# J bolts vs wedge anchors in slab



## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Real Anchor bolts are going to have more tensile pull out strength. As far as standing up the wall, You are making it way harder than it needs to be. You should be attaching a counter sunk PT sole plate to the concrete, then stand your pre-framed wall up and fasten to the sole plate. How hard wedge anchors would be is completely up to what tools you own. If you own or rent a Hilti Hammer drill with an actual piston hammer it will be easy. If you own a home and garden bump jump "Hammer Drill" It will take a lot longer and be harder.


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

Listen to jagans......and you will REALLY agree with him after about the 3rd drilled hole.....

But if you really want to put in the anchors after the fact...I would suggest epoxy vs wedge...

Also...J-bolts are half the cost of wedge....and a fraction of the labor.

May I suggest you look at my garage build thread...the link is in my signature....with your climate...you should really consider a stem wall to get the walls away from the ground.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

In most cases I just hate to see a slab on grade anything, unless the slab was pored high enough.
The sheathing should not be within 6" of any grade, if the slab sticks out past the walls there will be water coming in under the walls.
If you look around on this site or any DIY site you'll see hundreds of people trying to deal with rotted siding and bottom plates with water coming in.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Listen to Dawg and Joe. Form and Pour in a level perimeter curb with your slab. SLope the slab to drain toward the door. This way you can hose out your garage in the event of a spill or just to wash the floor. Cars thet drive in with snow and ice on them will drain out the door, instead of leaving a frozen puddle on the floor for you to slip and break your neck on. Make sure your pad is very well compacted quarry process. Use a vibra-plate before pouring the floor, and make the floor at least 5.5 inches thick, with the rebar or wire one third from the bottom. Keep wetting it starting the day after you pour it. Tract home builders like to tell you that cracking of concrete is normal. Its not. Concrete cracks from poor design and preparation. Slabs usually crack due to substrate settlement.


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## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

J Bolts all the way. also I would make sure not to use pea gavel it does not compact down. you walk on it and shifts use sand or crushed rock. I like the fact living were I do we have a lot of basalt flows and we use that as crushed rock. compact that and it is like concrete or asphalt. then you pour your slab like every on here has said use rebar #4 that is half inch and use the nylon reenforced cement and your slab will last for ever!


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

Wedge anchors would need to be at least 9" and be galvanized, which can get very expensive and hard to source. It's much easier and cheaper to source 10" hot-dipped galvanized anchor bolts. As jagans noted, bolt the treated plate down first and then build and tip your wall onto it.


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## BrandonK29 (Apr 20, 2013)

*Caution with Wedge Anchors*

I personally prefer wedge anchors, but as the other guys said might be making a little more difficult than need be. A caution with wedge anchors in a wall is that it can blow or spilt the wall. I have seen many people install these on a wall edge and then blow out a chuck of concrete as they tighten them down. Keep in mind they tighten because they push out (hence the wedge). Just a heads up


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## COLDIRON (Mar 15, 2009)

J bolts.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Check your with your local code enforcement office first. Wedge anchors within (I beleive) three feet (3') of the outside edge of the concrete pad/floor are not allowed here. I've seen too many new home pads have to be broken out to start over after using wedge anchors.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Wedge anchors and sleeve anchors (Red Heads) should not be used on green concrete, and I think That's what we are talking about here, a newly poured slab with a perimeter curb.

The configuration of the anchor bolts I have always used in concrete are an L. I have used J bolts to hook onto metal bar joists though. I guess this is just a terminology thing. Im sure we mean the same thing.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

better you use the j bolts as wedge ( we call 'em drop-in's ) will only work well IF you have a turned-down edge,,, if you're in atl, gimme a call - no charge for a visit IF you've got a coffeepot :laughing:

long story short - what all those other guys said,,, retired so i wouldn't work anyway UNLESS you've got free greens fees :thumbup:


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