Anchor Screws for Brick: Best Picks for Wood Shelves & Trim

Self-tapping concrete screws like Tapcon anchor most wood shelving, trim, and furring strips directly into brick — but loads over 35 lbs or soft, crumbling brick call for a 3/8" wedge or sleeve anchor instead. An undersized anchor is the #1 cause of a shelf pulling out of a wall. This guide covers matching anchor type to your wood project, drilling brick without splitting the wood, and rescuing an anchor point in old brick.

What Are Anchor Screws (And Why Wood Needs Them on Brick)

An anchor screw looks like a regular wood screw but has a wider, deeper thread that cuts its own grip into hard masonry. Standard wood screws will not hold in brick — there is no fiber for the threads to bite into, so the screw simply spins or snaps. Anchor screws solve that by either self-tapping directly into the brick (Tapcon-style) or by expanding a metal sleeve against the sides of a drilled hole (wedge and sleeve anchors).

For a woodworking project — a floating shelf, a run of trim, a furring strip wall for paneling — the anchor screw is only half the equation. The wood component also needs its own pilot hole and enough edge clearance, or the anchor can split the wood before it ever grips the brick. That distinction is what most generic masonry guides skip, and it is the difference covered section by section below. This is also a common companion topic to our other drilling guides for woodworking projects.

📊 A 3/16" Tapcon-style screw driven just 1 inch into solid brick can hold roughly 650 lbs in straight pull-out tests — Source: Concrete Fasteners, brick anchor product data

Which Anchor Screw for Which Wood Project?

The right anchor depends on the combined weight the wood piece will carry once it is loaded — not just the anchor’s brand name. Use this table as a starting point, then confirm the exact weight rating printed on the anchor’s packaging before buying.

Wood Project	Best Anchor Type	Typical Load Per Anchor	Screw/Bolt Size
Small floating shelf or trim strip	Self-tapping concrete screw (Tapcon-style)	Up to ~10 lbs	#8, 3/16" x 1-1/4"
Furring strip frame (paneling, wainscoting)	Self-tapping concrete screw	10-25 lbs, distributed	#10, 3/16"-1/4"
Wood mantel or mid-size shelf unit	Sleeve anchor	25-50 lbs	5/16" x 2-1/2"-3"
Heavy shelving unit or structural ledger	Wedge anchor	50+ lbs	3/8" x 3" or longer

These ranges assume solid, sound brick and one anchor carrying its share of an evenly distributed load — always use at least two anchors per bracket or strip, spaced according to the bracket manufacturer’s instructions. For metal hardware instead of wood, see our guide to metal shelving for storage, which uses a different anchor-to-material match entirely.

Types of Anchor Screws for Brick

Four anchor types cover almost every wood-to-brick project. Picking between them comes down to load and whether the brick is sound.

Self-Tapping Concrete Screws (Tapcon-Style)

These screws are designed with a thread that cuts its own grip directly into brick or mortar — no separate anchor sleeve required. They come in hex washer head and flat Phillips head styles, are corrosion-resistant for outdoor trim, and are the default choice for light-to-mid wood projects.

Wedge Anchors

A wedge anchor expands a metal sleeve inside the drilled hole as the nut is tightened, giving it the highest pull-out resistance of the four types. Reach for one when a shelving unit or a wood ledger will carry real weight.

Sleeve Anchors

Sleeve anchors use a split expansion sleeve and work in both solid brick and mortar joints, which makes them forgiving when the ideal drilling spot lands right on a joint line. They land in the middle of the weight range, ahead of concrete screws but below a full wedge anchor.

Wall (Toggle) Bolts

Wall bolts pair a sleeve, a bolt, and a washer, and are typically driven into a mortar joint rather than the brick face itself. They suit large, heavy wood installations where the layout allows anchoring into the joints.

Mounting Wood Furring Strips and Trim to Brick

Furring strips — the thin wood strips used to build a nailing surface for paneling, wainscoting, or drywall over a brick wall — are one of the most common wood-to-brick jobs, and they fail differently than a single shelf bracket. A #8 self-tapping concrete screw handles insulation-weight furring; step up to a #10 once the strips will carry thicker paneling or drywall.

Stagger the anchors in a zig-zag down the strip instead of running them in a single straight line. A straight line of fasteners concentrates stress along one grain line and is a common cause of a furring strip splitting weeks after installation, even when every anchor was driven correctly.

If you would rather avoid drilling into the brick face entirely, our guide to attaching wood to brick without drilling covers adhesive and furring-strip-frame methods that skip anchor screws altogether — useful for rentals or brick you don’t want to put a permanent hole in.

