Reddit mentions: The best concrete screws

do not use those ez anchors. Those would be used for soild brick, or concrete wall. if i were you i would try to use something like this

http://www.amazon.com/Simpson-TTN25500H-Concrete-Masonry-16-Inch/dp/B000XZ9N5K/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1451329006&sr=8-13&keywords=5%22+tapcons

making sure that the tapcon hole is over the 2"stud and into the block. put as many as you can in there. hope for the best and hang onto the bracket. if it rips out, i would plan on cutting out the drywall as large as the bracket. mount a board to the concrete, then secure the mount to the board.

A few things to look at.


If you already have a drill you need to know what kind of drill bits it will accept.


These have a 1/4" hex that basically any drill will take: Drill Bit 1

Where these are a smooth cylinder meaning you'll need a drill that can clamp down on them: Drill Bit 2


You don't really need an anchor if you use something like these, but they are likely over kill: Concrete Screw


If you are just hanging pictures or something light this might be a good option: Full Set


Lastly, a drill that has the hammer function would help greatly but isn't required.

the easy way to repair is to get a L bracket and fasten it to the concrete and the upper part of the railing.

brackets:
https://www.amazon.com/MINCOO-Stainless-L-Shaped-Decorative-125mmX75mm/dp/B078JG73T1


https://www.amazon.com/Chenango-Supply-Concrete-Miami-Dade-Compliant/dp/B01MQPLR5L

plus a hammer drill/driver set to get this installed. any handyman should be able to do it.

I agree with /u/niceflipflop that a couple of scale pics would be nice, but at a glance I'd definitely say you've got plaster walls. First thing's first, do you own or rent? That's going to make a big difference as to what advice I give as I've both owned and rented places with plaster walls.

If you rent, leave them the hell alone. Hell hath no fury like a rapidly deteriorating plaster wall and being a landlord myself who does all my own drywall/plaster you'll probably get charged a lot of money for those repairs. Stick to tape or 3M command strips and call it a day.

If you own the place, do yourself a favor and invest in a quality hammer drill. I bought a Dewalt because I knew I was going to abuse it, but for someone who is going to use it a few times a year, the model I linked will do fine. Some argue that you don't need a hammer drill to put a hole in masonry and they're wrong. Plus, it doubles as a standard, high power corded drill which is also an indispensable tool.

For interior (read: not masonry backed) walls, I've had good luck with these. They're low weight (~50 pounds or so) but great because you can avoid drilling and causing a mess like you have on your hands now. I never tried it, but I've heard putting a sturdy tape like duct tape can help prevent tear out as well. They also penetrate the slats and studs if you happen to hit one. This type of toggle fastener technically works, but I don't like them for plaster because of the size of hole you need to drill for them which generally causes more problems than it solves (1/2", if I remember). Definitely don't use anything like these as they'll just shred your plaster.

For exterior, structural, masonry walls, you need masonry screws and the 3/16" masonry bit to go with the 1/4" screws. If you have a hardware store near you, chances are they'll have them in packs far less than 100 and many stores sells Tapcons which often come with a bit included.

It seems daunting at first, drilling into a concrete/brick wall (I cut away an entire section to install a door. shudder) but once you get used to it it's just like mounting to any other wall surface. The thing you have to understand is just how thick your plaster is and subsequently how many threads you need to have inserted into the masonry to make it safe. Take this cross section for instance. If we look at the deepest your cabinet back is likely to be (.5") and add 1.5" for the plaster thickness that means the fastener has to penetrate 2" of material before it even hits the wall. The general rule is that for every length of fastener you have outside the functional threaded surface (the masonry wall), you need to have the same length of threads inside i.e. "A" has to equal "A". So, in this example, if you have 2" of material (.5" cabinet back and 1.5" plaster) you'd need ~4" masonry screws to safely hold your cabinet in place. For something as relatively light duty as a coat rack you could probably get away with 3.5" or so, but anything less and you're risking the fastener simply pulling out of the masonry walls, especially if your home is brick as the interior bricks are far softer than the exterior. Also I realize that not everyone is as tool hungry as I am, but an impact driver drives fasteners into masonry far better than a standard drill. You're more likely to strip them using a standard drill and frankly I use my impact more often than I do my drill, but we gutted our entire place so I understand not everyone wants a pile of tools.