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Installing Surface Mount Post Anchors Into Driveway

CodeRedZ

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Dec 29, 2009
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Huber Heights Ohio
Hi everyone,

I'm getting ready to build a gate to go across my driveway. I picked up two surface bolt 4x4 post holders. Pictured below.

My plan is to drill down and put some all thread down in each hole and use some epoxy that is used for concrete and then bolt the mounts down.

Question is how long should my all treads be? The posts will be about 5-6 feet tall, so I can level it up with my existing fencing


usp_bd.jpg
 
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JakeKohl

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Feb 23, 2012
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Greenville, SC
Hi everyone,

I'm getting ready to build a gate to go across my driveway. I picked up two surface bolt 4x4 post holders. Pictured below.

My plan is to drill down and put some all thread down in each hole and use some epoxy that is used for concrete and then bolt the mounts down.

Question is how long should my all treads be? The posts will be about 5-6 feet tall, so I can level it up with my existing fencing


usp_bd.jpg

Why not just use a concrete anchor like these?

If these posts/anchors are going to hold up a hinged gate, I might be concerned that the 4x4 and that mount may not handle the gate loads very well.
 

larry_g

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oregon
They make a stud for this purpose and it is located near the bracket you show and the epoxy that is used for it. They are galvanized and ~5" long. I will second the concern Jake has in the bracket/post failing if you have a large swinging gate hung on the post. If the end of the gate is supported with a wheel or the gate is a sliding gate then not so much worry.

lg
no enat sig line
 

readhead

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Durango, Co.
That will not hold up for a gate. Cut a hole in the concrete and dig a hole for the post and concrete the post in.
 
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CodeRedZ

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Huber Heights Ohio
Does it make a difference that the gate door will be about 4 feet wide?

I'm also using 2 adjust a gate setups like in the below picture



file_2_3.jpg
 

readhead

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It doesn't matter how you build the gate. You will have all the weight hanging from a moment arm installed in a very short socket. After the post shrinks nothing will be tight. The post needs to be in the ground to overcome the leverage applied by the gate. The posts you show in the picture are anchored several ways plus at the top.
Very nice gates in the picture by the way.
 
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CodeRedZ

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Huber Heights Ohio
Thanks for the info guys, was hoping to get away from having to cut up my drive way and then having to come back and fill them.
 

larry_g

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oregon
IF you build the gate frame you show in your example then you have a good chance of succeeding if you have the top brace across the post and all three posts showing have base brackets as shown in your first post (support in X). The fence at 90* to the gate supports the one side when the gate is open (Y) but the other side is lacking the support when the gate is open. The posts need bracing in both X and Y directions if they are not buried in the ground.

lg
no neat sig line
 

geotek

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Troy, NY
how thick is your concrete? If you've got a 4" slab, bolting into the concrete might not work well. If you've got a thicker section then it's do able. They make bolts and epoxy for that reason: Dewydag. But damage to the concrete is possible if the slab is too thin. I agree that shrinkage may be a problem but I dissagree that It has to be embeded.
 
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CodeRedZ

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Huber Heights Ohio
I'll post a pic of the drive way later. the one post I can connect to an existing pos for support, but the other will be right up beside my house which is brick.
 

iamironman

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Marshall, NC
That bracket for sure wont hold up to almost any gate.

To set a post rent a stand up style core drill and get a bit with enough clearance (~2" on each side should be plenty) around the post to leave room to fill and tamp the post in place in concrete, (Quicrete RED bag works good for posts)

After you punch through the concrete with the core drill use a post hole digger to get the rest of the way BELOW the frost line. I like a minimum of 18" or more for a small gate, large ones 3' min. regardless of frost line if it's less.

Set your post, plumb, it fill the hole with concrete to the bottom of the driveway pour, then use a non shrink grout (hydraulic cement) like Rockite, Emacogrip, or Sonopost to come up to flush with the surface.

No muss no fuss. Pretty driveway when you're done.
 
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JakeKohl

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Greenville, SC
anchoring into 4" of concrete works for free standing 2 post automotive lifts...the concrete will not be the weak link.

Another option is to have a 4x4 (or similar) post fabricated out of mild steel with a bottom plate welded on with the 4 hole pattern. If you anchor this to the concrete (a reasonable distance from the edge of the concrete to the first anchor....say 8 to 12"), it should support the gate well. You can paint the steel brown to match the stain.
 

readhead

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Durango, Co.
Jake has a viable option but the base plate would have to be fairly large, say 8x8x1/2 for a 4" post to overcome the moment.
 

jhelrey

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MN
Can you use a steel post instead? Whenever we installed gates for driveways, etc. It was always steel.
 

IHI

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Iowa
We had one job that required installing a privacey fence with gates at a daycare to close in the kiddie pool as per state regulation. I called a local fab company and had them built custom posts that they welded to a 6x6 steel plate and it had 4- 3/8" holes drilled in them.

