The Best Anchors to Use to Mount a Metal Handrail Post in Concrete

Anchor Features

• The building and construction industry offers many anchor choices, depending on the intended use. A basic anchor resembles a large nail or screw with a surrounding sheath or nut. An installer must contemplate the weight of the item being anchored, such as a lightweight shelf bracket, as well as the anchor's final substrate position, like wood or concrete. Each anchor is designed to hold a specific amount of maximum weight and adhere to a particular substrate. Incorrect anchor choice can lead to failure of the anchor and the supporting substrate, requiring a new installation position and anchor.

Sleeve Anchor Identification

• Typically, sleeve anchors are used for mounting a metal handrail post within concrete. The sleeve anchor is a threaded fastener with a cone-shaped tip. A sheath surrounds the threaded length, pressing against the cone tip. On the opposite tip, a washer and nut hold the sheath to the fastener.

Sleeve Anchor Installation

• Sleeve anchors are offered in many different sizes, based on the anchored item's weight and the intended substrate installation area. A worker must drill the appropriate size hole for the anchor, creating a crevice that will snugly support the embedded fastener. The worker positions the handrail over the drilled hole. The worker pushes the sleeve anchor into the hole with the cone-shaped end entering first, after cleaning the drilled area of all concrete dust and debris. The nut and washer that extend from the hole, holding the handrail against the concrete, is tightened with a wrench. The sheath inside of the hole begins to expand as the nut is tightened. This expansion grasps the drilled hole's walls for a strong concrete anchor.

Heavy Duty Sleeve Anchors

• An alternative to the common sleeve anchors is the heavy duty sleeve anchors. Heavy duty sleeve anchors operate in the same fashion as the common anchor, but they are larger in diameter. As a result, they can hold more weight when installed properly into concrete. However, their large diameter may not fit within a handrail post's support holes. Verify the individual post's hole opening size before purchasing heavy duty sleeve anchors.