Took me 6 hours to fix a wall tie problem that should've taken 2

I was working on a small retaining wall in Tacoma last week and ran into some corroded wall ties that just would not come out. Figured I'd hammer them free in 10 minutes, ended up spending half the day chiseling out old mortar and cutting them off with an angle grinder. The concrete had basically fused with the ties over 40 years, and I broke two drill bits trying to get them out. Anyone else run into hidden corrosion that turns a quick fix into a full afternoon project?

2 comments

2 Comments

river_adams2524d ago

DUDE, I feel your pain. I once spent a whole Saturday fighting a single rusted bolt on a fence gate that looked like it would pop right out. Ended up having to soak it in WD-40 for TWO HOURS, then use a breaker bar and basically jump on it before it finally let go. That little job cost me a whole afternoon and my back was sore for days. Corrosion is the WORST when it hides inside old concrete like that.

janaf7624d ago

Gotta push back on that one, river. WD-40 is okay for light stuff, but for the really stubborn rust you gotta go straight to PB Blaster or a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. That stuff creeps in way better than WD-40 ever could. I've had bolts that I thought were welded in place just break free with that mix and a little patience. Heat is your friend too if you can get a torch on it without setting the fence on fire.