Is it easy bolting down a Rogue R-4 to a concrete floor?

[Bigpoppa7300]

Hello, Is it easy bolting down a Rogue R-4 to a concrete floor?

[DVG93]

Hello, Is it easy bolting down a Rogue R-4 to a concrete floor?

Yes, just need a masonry drill bit, drill, and concrete fasteners.

[keyboardworkout]

Or bolt it to a wood platform using elevator bolts from the bottom.

[thejosef]

It's not bad. Well worth the hour spent. Corded hammer drill FTW.

[gym62richard]

Hello, Is it easy bolting down a Rogue R-4 to a concrete floor?

In my business we bolt down units to concrete every day, we use Tapcon screws, just drill the correct size hole with a masonry drill and screw in the anchors, just make sure the hole is the correct depth and make sure that all debris is cleared from the hole prior to installing the screw.

I have read here on the forum of a concrete anchor screw breaking off, as I've already said we only use genuine Tapcon anchors, over the years we must have installed many thousands of Tapcons, I don't ever recall one snapping off, either when being installed or at a later date.

[jdforsy]

Hello, Is it easy bolting down a Rogue R-4 to a concrete floor?

Yes it is very easy. It will take you about 15 minutes. Go but 4 tapcon screws and rent a hammer drill and the correct size bit from home depot for $30.

[matchsprint]

You basically have two approaches, bolt up or bolt down. To bolt up, drill a hole for each installation bolt and insert a bolt with the threading sticking up. Align the bolts with the rack, fill the hole around the bolt with an epoxy locking compound (at any Home Depot) and then use Nylok nuts to lock your rack down after the epoxy cures. The only drawback of this approach is that if you move the rack or remove it, you have to cut and grind the bolts down flush. It's the most secure, however, in a very overkill kind of way

To bolt down, drill holes, sized to fit some large expander bolts. There are really junky ones out there, but good quality rated anchors such as foundation sill anchors, won't give you problems. Get at least a half inch anchor, if not three-quarters. Drill the right size hole and install the rack with the expandable anchors in the holes. You can pull these out if you leave or move the rack, and can fill the holes to return everything to pristine shape. An anchor rated for foundation sill installation will never give you problems.

To drill these holes, a hammer drill is a very painful, slow way to do it. Better is to rent a Makita or Hilti rotary hammer at Home Depot or any tool rental shop, go buy the right sized rotary bit to go with it (carbide tipped with a splined base to fit the rotary hammer) and punch each hole in seconds. If you mark the holes precisely before you get the rotary hammer, you only need it for an hour or two. A contractor friend will inevitably have one if you have the right kind of friends.

In practice, as mentioned above, you can bolt your rack to elevator bolts on the plywood. You can also, in most cases, just let the rack sit on the ply or floor. If it has plate storage, it'll definitely not be going anywhere. If not, if it's heavy it'll still do just fine on its own.

When you install your rack, let it sit a month with regular use before you bolt it down. You'll find yourself moving the rack a couple inches this way or that for reasons you didn't think about prior to installing it.

[Bigpoppa7300]

Can concrete anchors be removed by the way?

[fingerguy]

Depends on the floor. But in general yes it's easy and for the person it took a hour for, something must have went wrong; even 15 minutes would be too long.

How I approach bolting anything to concrete is as follows:
Hammer Drill
Screw Bit a 2 to 3 steps smaller than the bolt itself: DO NOT MAKE A HOLE THE SAME SIZE AS THE BOLT!!!
A good Bolt (4 of them)
Impact Drill or if by hand ratchet set

As how to approach it, position the rack exactly where you want it. Using a marker mark all 4 holes. Move the rack a few inches out of the way and start drilling!

[gym62richard]

Can concrete anchors be removed by the way?

It's very easy with the Tapcon type anchor, just unscrew. It can be more difficult to remove some of the wedge style anchors.

[DVG93]

Can concrete anchors be removed by the way?

Yes but youll be left with the holes in your floor of course

[Seatard]

In my business we bolt down units to concrete every day, we use Tapcon screws, just drill the correct size hole with a masonry drill and screw in the anchors, just make sure the hole is the correct depth and make sure that all debris is cleared from the hole prior to installing the screw.

I have read here on the forum of a concrete anchor screw breaking off, as I've already said we only use genuine Tapcon anchors, over the years we must have installed many thousands of Tapcons, I don't ever recall one snapping off, either when being installed or at a later date.

I'd assume you're fastening static loads. Tapcons generally aren't used for dynamic loads. Though a rack isn't a very demanding scenario for a fastener unless the "safety" aspect is prioritized.

If you're doing the work of drilling the holes might as well use the wedge anchor.

[a7stringkilla]

Tapcons all the way. Really hard to do it wrong, even with minimal experience. When I was with SpaceX, thats what we used for pretty much everything. If they can handle a rocket blast, they can hold down a rack

Someone above mentioned marking where you want the holes then moving the rack, but if there is enough clearance, you might not have to move the rack to drill. And sometimes they get bound up the first time threading through, just back it out a bit and then continue screwing them in. You might have to do that a couple of times, just make sure you dont try to power through it too much and break the screw.

[Cleveland33]

Tapcons all the way. Really hard to do it wrong, even with minimal experience. When I was with SpaceX, thats what we used for pretty much everything. If they can handle a rocket blast, they can hold down a rack

Someone above mentioned marking where you want the holes then moving the rack, but if there is enough clearance, you might not have to move the rack to drill. And sometimes they get bound up the first time threading through, just back it out a bit and then continue screwing them in. You might have to do that a couple of times, just make sure you dont try to power through it too much and break the screw.

