LESLIE: Ron in North Carolina is working on some storage in the basement. How can we help you?
RON: I have some metal shelving units and under our home, we have crawlspaces, actually, over 6 feet high. And I would like to secure these metal shelves to the wall but I’m afraid that if I do it improperly, that I will crack the concrete blocks that is actually the foundation to our house.
TOM: Yeah, I wouldn’t worry too terribly much about that. You can use Tapcon hardware for that. You know what a Tapcon bolt is?
RON: Yes. Is that the same thing that’s similar to what they call Redheads?
TOM: Hmm. I don’t know. I’ve never heard it called that. It’s a brand name, Tapcon, but basically it’s a hardened bolt and it comes with a pilot drill usually in the package. And you pilot-drill it out and then you can screw right into the block with this and it’ll do a great job of holding stuff up.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And I mean it’s really made for this purpose. I’ve also seen some people – and I’ve done this myself when dealing with brick and sort of building a fireplace surround – when you drill out the hole and you’re ready to screw in or attach whatever you’re working with, some people take like a length of wire and sort of fold it in half so it’s u-shaped and just tuck it into the hole. And as they put in the Tapcon, it sort of acts as an extra anchor. But either way, it works.
RON: Oh, OK. OK. And you buy those at Lowes Hardware or Home Depot?
LESLIE: Anywhere.
TOM: Yeah, absolutely.
LESLIE: In the fastener aisle. Make sure you get the one that has the drill-bit attachment; the piece that goes with it.
RON: OK. Alright, great. Now we’ll try that and I appreciate you answering my question.
TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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