# Ok Engineer types...what is the best angle to put Tapcons in Concrete block to hang pegboard



## KDO (Oct 26, 2010)

I want to hang pegboard above my 15' long workbench. My garage has cement block walls.

I am hanging full sheets, sideways. I will be be putting 1" furring strips behind the pegboard, every 12-16", and I also want to put a row of French cleats maybe 6" from the top, to possibly hang a cabinet or two.

I am concerned about pull out of the Tapcons.

What would be the best angle to drive the Tapcons through the furring strips, into the Cinder block to achieve the highest degree of Shear strength and prevent pull out?

The concrete walls are hard and cured..12 years old.

Also how much Tapcon do I need actually in the block…2", 3' 4" ?
Should I back up the Tapcons with epoxy in the hole?

Florida code only requires that the corners, openings and every 10th hole be filled with cement or grout.

Should I go into the block, or into the grout lines? I would assume the block would be best, but is it?

Any insight would be appreciated.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

The shear strength of the tapcons is not an issue. The biggest concern will be cracking of the concrete wall leading to a failure there. But, long story short, don't overthink this ;-) Tapcons are well designed and as long as you're concrete is stable, you should be fine. Just use the appropriate pilot drill and drill deep enough and use enough fasteners and your pegboard will fail long before it falls.

2" of fastener into the block is more than enough. And, definitely into the block not the mortar joints.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I've never (yet) had a Tapcon pull out of a grout line, and I've just driven them straight in. Lucky? I dunno, but just my way.
Bill


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

Drill straight in. If you're really concerned about loading, use larger tapcons.


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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

I agree that the Tapcons should be fine. If you are really worried you could add a few toggle bolts into the blocks. Note that with a block wall you should space the Tapcons to sink them in a solid area of the block rather than having the end of the screw penetrating the void in the block. The length of the screw means little if the end of it is sticking out into the space in the block. On last caution with Tapcons (learned the hard way on a pound concrete wall) be sure to drill the pilot hole deep enough. The screws do not like being bottomed out. You can shear them off when driving them home.


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## KDO (Oct 26, 2010)

Thanks guys, I just wanted to get some reassurance that the shear strength was good enough. I have used them to tie things down, but never in a vertical application. 
Again, thanks for the input.


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## bonesbr549 (Jan 1, 2010)

If it were me, and concrete, take a wood runner and attach with liquid nails and attach to that. A lot easier IMO.


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## KDO (Oct 26, 2010)

Is 3 tapcons per 4' strip over-doing itT?

Yes liquid nails would be quicker, but I may want to be able to take it down in the future (when I eventually build a stand alone shop) and not leave a mess on the walls.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

That would be fine for pegboard. For French cleats I'd make sure to put it an extra 1 or 2 in the neighborhood of the cleats.

The block is typically only about 1" thick if drilling into the cells.

If I can mount hundreds of pounds of electrical equip to a block wall and have never had problems, then I think you're gonna be just fine.


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## KDO (Oct 26, 2010)

Thanks TheFridge. That helps.


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## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I would suggest using a hammer drill to drill the holes for the Tapcons. Using a regular drill might result in a slightly larger hole which will limit the holding capacity of the screw.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

And be sure to blow out all the dust in the drilled hole. Otherwise, the Tapcon will not hold in the dust, and it will think it has bottomed out.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

I agree, angle of head isn't going to make any real difference. I'd go in straight. Drill a good, proper sized hole is what matters. The block is stronger than the mortar. Also, keep in mind that a lot of the support of the wood batten comes from friction. The fastener pulls the wood tight to the block causing very high frictional forces between the wood and the wall. Therefore, all the load is not a shearing force on the fastener and block, which could handle it anyway.

I've had to remove some anchors in the past, I know Tapcons will screw out, other forms don't. You end up rocking them back and forth to loosed them. In large part by enlarging the hole. It takes some real effort. I might be concerned if I were mounting something that would vibrate a lot. But for just hanging dead weight, I see no reason the block would fail.


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## Bill1974 (Mar 24, 2010)

use a rotary hammer if you have a lot of holes to drill. Much faster then a hammer drill.

since you are only hanging pegboard and I don't think there will me much weight on it (100 to 200 lbs max) over a 4×8 sheet area? I would say a tapcon every 18" to 24"

For specs
http://www.tapcon.com/products/concrete-screw-anchors/original-blue-tapcon/documentation/chartsperformancetablesbluewhitestainlessv0-1c.aspx


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## cathode (May 18, 2014)

> Is 3 tapcons per 4 strip over-doing itT?
> 
> Yes liquid nails would be quicker, but I may want to be able to take it down in the future (when I eventually build a stand alone shop) and not leave a mess on the walls.
> 
> - KDO


Tapcons are non-removable, from what I remember.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I re-use Tapcons all the time, as we weren't allowed to just leave them sticking out. They can be spun right back out, using the same hex headed bit and screwgun. There are also Phillips headed Tapcons for use with wood.

Was taught to never install them in the thinner parts of a block, always used the web. Most mortar joints will crumble when you drill into them, Tapcons will not hold.

One tip: To keep the head from sining too far into the wood, we'd add a "fender washer". That way, we could remove the wood from the concrete later, as it was easier to access the tapcon's head.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

> One tip: To keep the head from sining too far into the wood, we d add a "fender washer". That way, we could remove the wood from the concrete later, as it was easier to access the tapcon s head.
> 
> - bandit571


I agree, you definitely want a washer to spread that force out. According to their data, Tapcons can produce several thousands of pounds of compression. A large thick washer is a good idea.

Ultimately the holding strength of a bolt or screw depends on how tight it is torqued. Tighten a bolt to 1000 lbs, and it will take 1000 lbs before whatever you are bolting down is no longer tight against what it is bolted down to.

In this case, you can only get the bolt as tight as the wood can resist the compression. Therefore spreading it over a larger area with a thick washer is helpful. Else, I bet you could tighten a Tapcon, or any other medium size bolt, enough to pull it through most woods.


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

"what is the best angle to put Tapcons in Concrete block to hang pegboard" Exactly 180 degrees from your socket!


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## KDO (Oct 26, 2010)

Thanks guys. I appreciate the input, and yes, I will be installing the Tapcons 180 degrees from the socket!


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