Fastening Into Concrete?

[jyl]

I've got some projects coming that may require fastening into concrete. Not heavy loads.

What are the easiest ways to do this? Concrete drill - do you buy or rent these, how long and how much swearing per fastener, any skill required? Powder-actuated tool - same questions?

[john walker's workshop]

roto-hammer and anchor studs.

[trekkor]

Red Head



KT

[RWebb]

for minor stuff I returned the powder hammer and bought a roto-drill for cheap (~$50 for a refurb thru Amazon) - replace the bits as needed

might be what you need

describe your plans in more detail & I bet some experts here can tell you exactly what to use

[fred cook]

Probably the strongest method is drilling and setting anchors. However, using a Ram set gun and large nails will also work. Just make sure that you are not too close to the edge of the slab or pieces might break off! If this is for a wall, don't forget to put some sort of sealer under the bottom plate to keep water out. Good luck with your project!

[Two Rivers]

If you are putting down a wood sill plate this came from a concrete pro. Take a 1/8th inch concrete drill. Lay out the wood on the floor and drill into the concrete, remove the wood and finish drilling.
Get some 16 penny COATED nails. Put the wood back and use TWO nails per hole and hammer just like you would into wood. You will never get it back out with out busting the wood so make sure it is where you want it.
I use this all the time for anything I mount to concrete and it works great. Just make sure the dust or most of it is out of the hole. You can not remove the nails after you start hammering them in so be sure thats what you want mounted or you will have to bust it apart.

[legion]

I've always used those blue screw kits that include the drill bit. They work fine, but I find the drill bits only last for drilling 2-3 holes.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Hilti HY150 is your friend.

[Mountainman]

excellent success with this system. Large Hammer drill with a concrete bit, clean out the powder, squeeze in the glue push in the 7" stud and it leaves a threadable bolt 3" to 4" from the concrete wall. Conforms to California earthquake standards for retrofitting structures so as to help insure earthquake code compliance Everything there after is attached in a normal fashion to the studded out bolts. I think when done correctly it rates a 5000 lbs of extraction energy and 7000 pounds in shear load.
Check their website for more info, decide for yourself. DW

[89911]

Originally Posted by legion

I've always used those blue screw kits that include the drill bit. They work fine, but I find the drill bits only last for drilling 2-3 holes.

There called Tap Cons and I like them too for most applications. Using a drill with a hammer drill setting makes it go a lot faster. I used them recently to hang garage cabinets. Get the hexagonal heads and go easily when drilling the screws in, they strip easy.

[911boost]

Do you need to thread something into the concrete, or just attach it?

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by 89911

There called Tap Cons and I like them too for most applications. Using a drill with a hammer drill setting makes it go a lot faster. I used them recently to hang garage cabinets. Get the hexagonal heads and go easily when drilling the screws in, they strip easy.

Yep tap cons are genreally the best for anchoring into concrete. Excellent advice if they be bind up in the hole they will snap. So drill the proper diameter hole, set your drill on the lowest tork setting and work your way up or use a ratchet by hand. Shooting in a fatsener such as a Hilti can be good also but can cause damage if it is to close to and edge and older concrete can sometimes just blow apart.

[jyl]

Just fastening conduit clips to concrete wall, fastening sill plate to concrete floor, that kind of stuff. No need for a threaded stud.

[wdfifteen]

It can be tricky to do a good job. The anchor you use depends on what you're doing. Tapcons are easy and will work if the loads aren't great. I've used a lot of Trubolts on horizontal and vertical down applications. I fill the hole with epoxy, set the Trubolt tight, and it's there for good. A lot can depend on the strength of the concrete you're going into. Don't get discouraged if you

Whatever you do, you'll need a hammer drill. You can rent them. I bought a Bosch with a 3/8 chuck ten years ago and it's still going strong. I drilled a lot of 1/2 holes with it.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by jyl

Just fastening conduit clips to concrete wall, fastening sill plate to concrete floor, that kind of stuff. No need for a threaded stud.

Oops. Should have read ahead. Tapcons and a hammer drill are what you need.