Concrete is an essential building material, particularly for commercial buildings but also in residential homes and garages. Finding effective options to fasten materials such as wood studs to concrete once it has set is often a challenge.
There are several different options to consider in concrete anchors. They all differ slightly in how they work, how they are designed and the actual applications they are best designed to provide.
Concrete Wedge Anchors and Concrete Sleeve Anchors
Two of the most common options in concrete anchors are the wedge anchors and the concrete sleeve anchors. They do work in similar but slightly different fashions, with installation for both being virtually identical.
The big difference between the concrete sleeve anchors and the concrete wedge anchor is the amount of the “anchor” component. With the wedge anchor, the collar that wedges against the side of the concrete hole is relatively small, which works like a wedge close to the bottom of the hole to secure the anchor in place.
As the name implies, with the concrete sleeve anchors, the sleeve extends the full length down the shaft of the anchor, not just in a smaller collar. This results in a larger surface area of the fastener exerting pressure against the side of the concrete to hold it in place.
Installation Basics
With both the concrete wedge and sleeve anchors, it is necessary to drill a hole the diameter of the base of the anchor to set it into the concrete wall to the desired depth. To provide uniform installation, it will be critical to clean out the hole prior to inserting the anchor and driving it fully into the concrete with a hammer.
With both of these styles of anchors, once they are in place they are there to stay. These should not be installed in newly poured concrete and should only be used after the concrete has cured for best results.