Concrete Fasteners and Bolt-On

Good Fasteners that are able to attach things to concrete comfortably have not been around for very long. Back in the day, we used more barbaric and rough methods to get metalwork to stick to railings. Luckily, thanks to modern technology, we can put the past behind us. Today we will cover an effective method that can be used to attach your Iron Railing to a concrete floor.

1. Bolt

   

Fasteners (Bolts) essentially anchor any object to a concrete floor via an expansion sleeve and a expansion wedge. We call this, the wedge anchor. With the first version of the wedge anchor being patented in 1898.  However they wouldn't catch on until much later in 1935 when they were re-introduced as a brand new development. 

How to Install Railings in Concrete Using Wedge Anchors

To install a standard railing in concrete, the wedge anchor must be about 3/5 inch diameter and about 3 inches long. First, you'll need to drill holes for the anchors. Measure out your spacing and measurements before you drill holes and use a bit that is the same diameter of the shaft of the anchor. The Drilled holes will want to go a bit deeper than the actual anchor. This will help prevent any misalignment of the holes when its time to install. 

To Drill the holes, use a bit that is the same diameter of the shaft of the anchor. Drilling holes will be easier for you with a hammer drill, however this is not necessary. If you use a regular drill, go slowly so as to prevent the motor from burning out or stuttering. As previously stated, drill the hole about a half inch deeper than necessary in order to prevent the anchor from hitting the bottom and to give the dust below a place to settle comfortably. 

Finally, its time to put your posts in place. Take the wedge anchor and put it through the hole in the past base and into the hole in the concrete beneath. It should be a tight fit and you may need to hit the top with a hammer a few times in order to get it in the optimal position. When the end nut is flush with the post base, turn the nut with a hand tool. this will pull the thick part of the shaft up into the sleeve and wedge the anchor into place. Overtightening can break the anchor, and when they're broken it's a pain to remove the shaft, so no power tools.