Tools You’ll Need

• Hammer drill: a standard drill will struggle in solid brick; a hammer drill (or a hammer-drill setting) makes the hole far faster and with less bit wear. See our guide to drilling into concrete for the same technique applied to a harder masonry surface.
• Masonry bit matched to the anchor diameter: an oversized hole is one of the most common reasons a self-tapping screw spins instead of gripping.
• Wood bit for the pilot hole in the wood component itself: sized to the screw’s shank, not its full thread diameter.
• Hammer, wrench, and driver: for seating sleeve/wedge anchors and driving the final screw or nut.
• Safety glasses and a dust brush: brick dust in the eyes is the most common minor injury on this job, and leftover dust in the hole is the most common cause of a weak hold.

How to Install Anchor Screws in Brick (Step by Step)

1. Mark through the actual hardware: hold the wood piece or bracket in place and mark screw locations through its real mounting holes, not by eye.
2. Pre-drill the wood: drill a clearance hole through the wood component first, sized to the screw’s shank, so the wood pulls tight instead of splitting as the screw seats.
3. Drill the brick, not the mortar: using a hammer drill and the matched masonry bit, drill into the face of the brick unit itself to the depth printed on the anchor’s packaging.
4. Clear the hole completely: blow out or brush away all brick dust before inserting the anchor — leftover dust cuts holding power more than almost any other mistake on this job.
5. Drive the anchor: set the screw through the wood and into the brick, driving until the head seats flush and the wood sits snug against the wall.
6. Test before loading: apply firm hand pressure to the mounted wood, then check it again after about a week — settling brick dust can slightly loosen a very fresh install.

Wear safety glasses and gloves throughout, and confirm the drilling location is clear of any hidden electrical or plumbing runs before you start.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

• Undersizing the anchor: match the anchor to the table above rather than grabbing whatever is on hand — an anchor rated below the actual load is the single most common cause of a shelf or bracket pulling loose.
• Drilling the hole too shallow: the hole should be at least 1.5 times the length of the anchor screw so it has room to seat fully and grip.
• Skipping the dust cleanout: a wire brush or a short blast of compressed air clears the hole so the anchor’s threads bite into solid brick instead of loose dust.
• Driving fasteners too close to the wood’s edge: a screw within 3/4 inch of a furring strip or trim board’s edge is what actually splits the wood, even with a pilot hole already started. Back every fastener in from the edge, and stagger a second row instead of lining every screw down the centerline.
• Ignoring crumbling or spalling brick: old, soft brick often will not hold a self-tapping screw’s threads at all. Drill a slightly oversized hole, fill it with masonry epoxy, and set the anchor (or a short length of threaded rod) into the epoxy before it cures — this gives the fastener solid material to grip instead of crumbling brick face.

For more ideas on the wood hardware itself once the wall side is handled, see our roundup of shelf bracket styles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use regular screws in brick?

No. Standard wood screws strip or snap in brick because there is no fiber for the threads to grip. A screw made for masonry, such as a self-tapping concrete screw, has a wider, higher thread that cuts its own hold into the material. For anything heavier than a light picture frame, drill a pilot hole first even with a self-tapping screw.

What type of anchor screw is best for mounting wood to brick?

For most wood shelving, trim, and furring strips, a self-tapping concrete screw is the best all-around choice since it needs no separate anchor sleeve and holds securely in solid brick. Switch to a 3/8" wedge or sleeve anchor once the combined weight passes roughly 35 lbs, since a single concrete screw is not rated for heavier structural loads.

What size anchor screw do I need for a wood shelf on brick?

A #8 or 3/16" diameter concrete screw handles light shelving and trim; move up to a #10 or 1/4" diameter for anything holding books, dishes, or tools. Drive the screw at least 1 inch into solid brick, not the mortar joint, and pre-drill both the brick and the wood component to the screw’s exact diameter.

Can you use Tapcon screws to attach wood to brick?

Yes — Tapcon and similar self-tapping concrete screws are one of the most common ways to attach wood directly to brick, from furring strips to shelf brackets. Drill the pilot hole with the manufacturer-specified masonry bit, since an oversized hole lets the screw spin instead of gripping.

How do you keep wood from splitting when anchoring it to brick?

Pre-drill a clearance hole through the wood before driving the anchor screw, and keep every fastener at least 3/4 inch back from the wood’s edge. Stagger anchors in a zig-zag rather than a straight line down a furring strip, which spreads the stress instead of concentrating it along one grain line.

What if the brick crumbles or is too old to hold an anchor screw?

Old, soft, or spalling brick often will not hold a self-tapping screw’s threads. Drill a slightly oversized hole, fill it with masonry epoxy, and set the anchor or a length of threaded rod into the epoxy before it cures. This gives the fastener solid material to grip instead of crumbling brick.

Conclusion

Match the anchor to the wood project’s actual load, drill the brick face rather than the mortar, and pre-drill the wood itself to stop splits before they start. With the right anchor screw and a clean pilot hole, wood shelves, trim, and furring strips hold securely in brick for years.