If you are fitting out a shop or just hanging some brackets in the garage, you need a fixing you can trust to get the job done fast. That is where the nail in anchor comes in.
Also known as nylon drive anchors or hammer in anchors, these are the absolute go to fasteners for quick, light to medium duty jobs. Whether you are stocking up the van or just grabbing a handful for a weekend project, these are a massive staple on the shelves at Cost Less Bolts. But to get the right hold, they have to be used the right way in the right materials.
Here is a quick breakdown of what they are and how to install them like a pro.
What is a Nail In Anchor?
A nail in anchor comes in two parts: a plastic nylon expansion plug and a steel drive pin.
Instead of turning a screw to force the anchor open, you simply whack the steel pin straight into the nylon body. The pin forces the bottom of the plug to expand outward, wedging it incredibly tight against the sides of your drilled hole.
The Golden Rule: Solid Materials Only
Let us be completely honest about where these belong. Nail in anchors rely 100 percent on outward friction and pressure to hold your fixture securely to the wall. Because of this, they absolutely need a hard, dense base material to push back against.
You should only be using them in:
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Solid Concrete
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Solid Brick
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Solid Blockwork and Masonry
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Natural Stone
If you try to use a nail in anchor in drywall, plasterboard, or hollow cavity walls, you are going to have a bad time. There is nothing solid behind the wall for the nylon to bite into. The anchor will just spin or slip, and your fixture will eventually pull straight out and hit the deck. Keep these strictly in solid masonry where they are meant to be.
How to Install Them
Installing these anchors is designed to be incredibly fast and straightforward.
Step 1: Drill the Hole
Using a hammer drill and a masonry drill bit, drill a hole straight through your fixture and into your solid brick or concrete. Make sure your drill bit matches the exact diameter of the nylon anchor. Always drill the hole slightly deeper than the length of the anchor to leave room for the brick dust.
Step 2: Clean the Hole A hole packed tight with dust will completely ruin the grip of the nylon. Give it a quick blow out or use a vacuum to clear the debris.
Step 3: Insert the Anchor Push the nylon body of the anchor through the hole in your timber batten or metal bracket and straight into the masonry hole. You can tap the nylon head gently with a hammer if it is a tight fit, but do not hit the steel pin just yet.
Step 4: Hammer it Home
Once the nylon body is sitting flush against your fixture, grab your hammer and strike the steel pin. Drive the pin all the way in until its head sits perfectly flush with the nylon collar. As the pin goes in, the anchor expands, locking your job permanently in place.
Quick Pro Tips
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Do not overdrive them: Stop hammering the second the pin is flush. Smashing it too hard can crush the nylon collar or damage the bracket you are trying to hang.
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Removability: Some nail in anchors have a Phillips drive slot on the head of the steel pin. While you always hammer them in to install them, that drive slot allows you to unscrew them out later if you ever need to remove the fixture.