Lum

Me and my GF have been putting up a satellite dish this weekend, all is fine except the cable is just running along the floor right now.

I bought a load of 7mm cable clips but the nails only end up going about 4mm into the wall and the mortar just breaks away around it and then they fall off. It was even worse when I was trying to install it higher up where there is sodding pebble dash. At least I now understand why the previous occupant just wrapped the TV aerial wire around the drainpipe rather than securing it.

This could just be down to my crap DIY skills, but I'm guessing a longer and/or different kind of clip is needed.

Any recommendations, preferably something I can find in Focus, Homebase or B&Q (in that order of preference) since my GF wants it sorted today.

davegtt

BluTack?

Lum

I think blutack might fall off in the rain.

vindaloo

There's a number of ways to approach it....

Run a lath along the wall, screwed and rawlplugged into place. Nail the cable clips to that.

Run a pipe along the wall with the cable in it. Again, use crews/rawlplugs on the fittings.

Run the cable up to the eves, along the edge of the roof and back down the drainpipe etc....

Whatever method you choose, buy a bag of readymix to repair any co-lateral damage.

J.

David Lock

I fixed some external power cable onto a brick wall using some cable clips with masonry nails about 1 inch long. Got them from Travis Perkins but they must be quite common. Still get some mortar breaking away but they should also go into brick. Mind your thumb

Lum

Now that's more like what I'm after. We rent the place so can't do too many modifications.

I wasn't aware that you needed special nails for masonry, probably explains how the ones I was using would simultaneously bend in the middle while they ruined the mortar.

I suppose the worst case scenario is I could buy masonry nails of the same size as the ones in my existing clips and just remove the original ones.

OllyK

You can buy the proper clips for satellite cable from B&Q

Lum

Cheers, I found some that claim to be for satellite and for pond pumps, and have a big warning on the back about how masonry nails can shatter.

It still doesn't explicitly state that they're masonry nails, but I guess it's the closest I can get.

My GF is late home from work though, and buggered if I'm going up a ladder on my own in the dark. The job can wait

hectic

OR...

get some cable -ties.. run the cable behind the drainpipe... cable tie it nice and tidy then you only have to 'fight with the cable clips aong the horizontal

hectic

Oh, and when clipping.. dont go berserk with the hammer.. the action of hammering will heat the nail and therefore make it more malleable(sp) ergo, it will bend rendering it useless

mj

The trick is to nail into horizontal mortar lines only, as this will be a solid bed of mortar, and catch the mortar where it meets brick.