Knowing where to buy your fixings isn’t always easy because on paper at least, you have a bewildering variety of options open to you.
What are high performance fixings?
In a sense, the answer to the question is contained within it.
Basically they exist to provide exceptionally strong fixing of something into the available substrate.
To give an illustration, clearly if you are putting up a small shelf in a bedroom, which is simply to hold children’s soft toys, then the type of fixing you might choose is likely to be significantly different to one you might select for securing something that was likely to support a very heavy loading.
High performance accessories including fixings are almost invariably made from strong metal and typically need to be inserted deeply into a strong and sound substrate.
Remember that however strong your fixing is, it may prove to be useless if you are trying to embed it into an unstable and crumbling substrate.
The high performance tag typically indicates that the fixing has been rated to support very heavy sheer or tensile loads – in some cases both. There might also be special categories for exceptionally high / low temperature environments or those where exposure to water and related corrosion is an issue.
Can I use them anywhere?
Theoretically yes but you may need to be a little cautious in certain situations.
If you are inserting them into brick or concrete, you should be absolutely sure that the substrate is solid and sound – as mentioned above. If not and they are of a type that expands inside the drilled hole, then they may cause further damage and simply pull out.
If you are working close to the edge of a brick or concrete component, you may be advised to consider alternative solutions, possibly including resin fixings. High performance metal fixings will typically come with advice in terms of how close to the edge of certain materials they can be safely used.
Of course, heavy duty fixings might be more expensive than standard around-the-house odd-job type varieties. As a result, you may not want to use them where lighter fixings would suffice, as it will just push your costs up unnecessarily – something many of us wish to avoid.
Where can I buy them?
Some types may be stocked by local DIY outlets but for particularly heavy duty use and specialised requirements, you may need to go to a specialist fixings supplier.
Remember also that you may get very precise and expert advice from a specialist supplier – something that might be a little harder to come by through a traditional DIY outlet.