Anchor into fireplace veneer stone over brick

[windgate]

I installed Eldorado stacked stone (Nantucket – flats) for a fireplace remodel. This veneer stone was installed over the existing brick. I have a question regarding attaching a fireplace hood to the veneer stone. The fireplace hood does not weigh much (about 5 lbs) but requires three (3) screws to affix the hood to the stone.

The veneer stone seems very brittle so I might want to stay away from an “expansion” anchor. An anchor that I can drill out and then epoxy into place may be the way to go

Can anyone recommended an anchor/screw product for attaching the hood to the stone?

 

[DAKSY]

How thick is the veneer? Can you use long Tapcons to anchor all the way to the brick?
That way you could just dril a larger (clearance) diameter through the veneer & the
proper diameter drill for the Tapcon for the brick underneath...

 

[axeman628]

What he said. I used an el dorado product too and wouldn't want to put any weight directly on it. The veneer is really easy to drill through, just go slow. If it's similar, the veneer averages about an inch or so thick.

 

[windgate]

Thanks all, I used tapcon screws to attach the metal lath to the brick to prep for the veneer stone. I used the drill bit that came with the tapcon screws, but it took forever to drill directly into the brick (drill bit wasn’t even moving), so I shifted and drilled into the grout between the bricks. For this application it would work out great if the three holes for the hood lined up exactly with a grout line, but I doubt that would be the case. I may try borrowing a hammer drill If I decide to go with tapcons for the hood. I suspect that with a hammer drill the bit would go in easier to the brick.

Can tapcon screws be removed and re-installed. There may be a future situation where I would need to remove the hood.

 

[DAKSY]

Yes, Tapcons can be removed, but I would use new ones for the re-installation.
The threads on the screws get somewhat damaged when they "bite" into the concrete/brick/stone...