The track lighting fell down the other day. No, I didn’t put it up, and no casualties.
Ceiling is plaster over concrete. The track was originally installed with screws and colored plastic jackets. Looks like someone went back to try to shore it up in places with more screws.
How do I redo this the right way? Tapcons? I won’t be reusing the existing track, but what if I need to put a new anchor where there is an existing hole? Could I fill it up with Durabond and treat it like the rest of the ceiling? That’s probably not the worst idea but I don’t know if it’s the best one.
PS, I’m thinking H-type replacement track lighting if anyone has thoughts on that. Thanks everyone. Bud
Replies
For anything overhead, the right way is to install lead anchors in the concrete--long ones--and use nice, big screws (#14's) or ¼" lag crews. Get out the Bulldog, Bud. You're gonna need ½"x2" holes in the concrete (don't count the plaster depth; you want the whole length of the anchor sleeve in the concrete).
what if I need to put a new anchor where there is an existing hole?
The plastic anchors used a much smaller hole. Just drill the existing hole out to the ½" required for the lead sleeve. Be careful when starting that the bit doesn't bind so the Bulldog won't torque you right off the stepladder.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Before you drill the concrete, I would think you would want to know what it is structurally. If for instance, it was a post tensioned slab, you could very easily hit a cable if you drilled 2". Breaking a cable can easily result in a $1,000 repair bill, or a hospital bill.
What kind of building are you in?
Good point. I don't deal with concrete ceiliings very often so I hadn't stopped to think about that. I just wanted to suggest a bombproof solution for his tracklights. Something he could do chin ups from....
BTW I assume you meant to direct that post to BudFox; he's the OP. I can't answer the question about what kind of building it is.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
i agree on the hitting a cable in post tension concrete, but i don't think it would fall until it was stressed, like the earthquake or tornado etc.
you might damage the integrity of the structure by nicking a cable but it won't fall. i am so sure of this i will wait right outside while you drill it.
i agree on the hitting a cable in post tension concrete, but i don't think it would fall until it was stressed, like the earthquake or tornado etc.
you might damage the integrity of the structure by nicking a cable but it won't fall. i am so sure of this i will wait right outside while you drill it.
I've seen them fail by getting nicked. Actually, PT cables are always stressed. Standard commercial detail is to only drill 3/4". That should be fine, using high quality wedge anchors. As another poster said, they use shallow anchors to hang HVAC equipment.
same hole & use a wedge anchor. We hang clouds with hvac equipment hidden in them with those.
"this dog may be old but he ain't cold. And he still knows how to bury a bone."
Lattimore
It's a little more tricky in overhead applications, but I'm a fan of threaded rod and epoxy. It simply holds as well as anything possibly can and utilizes the existing holes (depending on the size of your threaded rod).
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I toured a mine in W. Va once and the guy told us how they held the ceilings up with big threaded rods and epoxy. Something about drilling the holes and stuffing them with tubes of epoxy and catalist and then sticking in the rod, which punctured the tubes and then they spun the rod a certain amount of time to mix and then let it set up. Pretty clever process, I thought.
drilling the holes and stuffing them with tubes of epoxy and catalist and then sticking in the rod
I hadn't heard of that process until thumbing through a Fastenal catalog. Pretty slick.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
As others have noted.
It is important to know just how that concrete ceiling is constructed.
Drilling post or pre-stressed cables in a ceiling isn't really what you want to do.
Once you know you are clear of cables then wedge anchors, good metal sleeve anchors or epoxy anchors all work.
Thanks everyone. I am about ten times smarter than when I asked the question. I'll hit the fastner aisle and stare at the options for a while.
No, it's not post tensioned but I didn't even think about that... I'm sure one day breaktime may avert me from a real disaster. I'll file that 3/4" depth away for the future, just in case.