How to put up a Hanging Basket Bracket

Once you've decided where you want to put your hanging basket, taking into consideration the height of the basket, the amount of light it will get, plus the amount of wind it will be exposed to, (see this blog post for much more detail on finding the best location for your hanging baskets) the next thing to do is to ensure you have the correct fixings for what you are attaching it to.

The most important thing, and I cannot stress this enough, USE STAINLESS STEEL FIXINGS! This is because anything less, even if they are 'zinc coated' or similar, will rust in a matter of months and leave rusty brown streaks down your wall. Which, if you've just purchased some unique, exceptional quality hanging basket brackets, this would be incredibly annoying.

Choosing the correct fixings for your hanging basket bracket

Using the best fixing for the job will give you a better chance of properly fitted brackets that won't come down in a storm. The trouble is, there are so many varieties it can be confusing for even an experienced DIY-er! The first things you need to do in selecting the correct fixings are:

• Measure the diameter of the holes in your hanging basket bracket, and check whether they are countersunk or not. If your holes are 7mm in diameter, you will need 6mm screws, for example.
  
• What material are you fixing the bracket to? The graphic below shows what you will need to fit your hanging basket bracket, and there is further information beneath it:

Fixing a hanging basket bracket to wood, eg a post

• All you need to do here is use stainless steel wood screws of the appropriate size for the holes in your bracket.
• We'd recommend choosing screws that are around 40mm in length, such as these from Screwfix.
• Hold the bracket up and ensure it is straight & at the height you want it.
• Depending on the wood you may want to drill a pilot hole, to prevent the wood from splitting.  The pilot hole should be around the diameter of the screws shank, though again this does depend on if it is a hardwood or softwood.
• Hold the bracket in place while screwing in the screw; this can be done either by hand using a screwdriver, or using a drill with a screwdriver bit.

Fixing a hanging basket bracket to metal, eg a pole

• The length of bolt required will depend on the thickness of whatever you need to get through, eg if you are fixing to a 100mm thick pole, your bolts will need to measure this, plus allowing space for the thickness of the bracket, washers and a nut on the other side, so minimum 120mm long.
• While a hex bolt is suitable, aesthetically a dome headed bolt might look nicer, or a counter sunk bolt if the hole in your bracket is countersunk. 
• Use an HSS drill bit for drilling through steel.
• Bolt right through the metal and fix at the back using a nut.

Fixing a hanging basket bracket to masonry, eg a brick or stone wall: a few points to consider

There is a little more to think about when fixing a hanging basket bracket to masonry, so there are a few points to consider before you get started:

• Don't mount your bracket on the edge of a brick or it may just crack off when you try to drill it. Close to the centre of the brick will be the most secure!  Some may prefer to put fixings into the mortar to prevent damaging the brickwork, though this really depends on the quality/type of pointing.
• The top fixing is the most important as this will take the full weight of your hanging basket (pull out load). The bottom one needs only be strong enough to resist shear strength, so if you end up drilling into mortar here, that's fine.
• When drilling into masonry (brick or stone) use the hammer drill setting on your drill, and make sure you are using a masonry bit. 
  
• Consider drilling a pilot hole first if the material is very tough, such as Accrington bricks.
• The length of screw required depends on the condition of wall, as well as  what you're drilling into. Typically for good strong masonry we might use 40-50mm screws.
• If your wall is rendered and you are unsure of the condition of the stone beneath it, be safe and use longer screws. Our hand forged sheep and collie hanging basket shown below is fixed to a very uneven, rendered stone wall, so we did use some longer screws to accomodate this.
  

Now you've read through the above, you can hold the bracket where you want it and mark the holes. 

• You will need to buy rawl plugs as well as screws, and it's usually the brown or red ones for this sort of application. It will say on them what diameter of screw they are suited to, so it depends on the holes in your hanging basket bracket.
• Look at the length of your screws, and mark on your drill bit using tape so you know how far into the wall you need to drill.
• Once the holes are drilled, insert the rawl plug.
• Put the bracket back in position, and screw in the screws either by hand or using an elecric screwdriver.