- What is your base material?
- How heavy is the object to be fastened?
- Smaller, lighter weight objects can be fastened using 3/16” and 1/4" diameter fasteners.
- Medium weight items will require 3/8”, 1/2" or 5/8” diameter fasteners.
- Heavy objects call for the use of 5/8”, 3/4” or 1” diameter fasteners.
- In what type of environment will the fasteners be used?
- Indoors - for indoor applications, standard zinc plated anchors are ideally suited.
- Outdoors - zinc can be used, but stainless steel will offer much greater rust resistance. The wedge
anchor is available in hot-dipped galvanized, and is very suitable for outdoor use.
- Around Chemicals - Stainless steel anchors offer the best protection against corrosion when being used around chemicals. The wedge
anchor, sleeve anchor, and drop-in
anchor are available in stainless steel. The Tapcon® Screw is available in 410 series stainless.
- What style of anchor is required?
- Male Type Anchors - A stud-type anchor that is inserted directly into the concrete hole. When dealing with male anchors, hole size is equal to anchor size (with the exception of the Tapcon® screw). No spotting of the hole is required, and oftentimes the hole can be drilled through the fixture and into the base material. No setting tools are required.
- Female Type Anchors - A female anchor is an anchor with a hole in it that will receive a screw or a bolt. The female anchor is placed in the concrete hole, and the bolt or screw is then inserted through the fixture into the female anchor. Female type anchors require the spotting of the hole, and required a larger diameter hole (identified by the outside diameter of the fastener). A setting tool is often required.
Use the tables below to choose the best anchor to use for your project.
Information is based on appropriateness for base material.
V = Very suitable M = May be suitable