I have a 48" flat screen TV that I'm trying to mount into a pre-assembled then-installed permanent basement shelves. It appears that the back wall of the shelves was glued onto the cinder blocks. Across the top of the shelves is a support beam and air-ducts. I took the template that comes with the TV mounting kit, after centering the TV and removing the shelving in that area, and drilled the first two upper holes and they penetrated the cinder block for the 3" needed well. It actually drilled into airspace after about 2 1/2" in.
The 3rd hole will not let me drill farther than 1/2 ". Even relocating the template higher or lower by a hole size, involves losing the ability to use one of the holes. What could be about 3" wide around neck level behind the cinder block wall and impenetrable going horizontally across the wall? House was built in 1984 and I'm certain is cinder block throughout the basement as it is visible anywhere support walls belong and the other 3 walls and areas that meander around the shape of the basement shape are cinder block. There is a furnace room about 10 feet to the right and a separate cinder block room about 5 feet to the left. The other side of the wall is simply the foundation outside. So with all that, what gives?
Josh-U
The 3/8″ concrete drill bit hitting in the basement wall and not penetrating when I try to mount a TV
cinderblockmountingtelevision
Related Solutions
Can I convince you to not do this ?
Honestly not trying to be an ass.
Please, please - Get a quote from a company that builds retaining walls.
The quote will cost very little or nothing.
You will be shocked at the cost, and not in a good way.
The quantity of material needed to build the wall, will amaze you.
Please get a quote or two first.
I promise you, you will not regret it.
Block walls work in compression, heavy things directly on top of them is fine.
Side to side, their goal in life is to tip over, and they are damn good at it.
Blocks work because they are tied to very solid, heavy things at the top and bottom that run the length of the wall, and have regular supports at a right angle to the length of the brick.
A 1' deep pile of soil, behind a 4' block wall, 1 block long, weighs 500 pounds.
The path of least resistance is to knock over the wall.
Blocks, attached with mortar, to the soil behind the wall about as strong as a 2x10 resting on its edge.
The question is more one of how many yards of concrete will you need to build the footing.
Ceiling – What are the options to increase doorway height in load-bearing portion of foundation wall
There are two very important dimensions left out of the "Obstruction Details". See picture below.
Overall height of overhead clearance. (Directly related to number of courses of cinder blocks in the wall).
Width of the opening. (This is of lesser importance than the overall height).
The dimensions I show are just pure guesses based on what one may expect in a fairly standard basement.
If your basement was built with 10 courses of cinder blocks such that the joist plate is directly over the bricks then there are going to be many fewer options. Already with severely compromised ceiling height the engineer may suggest a cross support beam inline with the wall fitted up between the ends of the joists that are cut off flush to the surface of the cross beam and then supported via metal joist hangers into the sides of the cross beam. Such cross beam would span over the opening and extend to an even multiple of the joists spacing.
If your basement was built with 11 or 12 courses of cinder blocks then you have more options. The engineer may suggest cutting out the bricks and overhead cinder blocks and laying in a cross beam header. This header would be longer than the opening width and may be specified as a steel or wood beam. The ends of this cross beam header would be supported by the first solid cinder block course on either side of the opening. It may have to be shimmed up from the cinder block course with wood or bricking.
With either of these approaches it would be necessary to prop up the overhead joists back away from the opening whilst the engineer approved re-work was being performed.
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Best Answer
You could be dealing with a vertical cell filled with concrete or a vertical piece of rebar. If you are not using a hammer drill, try that first and see if it starts going deeper. If not, take a loot at the hammer drill bit and see if it looks like it's dulling. If it is, you will need to try a Carbide Rebar Drill Bit.