Fit a fold-down breakfast bar to a solid brick or block wall

Fit a fold-down breakfast bar to solid brick or block using heavy-duty masonry fixings and a spirit level.

BB-01Gather tools and materialsYou'll need a hammer drill or SDS drill, an 8mm masonry bit and a bit matching your wall plug size, a spirit level, tape measure, pencil, dust mask and safety glasses. Lay everything out before you start so you're not hunting for tools halfway through.

1 each · Fold-down breakfast bar bracket kit

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8 each · Heavy-duty masonry wall plugs (8mm x 60mm)

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8 each · Coach screws or heavy-duty wood screws (8mm x 75mm)

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1 each · Dust mask

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1 each · Safety glasses

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BB-02Confirm your wall is solid brick or blockThis guide is for solid masonry walls only. Tap the wall — a solid, dull thud all the way along means brick or block. If you get a hollow sound, or a pilot hole brings out no brick dust, you actually have a stud wall, and this guide's fixings won't apply — a fold-down bar puts real pulling force on the wall, so a stud wall needs fixing through to noggins or the masonry behind, not the method here.

BB-03Mark the height and positionStandard breakfast bar height is around 900-1000mm from the floor, but check it suits your worktop or stool height first. Use a spirit level to draw a horizontal line where the top edge of the bracket will sit, and mark the fixing points along it, matching the hole spacing on your bracket kit.

BB-04Check clearance for the folded positionHold the folded bracket against the wall at your marked height and check nothing obstructs it swinging up and down — sockets, tiles, splashbacks or a window sill. Also check there's enough room below for the bar to fold flat when not in use.

BB-05Check for pipes and cables, then drill pilot holesCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind a wall, especially near a kitchen worktop. Run a detector over the marked area first, but still treat the wall as if something is there — detectors miss cables that are deep, boxed in metal conduit, or outside the usual safe zones. Before you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, and if you have any doubt at all, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit and turn off the water at the stopcock before drilling.

BB-06Drill and plug the fixing holesDrill each hole with an 8mm masonry bit, going in at least 60mm deep to match your wall plugs. Clear out dust with a puff or small brush, then push the wall plugs in flush with the wall — tap them gently with a hammer if needed, but don't force them if they won't seat.

BB-07Fix the brackets to the wallHold each bracket against the wall, line it up with your marked holes, and drive in the coach screws or heavy-duty wood screws. Tighten them fully — a fold-down bar takes real strain every time it's used, so don't leave any screw loose.

BB-08Attach the worktop and test the foldFix the breakfast bar top to the brackets following the kit instructions, usually with the screws supplied. Fold the bar up and down a few times to check the hinges move smoothly and the top sits level when raised — recheck with a spirit level and adjust the brackets if it's out.

BB-09Load test and tidy upWith the bar folded up, lean on it firmly to check the fixings hold without any movement or cracking sounds from the wall. Vacuum up brick dust and dispose of any offcuts, then wipe down the worktop ready to use.

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