Modern building materials are being actively improved in terms of their performance. Manufacturers give new products a wider range of protective properties, as well as increase basic technical indicators. In this regard, fasteners are also not lagging behind , in the development of which the design is of considerable importance. An example of a successful fixing device is a frame dowel, which combines both reliability and versatility of use. However, the special design of this hardware still limits the range of areas of its use.
Frame Dowel General
Basically, this hardware has a rod, which in principle resembles a regular screw or self-tapping screw. Its task is to tighten and fix two or more components of the structure. But the main difference is the presence of an auxiliary element that holds the anchor. Frame dowels usually do not require the use of special industrial tools for installation. Most often, even experts are limited to a basic set of tools that allow you to form a suitable hole size.
Dowel construction
The device of the dowel of this type is complicated in different parts. This is the spacer, which goes separately, and the head, and directly the area of the screw. As for the wedging site, the metal frame dowel interacts with it in such a way that the risk of scrolling is prevented during operation. In addition, this peculiar nozzle protects the wall niche from excessive mechanical damage, providing a delicate, but at the same time hard landing.
As for the head, there are various options for its execution, among which two stand out - a flat "eternal" and an enlarged hat. The first modification, as the name implies, does not involve dismantling, so it can be masked with a layer of plaster. A flattened and smooth head practically does not protrude onto the surface of the structure. Otherwise, a frame dowel is arranged in which an enlarged head is implemented. These types of hardware are designed taking into account the possibility of twisting without the risk of mechanical damage or disruption of the cap. The working part of the screw, in fact, resembles traditional hardware such as somorez, but in this case a lot of emphasis is placed on the formation of a protective coating - for example, due to galvanization.
Item Dimensions
Dowels are available in different sizes, which allows you to fasten materials with a total thickness of an average of 40 to 170 mm. The screws can have lengths from 70 to 220 mm along the length, while the functional part of the hardware is calculated 5-15 mm shorter. The diameter of the size range is much more modest and varies on average from 8 to 10 mm. From the point of view of durability and strength properties, it is important to take into account the technical parameters of the protective layer with which frame dowels are covered. The dimensions of the galvanized coating in thickness, for example, can be from 5 to 10 microns. This value, almost invisible to the eye, nevertheless gives a tangible protective effect for the metal during operation.
Production material
The main screw is most often made of steel. It is a reliable, tough and at the same time durable material that is optimally suited to the requirements of fastening operations. Its only weak point is susceptibility to corrosion processes, but technologists, as already noted, provide galvanized and other galvanic coatings that protect metalware from destruction. It is also worth paying attention to the material of the spacer tip, which is equipped with a frame dowel. The nylon element can be considered as the optimal solution, although there are also quite rigid plastic analogues. Moreover, dowel bases are often made from synthetic plastic materials. Such hardware in its structure is quite consistent with the group of frame models, with the exception of the material of manufacture. Such products are used for highly specialized purposes, for example, in the installation of heat-insulating panels that do not require rigid and high-strength fixation.
Varieties
First of all, it is worth pointing out the relatedness of frame models of dowels with facade. They have a similar device, but there are differences in the characteristics that determine the scope of the elements. So, standard frame hardware is designed for the maintenance of wooden, plastic and various composite materials, the load of which does not exceed 30 kg. In turn, the facade dowel is distinguished by the ability to work already with external cladding. These are panels that perform the tasks of a heat insulator, decoration and certain protective functions. Inside their classes, both frame and facade products differ in the same ways - slot parameters, cap facets, principle of operation of spacer sleeves, etc.
Appointment
The hardware of the frame type is more likely oriented not to power loads, but to the implementation of the most advantageous structural schemes of fasteners. For this reason, they are often used in the installation of window and doorways, in the manufacture of furniture and the fastening of finishing material. From the point of view of operation, the frame dowel is advantageous in that it causes minor mechanical damage to the base into which it is integrated. But this is also due to restrictions of a different kind. In particular, frame fasteners are not suitable for the tasks of rigid fixation of massive and heavy structures. Some manufacturers even set restrictions on the use of dowels in work with certain materials - usually metal. On the other hand, to ensure rigid fastenings, it is possible to replace the frame model of the facade, designed for heavy loads.
How to choose a frame dowel?
Unlike standard screws and standard expansion bolt shields, this fixture assumes the special calculation of conformity of a specific standard size to installation tasks. Each parameter matters. For example, under harsh outdoor conditions it is necessary to provide a thick protective coating. If you plan to install while maintaining a smooth surface, then you should choose a metal frame dowel with a flat head. And, of course, the selection of an element from the point of view of dimensional parameters is mandatory - length and width characteristics that are suitable for the format of the target building material are evaluated.
Installation Recommendations
First of all, before fixing the dowel, the working surface is cleaned. Next, you need to choose the method by which the hole will be realized. Usually, electric screwdrivers with suitable nozzles are used for such needs. In this part, it is necessary to evaluate not the diameter of a particular screw, but the size of its expansion nozzle, which will hold the rod in the created niche. Also, depending on operational requirements, it may be necessary to hide the cap. For this, a chamfer is additionally formed, expanding the outlet of the hole for head integration. By the way, if a frame dowel is installed for hollow materials, then you can get by with a hand tool that delicately and with greater accuracy will allow you to prepare a hole for the hardware. Next, the spacer is installed, followed by tightening the fastener.
Conclusion
In work with traditional expansion bolt shields installation tasks are solved easier. As a rule, these are multifunctional fasteners, characterized by a simple design and high-strength rods. To handle them, sometimes you need powerful power equipment, but in the process of operation, the risk of destruction of the created structure is minimized. The facade dowel is also close to these possibilities, the device of which is less focused on fixing heavy panel materials, but nevertheless, it has no equal in the quality of structural complex installation. Then follows the frame fasteners of the group of dowels, designed for more delicate and precise operations. With the help of such a clamp, it is possible to realize a neat installation of the door frame or to perform a smooth installation of heat-insulating panels. If the dowel itself is made of high-quality steel alloy, has a stable galvanization and a reliable spacer, then you will not have to worry about the durability of the element.