Affixing Rope Lights to Concrete Wall

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

philcobendixduo

Well-known member
Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
521
Location
San Jose
I have searched the internet and really haven't found anything helpful.
I have a concrete "sitting wall". It's made of stacked concrete blocks (decorative made by paver company).
I want to put rope lights under the front ledge.
The rope lights (on sale at Costco right now) come with tiny plastic clips that attach with a tiny screw.
The instructions say to drill a 1/16" pilot hole for the screw.
I cannot even find a 1/16" masonry drill bit anywhere online.
Then it would be very hard to get the drill up high enough so that the light clips are right under the ledge.
I've thought of using some kind of adhesive but what would adhere plastic to concrete and hold up to all weather and temperature variations without failing?
Scotch "Command" hooks say that they are only for "finished" surfaces (i.e. painted) when it comes to concrete.
Any bright ideas?
 
Gorilla glue products have shown to hold up to many exterior areas better than just about anything...

you may have to resort to using clear silicone caulking or construction adhesive.....not much different than used by many contractors for setting stone and brick work in place rather than mortar...
 
Even if they made a masonry bit that small, it seems like it would be miserable to use in practice, because the bit diameter would be smaller than the grain size of some of the aggregate in the concrete. It would just wander all over the place instead of drilling through effectively.

I would think that either of the options proposed above would work - either an adhesive, or upsizing the drill bit and using concrete anchors. Upsized anchors would seem to be overkill (and a lot of work), so I'd lean toward just using an adhesive. Worst case, if it doesn't stick, then you can break out the drill and go to work.
 
I tried some....

.....Gorilla Construction Adhesive that I had left over from affixing a loose capstone on the wall and, so far, it looks like that will work. My test clip was affixed to the face of the wall but I think I will try to affix them UNDER the capstone ledge so that if I ever want to remove them (or they fall off) I won't see dabs of dried adhesive all along the face of the wall.
 
Back
Top