I posted this question in house chat, and was referred to this forum.
I want to put low-voltage lights to light our patio. Ideally I would like to mount the half-circle lights under the lip of an 18″ techo-block (concrete paver) seat wall that surrounds the patio. I can tuck the wire into the lip, but what is the best way to attach the lights to the wall. I hesitate to use a concrete drill, because I don’t want to risk damaging the wall. I am hoping there is an adhesive solution that might work. Any ideas? The biggest concern I have with the adhesive is the moisture that gets into the concrete breaking the bond. I’ll appreciate any tips or advice. Thanks!
Replies
Take a look at the anchor and epoxy systems they have at simpson strong-tie. They may have something you can use. MAybe one of the anchors that you epoxy in place in the drilled hole.
http://www.simpsonanchors.com/
I think the best bet is drilling into the wall and using some sort of anchor fastener. You may be able to make some sort of bracket that you then epoxy to the wall. Depends a lot on the weight of the devices.
Good luck.
If you use a moisture cure adhesive, it's not going anywhere.
You could use polyurethane construction adhesive, or a polyurethane sealant, depending upon the stretch properties you are looking for.
I've had good luck with PL products. http://www.stickwithpl.com/Products/poly_sealants/poly_sealants.asp
Or you could use Lexel; http://www.sashco.com/home_improvement/consumers/brochures.shtml
Or you could use 3M Marine Adhesive, but that would probably be overkill.
thanks for the sources, I'll check them out.
You could make a bracket from a strip of non-corroding material and epoxy it to the underside of the lip, hanging the light down against the face of the wall. That way, if you ever removed the lights the epoxy would be unseen.
Glue a small piece of wood to the block with polyurethane glue (Gorilla glue). (Tape in place overnight to set.) Then screw the light to the wood.
I don't think the fixtures can be that heavy. So any exterior caulking or adhesive that can stick to concrete and the material of the fixture should be fine.
The fixtures are very light! I may experiment with the caulk - I like the fact that I could pry them off that way if ever needed (though I don't know why I'd need to!) Thanks.