How do I attach a stainless steel plaque to a concrete base?

[DeBungo]

Greetings all

I am ordering a stainless steel commemorative plaque to put on top of my late dog's grave (her name was Ella, and of course she was the most beautiful dog that ever existed)
She is buried in a pet cemetry. What is the best way to mount the plaque on some kind of concrete base to put on her grave? At the moment there is just grass and weeds on the grave, which is in clayey, stoney soil.
The plaque is 1.2 mm thick and comes with four mounting holes in each corner. Dimensions of the plaque are 450 mm X 250mm.
I was thinking to look for a concrete paving stone that is this size or slightly bigger, and then glue/nail/screw the plaque onto it...
what is best? liquid nails glue? concrete nails? plastic plugs into the concrete and then screws? If the latter how do I stop the concrete cracking when I drill into its corners?
Grateful for any advice/wisdome you can share

[EricL]

Hello @DeBungo 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about attaching a stainless-steel plaque to your concrete base.

For attaching a stainless-steel plaque to a concrete base, a good option is using masonry screws with plastic wall plugs, or an adhesive suited for concrete like Selleys 415g Liquid Nails Landscape Stone Concrete Adhesive, which provides strong and long-lasting bonding. First, mark the holes on the concrete base, then use a hammer drill with a masonry bit to carefully drill holes for the plugs, which can help prevent cracking. Alternatively, the adhesive can be applied directly to the back of the plaque if you prefer a no-drill method. 

here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to drill into brick (the techniques used are applicable to concrete as well)

Here are links to the products you can use:

• Selleys Liquid Nails Landscape Stone Concrete Adhesive
   
• STAHL Masonry Kit 6mm Drill With 35mm Red Wall Plugs

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your project.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[DeBungo]

Dear Eric

Thank you very much for your informative response.

Two more questions relating to this that perhaps you can advise on.

do you know where I can purchase an A3 sized concrete paver (or slightly larger paver even better)...i.e dimensions 450 mm X 250mm or bigger...

also, obviously the stainless steel plaque is meant to be weather proof, but over time the inking in the engraved lettering will fade. Do you know if there is some kind of product, the equivalent of a uv varnish for wood, that can be painted on top of the plaque to further extend its life and protect the lettering? some kind of transparent polyeurothane or similar??

Many thanks

[MitchellMc]

Hi @DeBungo,

For the concrete paver, we might not have a specific A3-sized paver, but have variety of paving stones that could work for your project. You may need to either look for a slightly larger paver that you can trim to the size you need or explore garden slabs that are a bit bigger and easier to cut. I recommend browsing through their pavers section in-store or online for options that suit your needs.

Regarding the protection for the engraved lettering, it's great that you're thinking ahead about preserving the plaque. To protect it from fading over time, a clear UV-resistant product would be ideal. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell