Odd isn't it? We had our back wall re-pointed in Belgium - 30m of 2 storeys high - and those chappies advised me to drill into the old brick and use good rawl plugs rather than drill into the mortar. I did, both for hanging trellis panels on battens, and attaching brackets, hooks and wires too. Worked well for us for over 15 years - and I assume is still OK - despite extremes of rain and frost in Belgian winters.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
As was said on GQT yesterday ... in many things there is no hard and fast rule, no right or wrong, just experience ... which may vary
It probably depends on the quality of the bricks. My ex specialised in restoring medieval and Tudor buildings and we lived in old houses with old garden walls ... more modern bricks are likely to be harder.
You pays your money and you takes your choice
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Let's just say that climbers get very heavy and need secure fixings, probably to a depth of 2". If your mortar is stable enough, well and good, but the old stuff is invariably too crumbly. At Hampton Court I might give it some more thought
As it's a west facing wall and gets all the wind and rain at it I'm thinking drilling into brick would be stronger? It's a 1960s house if that helps.......😬
With a 60s house, mortar would probably be ok, but use the right size drill bit/plug to suit the hardware you're using. Probably 7mm with a brown plug. The eye should screw in without undue force. If the drilling is hard work, try an sds drill
Our bricks were old, 200yrs or so but Belgian and they are a different size and probably a different mix. I suspect the original mortar behind what they scraped out before re-pointing was really quite crumbly in places and, of course, till we bought it there was no damp proof course which would affect both the bricks and old mortar.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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It probably depends on the quality of the bricks. My ex specialised in restoring medieval and Tudor buildings and we lived in old houses with old garden walls ... more modern bricks are likely to be harder.
You pays your money and you takes your choice
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
At Hampton Court I might give it some more thought