Just to be difficult, I will say that I hate Tapcons, too many breakages for me.

I am a big fan of drop-in anchors and regular hex head cap screws - if you ever have to move things, the drop-ins are flush to the floor.

[gym62richard]

I'd assume you're fastening static loads. Tapcons generally aren't used for dynamic loads. Though a rack isn't a very demanding scenario for a fastener unless the "safety" aspect is prioritized.

If you're doing the work of drilling the holes might as well use the wedge anchor.

Yes, generally we use Tapcons in static situations, we use them to secure brackets to concrete bases, which in turn secure pre fabricated timber lodges/chalets to the concrete foundation/base.

Just to be difficult, I will say that I hate Tapcons, too many breakages for me.

I am a big fan of drop-in anchors and regular hex head cap screws - if you ever have to move things, the drop-ins are flush to the floor.

I find this interesting, I don't doubt you for a moment, but I'm curious, in what situation have you had issues with the Tapcons?. In my business we use a lot of Tapcons, literally hundreds every week.

I honestly don't recall seeing a single breakage, having said this, our installation crew are very experienced and we only use genuine Tapcon products. Everything we secure has to be precisely located and fixed first time, we just couldn't afford to use a non reliable product.

[Cleveland33]

I find this interesting, I don't doubt you for a moment, but I'm curious, in what situation have you had issues with the Tapcons?. In my business we use a lot of Tapcons, literally hundreds every week.

I honestly don't recall seeing a single breakage, having said this, our installation crew are very experienced and we only use genuine Tapcon products. Everything we secure has to be precisely located and fixed first time, we just couldn't afford to use a non reliable product.

Used them a lot at an old job installing racking, just felt I broke a decent number of heads off. Probably not as often as I want to think it happened, but it was annoying trying to get the headless stud out. Plus I don't like reusing the same hole.

(yes - I hung some curves for others to knock out of the park)

[a7stringkilla]

With drop ins though, if you dont drill the hole perfectly, then you may need a longer bolt, shorter bolt, or it could even be unusable. Once you drop it in and tap it snug into place, thats where it stays, you get one shot to do it right.

With Tapcon, as long as you use the recommended bit size and drill the hole deep enough, youll more than likely be good to go. For someone inexperienced, Tapcons are definitely easier. I have definitely broken a few Tapcons, but Ive had alot more issues overall with drop ins.

[bisonp]

When I finished my basement I broke off a few. They were blue but I don't recall what brand they were. Size probably matters too, maybe my impact driver was too much for small ones, or my drilled hole a bit too shallow.

[fedewab2]

This is the method I normally use for Tapcons. I have not driven 1000’s, but have driven 100’s. Cannot remember the last break. Stripping a head or threads is quite rare. Poured concrete and concrete blocks. No doubt others can do it faster and more efficiently than I, though.

• Hammer drill and decent bit to bore specified hole diameter and depth.
• Occasional cooling of bit if drilling many holes in succession.
• With vertical (down) holes, if not bored much deeper than needed, repeated plunging of bit after boring to bring up dust or vacuuming with a drinking straw and shop vac. Couple seconds either method.
• Lube threads with wire pulling lube, laundry detergent, or other.
• Drive in using good, properly sized bit and hammer drill or impact driver and some muscle to keep the bit from stripping the head. This step is super important. There is a huge difference in success with ¼” phillips Tapcons between using a #2 phillips bit and the correct #3 bit. Same for non-hammer/non-impact vs. hammer/impact. Same for worn bit vs fresh bit. Ext hex head are nice.

[Cleveland33]

I'm talking the grey larger Tapcons not the blue. And I stopped using impact or hammers because the breakages were definitely higher on those but we were still breaking them by hand.

[gym62richard]

Used them a lot at an old job installing racking, just felt I broke a decent number of heads off. Probably not as often as I want to think it happened, but it was annoying trying to get the headless stud out. Plus I don't like reusing the same hole.

(yes - I hung some curves for others to knock out of the park)

Thank's, I was just curious, as I've never seen a genuine Tapcon snap off, but we have had issues with other brands of screw anchor.

[FAT40]

Thank's, I was just curious, as I've never seen a genuine Tapcon snap off, but we have had issues with other brands of screw anchor.

your still full of **** richard.

[gym62richard]

your still full of **** richard.

You're entitled to your opinion, perhaps you'd like to expand on this.

I gave an honest opinion, based on 38 years experience in the construction industry.

In my business we use thousands of Tapcon screws annually, I visit our sites daily and I've never seen one of our guys break a Tapcon screw.

Oh and by the way, from a fellow UK citizen, I would have expected at least a rudimentary understanding of basic grammar.

[Bench905]

I bolted an R3 to concrete in my old garage. I used the Rogue concrete anchor kit.

Masonry bit, hammer drill...I'm not super handy, so I tried it first with a non-hammer drill and that was futile. Then a vacuum to get out the dust. Then an impact to drive down the anchors.

When I moved, I removed the anchors with my impact and then used concrete patch compound from Lowe's/HD to fill in the holes. Then used a putty knife to make sure the compound was smooth/flat.

[FAT40]

You're entitled to your opinion, perhaps you'd like to expand on this.

I gave an honest opinion, based on 38 years experience in the construction industry.

In my business we use thousands of Tapcon screws annually, I visit our sites daily and I've never seen one of our guys break a Tapcon screw.

Oh and by the way, from a fellow UK citizen, I would have expected at least a rudimentary understanding of basic grammar.

If your going to give advice on a tapcon or thunderbolt at least recommend a bolt head, not a screw head and at least an M10 x 60mm long into concrete.