Anchors in brick

Should I drill for plastic anchors directly into the brick OR the pointing between the bricks?

 

It's better to drill into the mortar... not the bricks.

 

Once you try drilling fired bricks youll know why drilling mortar is soooo much easier.

Plus, you can repair should you ever remove the fastener!

 

What do you plan on hanging?
Plastic anchors is the last way I would go for anything.

 

Not for anything? House numbers? Mailbox? Thermometer?

 

Thanks for your reply. Will be mounting outdoor electrical boxes with plastic anchors.

 

Ah, one more issue with this.... I will be drilling with a hammer drill, a 3/4" hole for electrical PVC to the surface mounted electrical box.

 

 

Anyone who has ever tried to drill into a modern kiln baked brick (not talking about soft chalk bricks) will know that drilling into the mortar is so much easier... and it does not permanently damage the brick (in the case of anything that could potentially be temporary). There are obviously cases where you HAVE to drill into the brick due to the positioning of the holes of whatever is being mounted, so you sometimes have no choice.

Hope that "hammer drill" is an SDS rotary hammer. Might want to drill a pilot hole with a smaller bit before jumping to the 3/4" bit.

 

Bill, as for putting the conduit into the brick for the electrical box I've done a bit of that over the years (non professionally) and have found that an angle grinder + a chisel and a blacksmiths hammer is far superior to a drill for the work.

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions on drilling and mounting my surface electric box. I have two of these to mount and wire.
The brick is old brick (late 1920's). I have to get through both the brick AND a concrete foundation. My house was built by my German bricklayer grandfather and is like Fort Knox in its construction. (Mein Gott im Himmel!) It's a contractor's nighmare!
The drill is a borrowed Hilti rotary hammer drill with the appropriate bit.
Yes, I'm drilling a pilot hole before opening it up to 3/4".
The positioning of the surface electrical box will ultimately determine where I drill through brick or mortar.
I'll report back on my success. Coming to a theater near you, soon.