How to Safely Remove Hammer Fixings?
General problems, solutions, information and advice on fixing to walls of all kinds

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ClareSunshine
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Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2024 2:07 pm

How to Safely Remove Hammer Fixings?

by ClareSunshine » Sat Sep 28, 2024 2:31 pm

Hi All,

New here. We have an old house made of Bath Stone. We have a decked terrace over a sloping glass roof that we just had replaced. Will post that in the Cowboy Builders forum shortly! (the glass roof not the decked terrace)

We are looking at various options of replacing the tannelised softwood decking frame with hardwood such as oak.

Long story short, the supports closest to the wall are fixed to the wall with Hammer Fixings. Clearly we can unscrew the screw in the hammer fixings but if we want to remove the wood entirely, then we will need to pull the wall plug out as well.

I've found tens of videos of beefy blokes saying how great hammer fixings are and fix anything to anything so it's great putting them in - but nobody is talking about taking them back out again!

Has anyone here done this and do you think the wood with the wall plug still in it can be gently prised away from the fairly soft and crumbly in places, stone wall?

Or would it best left in place as its very solid and we can just fix the new hardwood frame to that softwood to avoid disturbing it?

Ideally we would like it all in hardwood for longevity, just don't want to damage the wall and access is very tricky due to it being over the sloping glass roof - but possible.

Also if hammer fixings could possibly come out of the wall like regular wall plugs sometimes can; could we put a new one in the same hole of the new hardwood or would that be a definite no no and we would definitely need to make new holes if we were fixing new wood for the best strength? Clearly its best to make new holes, but just asking since the less we disturb the stone the better.

Thank you so much in advance for any helpful replies.

stoneyboy
Project Manager
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Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:44 pm

Re: How to Safely Remove Hammer Fixings?

by stoneyboy » Sun Sep 29, 2024 10:13 pm

Hi claresunshine,
Remove all the steel hammer fixings, gently prise the wood away from the wall using some sort of lever bar just enough to give a gap. Use a sharpened scraper to cut the plastic plugs close to the wall surface, once the wood is out of the way you could try using a screw to remove the plug remaining in the wall or just use the plugs for your new fixings.
Regards S

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