounting of the shutter hinge pins or pintels. It is quick and it is strong. 

If you are an artisan that fits shutters for a living then the speed and convenience provided by the chemical is a no-brainer. Chemical fixing solutions on very versatile and ideal for many different types of ironmongery. You will find that you will need to stock less variety. 

Cosmetically are used for a chemical anchoring system makes for a neat job. 

Disadvantages of using chemical fix instead of expanding bolts. The problem with any chemical anchor is that when it hardens you cannot adjust it anymore. Unlike with expanding bolts that you can undo do and remove. 

The only way I have found to remove ironmongery that has been secured using chemical fix is with an angle grinder.

Can I make my own chemical anchoring solution?

If you get stuck you can make your own chemical fix

The chemical fix is actually just a polyester resin with an aggregate. 

I have made my own chemical fix using car body filler and some dry sand. This works surprisingly well but can be difficult to get into the hole.