How to Choose the Right Concrete Anchor for Your Needs

I have a most unimaginable admission to make: I love securing things to concrete. It's an odd dependence. I began doing it in school. There are such countless kinds of substantial anchors to browse, however I totally skirted little plastic anchors and went straight for the weighty stuff. 1/2-inch or bigger lead safeguards blasting multi-ton open air figures to substantial cushions. Before long, I changed to sleeve secures. I at long last moved to wedge secures. Red Heads for those of you in the loop. I'm not glad for it. I have attempted to end the propensity however following 35 years of getting it done. I can't stop. It is simply a lot of tomfoolery — gave you do it the correct way.

Types of Concrete Anchors

You can find many sorts of substantial anchors on the normal building site. I utilize a few consistently.

The most grounded securing frameworks use pitch based secures you introduce with two-section epoxy. These show up most normally on modern and business destinations and are excessively costly or particular for everyday utilize except if indicated by a draftsman or designer.

A few anchors highlight bolt takes that snap off at a foreordained force level. They pass on the strung bolt and spine to demonstrate the specific force was utilized to fix the anchors. These are likewise incredibly costly and consigned to projects where very close resiliences and outright security is an unquestionable requirement. Think long-length spans or thermal energy stations.

We who don't work for organizations that pay $600 for a latrine seat commonly utilize the kinds of substantial anchors displayed here:

Wedge Anchors and Sleeve Anchors

Both wedge anchors and sleeve anchors are excellent types of concrete anchors that hold a tremendous amount of weight. They provide strength for both pullout and shear force. Because of the spitting/wedging force they put on the concrete, try to avoid getting closer than 3-inches to the edge of the concrete. If you do, you risk splitting off a chunk of the slab. Of the two, wedge anchors provide the most strength—and are my personal favorite of all the anchors to use.

How to Install Wedge and Sleeve Concrete Anchors – Drilling

You install both wedge and sleeve anchors the same way. Drill the proper size hole with a hammer drill or rotary hammer drill and insert the anchor. Drive it in with a hammer. More on that below. The hole diameter is listed on the packaging and usually on the anchor itself. You will have to drill the hole at least a 1/4-inch deeper than the anchor.

I recently wrote an article on how to drill through concrete. Also, if you are not familiar with the differences between a rotary hammer vs a hammer drill you might want to read that article as well. Both of these are necessary tools for concrete work.

Note: This blog is only for learning purposes.

Driving in the Anchor

Once the hole is drilled and the anchor is inserted as far as it will go, drive the anchor in the rest of the way with a hammer or small sledgehammer, depending on the size anchor you are using. Be very careful here. Notice the photos below. There are two types of concrete wedge and sleeve anchors. High-quality premium brands have extra metal at the top of the bolt so you don’t deform the screw threads when hammering it in. If you use the cheap anchors, back off the nut so you will not be hammering on the end of the bolt. You want to be hammering on the nut instead and it will protect the threads (see the photo on the far right). Don’t use excessive force regardless.

You can't eliminate wedge or sleeve secures. All things being equal, you really want to remove them utilizing a processor or responding saw. For the City of Lakeland's Florida Outside Figure Contest, we supplant the models consistently with new ones. Each figure bolts down to a substantial cushion utilizing wedge secures. As opposed to remove them, we really drill the entire way through the 6-inch thick substantial cushions to introduce the new figures.

Set the Concrete Anchor and Tighten the Nuts

The next year, after removing the outgoing sculpture, we simply hit the protruding anchor with a hammer driving it flush with the surface of the concrete. The pad is instantly ready for us to install the new sculpture. Drilling all the way through the pad lets water drain through. Otherwise, water in the holes can freeze and expand, causing the pads to crack.

Once done installing the concrete anchors, tighten the nuts. While you can use a socket set or ratcheting open-end wrench to get in tight spaces. To save more time, especially when installing anchors with larger 3/4-inch or 1 1/8-inch bolt heads, invest in a cordless impact wrench. This really speeds up the process of tightening concrete anchors. If you don’t know the difference between an impact driver vs an impact wrench, check out a video we made on the subject.