Advice - Mounting a Pullup Bar on a Brick Wall

Lbloopzorm9 on 14/12/2020 - 20:47
Last edited 15/12/2020 - 07:59 by 1 other user

Edit: Thanks all, I've decided I'll try a different avenue!

Hi All,

I recently purchased a wall-mounted pullup bar (very lengthy link below). Its 1300mm wide, with three screw anchor points per side - 2 right behind the main unit and 1 about 500mm below with a support bar. The anchor screws are dynabolts - plastic sleeve, 65mm bolt. I've spent a bit of time googling and just not sure if I want to do it myself or pay a handyman. I'll either install it in the garage, or an external wall under our patio.

Main concerns are:
Drilling into brick, will it be able to take my weight (anywhere between 85-90kg, using it everyday for up to 100 reps)? Found the odd horror story which doesn't appeal to me very much…
Are 6 (3 per side) 65mm bolts enough? And long enough? Haven't used dynabolts before and the plastic sleeve doesn't look amazing.
Should I attach timber to the wall first? If I do this, I assume I still drill through the timber into the brick to install the bar?

Any other tips/advice appreciated.

Thanks!

Link to the bar is here:
https://gymdirect.com.au/products/wall-mounted-multi-grip-ch…

• 

  AdosHouse on 14/12/2020 - 20:56

  +1

  The 6 bolts will be plenty.

  Brick is fine as long as the brick is in good condition. Brick walls are strong vertically, but weaker to perpendicular force.

  I don't know what this plastic sleeves on the dynabolts you are referring too. Most every dynabolt I have seen is all metal. Go to Bunnings and get some of these, https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-10-x-80mm-flush-dynabolt-…

  EDIT: Though I would make sure you drill into the centre of the bricks and not the mortar. And I'd only do it to solid bricks and not hollow ones.

  • 

    bloopzorm9 on 14/12/2020 - 22:13

    Thanks for the tips. This might be a silly question, but how do you tell if a particular brick is solid or hollow? The walls are brick veneer.

    • 

      garetz on 14/12/2020 - 22:39

      +1

      Brick veneer means the bricks are not load bearing, and just for looks as a cladding, that underneath there is most likely timber frames which support the load of the wall.

    • 

      AdosHouse on 14/12/2020 - 23:40

      Okay if the walls are just brick veneer I wouldn't do this. Maybe just knock yourself up a frame out of some bunnings timber.

  • 

    Keplaffintech on 15/12/2020 - 11:24

    A pull up bar would be placing a perpendicular/rotational force on the brick work. Looking at the dimensions, the rotational force would be greater than 90kg given the ratio of the lever to the mounting points.

    The bolts will not come out of the bricks, but I wouldn't be so sure that a single layer brick veneer wall can sustain that.

• 

  sempro on 14/12/2020 - 20:59

  +1

  Dynabolts are to be installed directly into brick or concrete. If you have timber wall studs, then you need a different fastener.

  Sounds like you may need an assistance of a handyman.

• 

  slow on 14/12/2020 - 21:10

  +2

  I wouldn't be concerned about dynabolts coming out of the brick. I would be more concerned about the brick coming out of the wall or the wall coming down due to lateral force on the bricks

  https://www.productsafety.gov.au/products/health-lifestyle/r…

  https://www.news24.com/News24/Boy-dies-after-slam-dunk-20020…

• 

  Euphemistic on 14/12/2020 - 21:20

  +5

  I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Then again, make sure you set up a video camera when you use it for the potential viral video of it failing.

• 

  WreckTangle on 14/12/2020 - 21:33

  https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/brick-pillar-collapses-in-sub…

• 

  djones145 on 14/12/2020 - 21:53

  +1

  I remember my friend installing this at his parent house against a brick wall

  I was sitting watching my friend do pull ups and was think, damn my eyes are going bad , the whole wall seems to be moving….

  lol we never used it again

• 

  TheBilly on 14/12/2020 - 23:05

  +4

  You would be surprised how weak a brick veneer wall can be especially if a cheap brick layer has constructed it, they can skimp on ties and mortar making the wall very weak. A couple of solid swings from a sledge hammer will prove it. If you are capable of 100 chinups at a time why not invest in a proper concreted into the ground type post and bar if you have a back yard? You could buy 2 timber 150x150 posts and just drill through a metal pipe. It will be safer and longer lasting.