Although you can glue wood to brick, it's considered a secondary method of attaching it -- meaning it's really just a reinforcement for actual mechanical fasteners. You can choose among a selection of fasteners, and each is rated to support a particular weight. They all require you to drill a pilot hole in the brick or mortar with a masonry bit.
Types of Fasteners
You can attach wood to masonry with concrete nails and screws, but you should avoid these when working with brick, which chips and crumbles more easily than concrete. Instead, choose from the following fasteners:
- Hammer-set anchors -- light-duty
- Plastic screw anchors and wood screws -- up to 50 pounds
- Metal shield anchors and wood screws -- up to 50 pounds
- Medium-duty metal-sleeve screw anchors -- up to 200 pounds.
Step 1: Drill the Holes
Use a wood bit to drill holes into the wood.
Position the wood on the brick, and mark the positions of the holes by inserting a nail through each one and tapping it with a hammer.
Drill holes in the brick or mortar wide enough for the sleeve or anchor, using a masonry bit.
Make sure the hole is long enough to accommodate the sleeve or anchor.
Step 2: Tap in the Sleeve or Anchor
Insert the sleeve or anchor into the hole you drilled in the brick, and tap it lightly with a hammer. The front edge of the opening should be as close to flush with the surface of the brick as possible.
Step 3: Apply Glue
Reinforce the holding power of the fasteners -- if necessary -- by applying construction adhesive to the back of the wood.
Step 4: Drive the Fasteners
Set the wood against the brick and align the holes with the sleeves or anchors. Drive the fasteners into the sleeves with a drill and an appropriate driving bit. If you're using hammer-set anchors, just insert the sleeve through the wood and into the hole on the brick, and then tap the nail with a hammer.
If you're attaching a piece of wood that has to support more than 200 pounds -- for example, the ledger board for a deck -- fill the holes in the brick with epoxy cement before setting the screw anchors. You can buy heavy-duty anchors in kits that include epoxy adhesive.
Things You'll Need
- Wood and masonry bits
- Screws and anchors
- Construction adhesive
- Screw bit