# How to secure bottom of 4 X 4 post to concrete?



## darsunt (Dec 29, 2006)

I have a subroof covering the walkway to the front door of our house. It is supported by four 4X4 posts, about 8' or 9' high.

One post had to be removed because of dry rot and termite damage. When I removed it it did not seemed attached to the concrete walkway at all.

How does one attached a post to a concrete walkway? I have experience with attaching wood to wood, but none with wood to concrete. I don't think the attachment has to be very strong.


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

Usually a bracket is used - rotary/hammer drill the concrete for an expansion bolt to anchor the bracket.

Example (notice it spaces the wood from direct contact with the concrete and to keep the post from sitting in water)
http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/ab-aba-abe-abu.asp


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## Aggie67 (Dec 20, 2008)

I would hope that the columns are attached to footings. My humble opinion, but the guy that installed a 4x4 support column and set it to rest on a side walk basically jury rigged it. Anchoring it to the side walk is better than what was there, but it's still wrong to me without a footing. Maybe I'm missing something. Can you post a pic?


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## darsunt (Dec 29, 2006)

I am not sure what a footing is, but the post just sits on top of the concrete walkway that goes to the front door. I assumed it would be fastened to the concrete in some way and was surprised when the whole post just came off.

All of the posts are that way. They don't support the main roof, they support a separate 4' X 15' separate roof that just covers the walkway. The subroof probably has rafters that extend into the framing of the house, the posts support the outer edge of the roof. I doubt any of the bottom of the posts are attached to the concrete by anything except gravity.

I will look into that bracket idea. Thanks.


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## darsunt (Dec 29, 2006)

By the way, today I found out the workers who assembled this part of the house used a nail gun to attempt to shoot nails thru the base of the posts into the concrete. The nails did not penetrate much into the concrete, of course, but maybe they penetrated just enough to make the posts stay in place.


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## Aggie67 (Dec 20, 2008)

Toe nailing a structural post into a concrete sidewalk. Either we're missing some info, or that got slapped together. Is there any way you can post pics? I'd love to see what's going on there. What state are you in?


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## darsunt (Dec 29, 2006)

Sorry about no pics, was out there today but didn't think to take any. 

Anyways the state is CA, it is a house built in the 1960's.

I just take it with a grain of salt. Most construction I've seen has some good work, some bad work, and some very bad work all mixed together.


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