What Concrete Anchors Should I Use for a Framed Wall?

Planning

• Concrete makes an effective foundation pad because it is strong and durable. This also makes it hard to work with after it is set. Any drilling into concrete is extremely noisy and creates flying chips and dust. Always wear eye, ear and breathing protection. Avoid doing unnecessary work by diligently following the carpenter's first rule -- measure twice and cut (drill) once. Have your anchor beams laid out and know where each anchor goes before starting the work.

Anchor Nail

• An anchor nail is the easiest concrete anchor available. A hole just a little smaller than the diameter of the nail is drilled through the anchor board and into the concrete. It is important that the hole in the concrete slightly exceed the length of the nail. The sides of the anchor nail are flattened to allow them to bite into the side of the hole in the concrete. Just nail them through the anchor wood and into the concrete floor as a normal nail. The nails are strong but brittle, and must be hit square on or else they could shatter.

Sleeve and Pin

• An anchor pin and sleeve is another method often used to attach an anchor board to concrete. The same as with the nail, a hole is drilled into the board and concrete but this one is the same size as the sleeve. The heavy-duty plastic sleeve is forced through the hole in the wood and into the concrete hole. The pin is then hammered into the sleeve, forcing it to expand against the sides of both holes, holding it securely in place.

Anchor Bolt

• Bolt anchors are the strongest attachment because they are much thicker than nails or pins. The disadvantage of a bolt anchor is that the head rises above the anchor beam unless space for the head is drilled into the wood. This creates more work and takes longer. Similar to the other methods, a hole is drilled though the wood and into the concrete just a little smaller than the bolt. An impact, or power wrench, is used to screw the bolt through the wood and into the concrete.