This job used vinyl fence panels for everything so when I speced them out I took a peice of the vinyl post sleeve cover so they could get/use a piece of steel tubing as close to the ID of the post sleeve as possible.

Anyhow, used 3/8"x6" redhead anchors to anchor each post to the concrete. (posts were all primed and painted with epoxy prior installation) and used SS washers under the post plate base to level then up. Slid the post sleeves oer them, and marked/drilled SS screws through the brackets that hold the fence panels in place. Took alot of tinker time to put it all in place, but the state actually took pictures of what we did and now uses it in their pamplets they hand out to daycare providers as to what they are looking for when a daycare decided to incorporate a pool.

Problem with hanging a gate in a situation like above, even using a steel post, depending on size of gate and finish material, there will be alot of weight, most of it pulling on the top half of the post...which will make it naturally want to sag. This is why gate posts are always done a little deeper hole wise, and typically larger material when compared to line posts that see nothing but shear load persay.

You can try to do the steel post redhead bolted to the driveway and hiding it with a finished material, or a easy solution would be rent a core drill and drill a hole through the driveway and down to footing depth, and put a standard wood post in, that way it will be ridgid enough it will support the weight of the gate/s.
 
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Tim The Tool Man

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Mar 1, 2012
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Lehigh Valley, PA
I simply cut a hole in my driveway and sunk a post down 3' and filled it up with cement level to my driveway surface. Looks fine and will easily take the weight of the swinging gate.
 

JakeKohl

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Greenville, SC
It's hard to beat steel when building gates. I went to great lengths to prevent the need for preventative maintenance...worked so far. The galvanizing cost me $275 but it is quite nice to look at that two years later and it looks nearly as good as the day I put it in.


DSC_2371 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


finally! Galvanized! by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2435 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2440 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2434 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


installing the gates by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2464 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2579 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2468 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2616 by Team Seacats, on Flickr
 

AndyA

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May 23, 2011
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Texas Near Dallas
+1 on steel post with concrete anchors. "Veneer" the steel post with some wood if you want that look. You might also be able to cover the base plate and the ends of the concrete anchor with the wood for a totally clean look. Weld your hinge mounts to the post with some "stand off" to account for the thickness of the wood veneer.
 

iamironman

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Dec 28, 2009
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Marshall, NC
It's hard to beat steel when building gates. I went to great lengths to prevent the need for preventative maintenance...worked so far. The galvanizing cost me $275 but it is quite nice to look at that two years later and it looks nearly as good as the day I put it in.


DSC_2371 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


finally! Galvanized! by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2435 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2440 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2434 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


installing the gates by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2464 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2579 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2468 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2616 by Team Seacats, on Flickr

Nice job!

You go to South Atlantic for the hot dip?
 

Spareparts

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Mar 12, 2010
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Location
Lansing Ks.
I use the screw type anchors instead of wedge type, have had very good luck with them and the only thing you see is the head of the bolt, no nut or threaded end. If you have a 4-5" pad then you have that much anchor length not the 1" wedge at the bottom. I have anchored guide rails for compactor boxes and large compactors with these with no failures, even used these for mounting lifts with no problem. Much neater looking installation. I would suggest 1/2" anchors though.
 

PhantomEB

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Feb 6, 2006
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Medicine Hat, AB, Canuckistan
I would suggest pilot holes to find out just how thick the concrete is, then drill em out to 1/2" anchors. Epoxy is the stronger of the two... either way they can be cut down and filed off. I know cause I spent many a day anchoring steel posts in and then had to go back around to cut off to height specified.

Personal preference would be the Hilti epoxy and as for anchors you can get away with just ready rod.

If I get my way I be doin the galvanized posts to a 4x4 gate posts, whether man gate or rv pad as shown above.
 
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CodeRedZ

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Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
446
Location
Huber Heights Ohio
It's hard to beat steel when building gates. I went to great lengths to prevent the need for preventative maintenance...worked so far. The galvanizing cost me $275 but it is quite nice to look at that two years later and it looks nearly as good as the day I put it in.


DSC_2371 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


finally! Galvanized! by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2435 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2440 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2434 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


installing the gates by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2464 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2579 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2468 by Team Seacats, on Flickr


DSC_2616 by Team Seacats, on Flickr

wow very nice
 

Lippyp

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Jun 26, 2006
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6,720
Location
Shropshire, UK
I just put some gates up last but one weekend, mine are big and little five bar wooden gates, small is a 4 footer, large a 10 footer, posts are 8" x 8" pressure treated softwood 8' long with 3' below ground, concreted in and the do not move an inch. I did similar over at my place in Frnace last summer. I'd say always overbuild gateposts as it's surpising how much stress a gate puts on them.

here



France

 

RichTJ99

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Dec 3, 2012
Messages
197
Location
Westchester County NY
While I am sure the answer varies, do you typically need a permit to put a gate at the end of your driveway?

My driveway is 12' wide & I guess i would need two 6 foot doors/gates.
 
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