Home DIY

Frame fixings or Thunderbolt/Tapcon-style masonry screws/bolts. Both have the advantage that you can just drill clean through the post into the wall (changing from wood to masonry bit of course), which makes alignment easy. If you're near the edge of the brick or it's old fragile brick, then go with the masonry screws. You'll need to countersink the holes in the wood or, if you're using a hex-head bolt, counterbore them and find a socket to wind them in.

Hammer in fixings

yeah either rawl plug and screw, or if your bricks are in good condition I have used either concrete screws or thunderbolts to good effect.

No mention of washers to spread the load?
A stainless steel penny washer, 25mm diameter,
countersunk/bored at least 20mm into the post gives you plenty of space for the socket,
and,
if you are a perfectionist, you can cut a plug of wood to hide the hexhead.

Washers would be essential, I'd be concerned about fracturing the bricks, or potentially applying a lot of leverage to then end of the wall via the post and breaking the mortar bond.

What does the wall look like?

If anyone would like this drill let me know, otherwise I’ll be recycling it. Battery life is not what it was, which is why I replaced it.

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90yo bricks. Seemingly solid enough.
Morter is a bit crumbly.

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Unless it’s going to be exposed to gales or kids running into it, keep it simple. I can’t understand why you’d need washers on that.

Doubt I’d even countersink it to be honest. If you get a decent fix, the screw heads will pull into the wood as you tighten them.

Don't know how much movement you'd get but with our freeze/thaw cycles I'd build a bit of flex into the post side of things.

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Your mortar might well be a thin finer sand pointing layer,
with stronger, (more cement), larger sand/grit mortar 2/3/4mm behind it.

When drilling the holes for the screws/coach screws/etc you choose
aim to be under the height middle of each brick you drill into.
Those old bricks don't have full scale modern frogs,
but you want to minimise the chance of the fixing bursting the brick.

aim to be under the height middle of each brick you drill into.

Does that mean below the red center line like this?

Cheers.

(may do something similar later in the year)

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I would go a bit higher than you have indicated, in Green.
I prefer to have the top of the drilled hole a couple of mm below the Red line

OK. That makes sense. Cheers.

This is fantastic. I think my garden needs more variation in levels.

The DeWalt drill went to a new home last night, saved from the indignity of the small electrical items recycling bin.

Not strictly DIY but any made to measure rollers and blackout blinds recommendations? Any advice against being a bit cheap an getting some from blind2go? It seems most of the smaller companies that did made to measure are temporarily out of action....and I rather use the time while I have it.

We used Blinds 2 go in both daughters bedrooms and they're great!

We got some from IKEA I think. You have to cut them down yourself but they did the job.

Brilliant! Thanks!

Inherited ikea from previous owners and they seemed to deteriorate pretty quickly (also better half is on a bit of crusade against ikea lately). But it is useful to know they can be cut effectively, thanks!

Treehouse progress!

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I decided against a table saw and went for this big boy. 270mm! Makes light work of 100mm fence posts but bloody heavy.
I surprised myself with the quality of cuts. Could hardly tell which end was sawmill finished :)
Going to attach the posts to the house tomorrow. Decided on some beefy stainless screws and Rawlplug Uno plugs.

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That first pic is making me a little nervous.

Why?
Looks like he's already trimmed his toenails.