Clips for hanging things from concrete blocks?

[Phil Thien]

I was planning on mounting shelving standards to my concrete block wall in the basement, and even started a thread on which anchors to use, but I've discovered that the wall is too wavy for standards. Too wavy for a French cleat, too.

But I do have access to the holes in the blocks at the top of the wall, and was wondering if anybody made like a U-shaped clip that I could hang from the top coarse and then suspend some cabinets w/ drill bits/router bits, etc., from chains?

I've tried googling this and have come up w/ pretty much nuttin'.

I've also thought of using the space between the joists above me to store tools. Putting a board across a few of them would create cubby holes where I could store power tools, for example. But if anyone has seen a clever approach to using this space, I'd like to see it.

[Phillip Key]

What about hanging your shelves from the joists instead of the holes in the blocks?

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4719577/IMG2301-main_Full.jpg

[Phil Thien]

Hey, I saw that exact picture when I was googling.

Yep, that is on my list of possibilities.

Lee Valley has these:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32158&cat=1,43326

Similar concept.

But I'd still like some sort of system for hanging things on the concrete block, too.

[mickey cassiba]

Phil, concrete blocks don't have much shear strength(damhikt), Almost any load hung from the open top of a CMU will pull the face off, unless supported from below. Wound up with a lot of concrete and tools on the floor.:eek:

[Bruce Wrenn]

Phil, when we mount standards to block walls that aren't very straight, we just use ceder shims, where needed, between the block and the standard.

[Phil Thien]

Phil, concrete blocks don't have much shear strength(damhikt), Almost any load hung from the open top of a CMU will pull the face off, unless supported from below. Wound up with a lot of concrete and tools on the floor.:eek:

Well, I'd only be hanging 20-30 pounds here and there (like a case w/ some router bits, for example). Would that really separate a concrete block?

[Al Deutscher]

Hi Phil,

Love your separator. I built one a couple of weeks ago and no longer hear the pings as I clean up. I'm in the process of installing 1/2 inch OSB on everything - walls, and ceiling in my shop. I like the looks of it in the shop.

I don't know how much area you plan on using, but I shoot nails into the mortar between the bricks through the wood. If your walls are Cinder Block, only shoot the nails at the ends of the blocks where the mortar goes vertical. You can use 2x4's, 1x2's, 1x4, etc. Make sure the nails are long enough to go at least one inch deep. I use 2 1/2 inch nails for 3/4 inch wood. The nail gun uses 22 blanks - (#2, #3, #4) - I use #3; and special nails for the job. Any Lowes or Menards has the gun.

What I do is use a level to determine the vertical high spot (Sticks out furthest from the wall). I then shoot the nail through the wood at that location into the mortar joint. Then I decide where to shoot the next nail and place shim(s) behind it to hold the vertical level.

It works great and doesn't do any damage, except to the fillable mortar if the nails are ever removed.

Hope this helps you,

Al

[glenn bradley]

I had to build out vertical strips on my walls to make them even prior to adding the cleats. It took the better part of a Saturday for a 20' wall on 16" centers. In the end it was worth it. I will apply the same technique to the opposite wall but, I should be quicker this time ;-)