Qustion about framing the front of Root Cellar

[/pine]

To get maximum purchase from Tapcon screws...it's paramount to drill correct size holes and not allow the bit/drill to wallow(sp?) the hole out...out of round bits should not be used and care should be taken with hammer drills...Also, Tapcons should not be re-used where maximum purchase is important...
Concrete should be cured for a minimum of 21 days before using Tapcons.

 

[EddieWalker]

When I bought tapcon screws, they came with a cement drill bit. I assumed that was the correct size. Some held on, some just spun on me. That was before I had an impact driver, so it's been awhile. I just won't buy them again. I probably threw away several hundred recently when organizing my shop in just about every size and heady type.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Garage doors and a walk in door are pretty heavy. Those Tapcon screws might be too small. Also they will be subject to repeated loading/unloading/swinging rather than just hold still in one place. And if you take one out it crumbles the concrete, and then need to do something different for the replacement. I have used Tapcons for example on furring strips but they would not be my choice for this application. The tube anchors for lag bolts are unpredictable. So, wedge anchors for me. Might be overkill but you will never have to worry about it again.

 

[/pine]

When I bought tapcon screws, they came with a cement drill bit. I assumed that was the correct size. Some held on, some just spun on me. That was before I had an impact driver, so it's been awhile. I just won't buy them again. I probably threw away several hundred recently when organizing my shop in just about every size and heady type.

Dang Eddie, I am very much an admirer of your work, both in design and execution as well as your experience...but I think you should give them (Tapcons) a 2nd chance if they might be the right choice for the application...

I have experienced the "spinning out" issue when using too short of a screw for the member being secured...i.e., a 3" screw is just long enough to secure standard 2x plate etc...which in a wood to wood situation would be nominal...but a slightly longer tapcon will really bite down and sink into the wood...and in the same respect the hole must be deeper than the tip of the screw can reach...

FWIW...It's quite common to see Tapcon screws listed in architectural specifications and also in some coastal hurricane zone building codes for replacement and impact window installations in masonry openings...

IMO they work much better than plastic anchors on things like thresholds etc.

 

[GLyford]

For only a handful of fasteners for attaching wall plates, you could also do the epoxy studs. Very easy to use with the self mixing tubes that go in a caulking gun.

 

[EddieWalker]

FWIW...It's quite common to see Tapcon screws listed in architectural specifications and also in some coastal hurricane zone building codes for replacement and impact window installations in masonry openings...

About five years ago, maybe six, I had a client pay me to look at a house that his son was having built. They hired his wifes brother as the contractor, and they where worried that he was cutting corners and over charging them. He was. One of the things that I saw was that they used Tapcons to anchor the sill plates to the foundation. I looked up the code book for this at the time, and they where not allowed.

I've never done impact window installations, so I'll accept that they are allowed for that. I'm not sure if I would accept them if it was my house and I wanted to install impact windows. I'd probably search for an acceptable alternative. Are other methods allowed?

As for this project, I don't see an issue with 3/8 anchor bolts. You are just enclosing an opening to an existing structure that has already proven itself to be secure. The bigger concern is that they are either stainless steel, or hot dipped galvanized. The zinc in the treated wood will will rust away any other fastener in just a few years!!!!

 

[rickyb01]

I tore the front off the root cellar this weekend and it was completely eaten up by termites. Of course I am going to go with treated lumber but all of the treated lumber around here is .15 ACQ. I can get some treated 5x5's that are treated with .23ACQ and rip them to roughly 21/4". I have ordered 3/8"x5" 316 stainless steel wedge anchor so I have room to support the 21/4" lumber. Would you guys do this or just use the .15 2x6's at Home Depot and spray them each year with that woodlife copper coat. Sometimes I get tunnel vision and overkill a lot of things. Ricky

 

[downsizingnow48]

Around here the treated lumber available at the box stores is little more than scrap. Crooked, twisted, lots of knots, with just a thin line showing where the treatment penetrated. There would no way to use it for applications where you need straight lumber, such as jambs and plates. I go to the real lumberyards where the material is far better.

 

[s219]

I tore the front off the root cellar this weekend and it was completely eaten up by termites. Of course I am going to go with treated lumber but all of the treated lumber around here is .15 ACQ. I can get some treated 5x5's that are treated with .23ACQ and rip them to roughly 21/4". I have ordered 3/8"x5" 316 stainless steel wedge anchor so I have room to support the 21/4" lumber. Would you guys do this or just use the .15 2x6's at Home Depot and spray them each year with that woodlife copper coat. Sometimes I get tunnel vision and overkill a lot of things. Ricky

I would not plan on ripping down a 5x5 as you'll likely find that the center wood is not completely treated, or not consistently treated. So the center pieces may be no better than untreated lumber.

 

[EddieWalker]

I wouldn't have any concerns going with treated 2x lumber from Lowes or Home Depot. I've put enough in, and tore enough out to see what works and what doesn't. If the wood gets wet, it needs to dry out quickly. If it doesn't get wet, you will never have any issues. If termites are a concern, treating the soil around the area should be done every spring when the scouts are out flying around looking for new homes. I've never seen termites in treated wood, they go around it to the untreated wood, and leave their little dirt tunnels there to prove it.

Since the government changed what goes into treated wood, the new process requires a lot more water, leaving the lumber saturated for a lot longer. Six months is about average in how long it takes to dry out, and shrinkage can be significant depending on the board. Each one is different, and I've seen 12' long 2x6's shrink almost an inch in a year. Try to pick out the driest ones you can, making sure they are straight and true. Then install them right away. Never plan on storing treated lumber unless it's strapped together, the moisture in each board is capable of anything. 4x4's seem to be the worse, and the hardest to keep straight.