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Many times customers will want to install fence right up to their house, and most times there are driveways, sidewalks, or patios in the way. In the case of a sidewalk, you will typically just install a gate at that point. When it comes to a concrete patio or pad however, you may need to install the fence partially, or entirely on the concrete pad. The good news is that we carry an array of post brackets to mount fence posts to concrete. Below we will discuss a few ways to install a fence on a concrete slab.
Solution # 1:
We carry a variety of fence brackets that can be used successfully to mount a wood, vinyl, ornamental metal, or chain link fence posts to a concrete surface, however caution should be taken with thin concrete pads and privacy fences! Do not underestimate the strength and power that the windload can have on a fence. Naturally, the fence is only as strong as its weakest point, and if posts are not anchored sufficiently, problems will occur. I've often found neither the fence, post, or bracket failed, but rather the concrete by cracking and therefore causing fasteners which hold the bracket to the concrete surface become loose.
If you are confident in the strength of the concrete, then we would urge you to select one of our high quality fence post anchors that is designed for mounting posts to concrete. Once you have your fence materials, you will need to snap a chalk line on your pad so that you can keep your fence posts straight and inline. The anchors that we carry are designed to be attached to the surface using concrete anchors or tapcon fasteners. You will need to follow the instructions set forth for your project with the exception of installing the post anchors (and cutting down the length of the posts). *You will need to have a concrete 'hammer drill' and appropriate masonry bit to drill the holes for the fasteners.
Solution # 2:
If your concrete pad is not sufficient, or you are installing privacy fence, it is a possibility to rent what is called a core drill and drill a hole through your concrete pad that is big enough to get your post in and get concrete around the sides. Once you are through the concrete, you can dig your footer using an auger or fence post hole diggers, and set your fence post in the traditional fashion. You can simply back fill to the top of the pad and use a pointing trowel to finish the concrete around the post. Sometimes people will come back and seal around the post with an all weather caulk to prevent moisture from seeping between the post and concrete.
Solution # 3:
If you are installing vinyl privacy or picket fence, there is another solution that uses rebar set with hydraulic cement that we discuss in great detail in our How to Set a Vinyl Post on a Concrete Surface article.
Solution # 4:
This method will work for vinyl fence or wood fence. As before this will require drilling into the concrete and setting a round chain link style 2" or 2-1/2" O.D. galvanized post works well for supporting wood fence, or a 1-5/8" or 2" post for vinyl. We suggest using either an HF20 or HF40 grade post for this application. Since this post size is smaller than a conventional 4x4 wooden post, it is easier to drill and can cause less stress on the concrete pad.
Depending on the strength of your concrete, you can either drill all the way through like in Solution # 2, or set the chain link fence posts with hydraulic cement. If you are installing a wood fence then you will want to use the wood to steel fence brackets. If you are installing a vinyl fence then you can use our Post Mount Bracket Set for Vinyl Posts. If you are installing chain link fence then you can follow either method outlined above.
If you are installing chain link or ornamental metal fence then you have the option of core drilling (either all the way through or using hydraulic cement) or using a concrete floor flanges to set your posts.
Hopefully this guide helps take some of the confusion out of the process. Don't forget we carry the highest quality Chain Link Fence, Ornamental Metal Fence, Vinyl Fence, and Wood Fence the industry has to offer. If you still have questions regarding the process outlined above, please feel free to Contact Us for assistance.
