Hi, I have to run a few lengths of cable, so I go to the electrical store for the clips etc. "Conclete or wood?" Concrete - so he gives me these stupid little nails which you cannot hold and when you try to bang them in half the wall falls apart. I was hoping for something better but in Home Pro, same nails. So what's the secret here because so far I have 2 clips in and a wall that looks like it's been machine gunned.

tap not wallop em in.

Hammering fasteners into concrete is no fun.

I avoid it unless my "hammer" happens to have HILTI written on the side ;-)

for cables, the workman was a kind of electric stapler or a pistol I do not know what it's called, but it is very efficient because putting clips in concrete, huh !!!

If your using the standard metal clips, first put the nail through the hole and then bend one side of the clip over the nail head and use the clip to hold the nail. Tap gently to get it started. Putting them in rendered concrete is a bitch especially if it's old.

I use the plastic wire channels with the snap on covers. I don't rely on the doubled sided tape to hold them to the wall but drill holes and screw them every meter also. Once done you can paint them and if you want to make additions/changes just snap off the cover or you can remove and add a lager channel.

+1 on the plastic channel.

Getting those clips into render without a Hilti gun is a nightmare, on the occasions where I can't avoid it I use an old pair of needle node pliers to avoid bashing my anatomy.

What part of your anatomy do you use to hold them?

+1 on the plastic channel.

Getting those clips into render without a Hilti gun is a nightmare, on the occasions where I can't avoid it I use an old pair of needle node pliers to avoid bashing my anatomy.

My approach is also to usually use some needle nose pliers for the first whack or two. There's an art to nailing these into concrete...it needs to be done within around 3 whacks (more the concrete will probably break loose), using a heavy enough hammer, hitting the nail straight-on, and with just the right amount of pressure. Yeap, kinda of an art to to it. But if your concrete is the wrong texture/old, even the pros will have problems.