I currently have a metal step rail that is straight and spans three steps leading up to my front porch; it is the typical cheap metal railing you commonly see. It is at the end of its life, so my fiance wants something a bit more unique.
So, her ideal would be a cedar, flush mounted single rail (still straight, not mounted to house or wrapping around the small porch we have). My biggest concern is making sure the posts are secure since it would be flush mounted, lack right angles, and not secured to the side of the house.
I found this advice:
Drill 4 holes 6" deep by 5/8" diameter in the bottom of each 4×4 post.
Center the holes about 1" from the corners, and drill slightly toward
the center of the post, i.e. the holes are slightly angled in. Use
Simpson epoxy to glue 4 pieces of 1/2" all-thread or 3/8" rebar into
those holes.When the epoxy cures, the protruding rods can be bent so
they exit the post parallel to one another and to the post's long
axis. Now drill 4 holes in the concrete for each post, same size and
depth, all straight down. Brush and blow out all the dust. Mask off
the concrete around where the base of the post will rest.Mask off the
sides of the post at the bottom. When that is done, put a fresh nozzle
on your Simpson gun and put epoxy into the slab holes, and set the
posts. Quickly brace them plumb. While the epoxy is soft, smear the
excess away from the bases with a gloved finger, and carefully remove
the masking while things are still squishy.Take lunch, or work on
something else. The posts will cure solid in an hour or several,
depending on temperature, etc. When they are cured, they will feel
like they grew there.
It sounds pretty good, but before I go to all the trouble of doing it this way. I wanted to know:
- Is this a good way to do this?
- Is there a better way?
Best Answer
For 4x4 posts mounted on their butt end to a concrete surface it seems like a robust solution. One concern is that if you ever have any rotting and some of the wood ever needs replacing it will be rather difficult to remove these posts. If it is a solution that you would expect to get 5 to 10 years of average service life out of then the solution will work nicely.
One nice aspect of the described solution is that it lets the post sit right on the concrete without any visible fasteners. Any other type of post butt fastener is going to show some type of metal brackets that could detract from the aesthetic.