Thread: Help - Anchoring Columns

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I have 4 6 foot tall columns. 12" square. Made of OSB and hollow on the inside. Top and bottom has 2x4 wrapped around to add some dimension. I also have some really cool fixtures on the front that I would hate to see crushed by them falling over.

These columns will also attach to a fence made of pallet wood. They are fairly heavy, but because of the vertical height, it is rather easy to push them over with a little force near the top. I would imagine that a heavy wind or some punk kids would have no trouble knocking them over. The fencing will be staked and since that attaches to the columns, it should provide some support.

Anyhow any suggestions on what to do to anchor these down would be much appreciated.

Sorry I dont have pictures. As soon as my wife gets around to uploading them, I will have lots to share.

I have two columns that I attached a pvc pipe to the wooden frame on the inside. I then hammer a large piece of rebar into the ground and place the columns (with the PVC pipe) over them. That has worked really well for me. Hope that helps.

Ive used green fence stakes in the past. They are about 4 feet tall and have a heavy green coating. they are made to hold up mesh fencing. You can find them in the wood section of Lowes or HD. They have holes in them that you can drive a screw through, and a flange at the bottom that keeps them in the ground after you drive them in.

Originally Posted by Whispers in the Park

I have two columns that I attached a pvc pipe to the wooden frame on the inside. I then hammer a large piece of rebar into the ground and place the columns (with the PVC pipe) over them. That has worked really well for me. Hope that helps.

How do you attach the PVC?

Also on both posts. Could one just sink one of these staked items in the corners?

Also ever have concerns about power lines? One of my fence columns will sit rather close to our power box. I have read that power lines are generally at minimum, 2 feet down. So would burying a stake no more than a foot going to give enough hold?

The flange on the green stake is only about 8 inches from the base of the stake so you shouldnt have to drive it too far down. They are really sturdy and take a bit of wiggling to get out of the ground due to the flange.

Goto Home Depot.com and look up the MAT U Style Fence Post. They are $4.45 ea for the taller ones.

Inside the hallow column install two screw in C-Hooks (one on either side), then add a sand bag or large landscaping roman brick (something heavy that fits) and then attach rope or line from the weighted item to the hooks, should work like a charm!

Thanks for the tips guys! I will have to head over to the hardware store and start weighing my options.

I left the back side on the bottom open and have a piece of wood going from one side of the frame to the other I place two or three of those cement retaining wall block on the wood brace and it works like a champ had some high winds several years ago and they never moved. Best of luck with what ever you use.

This is what I use to ensure that they don't fall over. Its an 80 lb bag of concrete with angle iron. Space the angle iron the same width of the inside of your column. Slip your columns over the angle iron and throw in a few bolts on each side and you should be good to go. My columns are 6 ft tall and have a gargoyle which extends them up about an additional 2 1/2 ft. good luck
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/y...y/DSC01412.jpg

This may be overkill, but I'm very paranoid about my columns falling on someone or a car. I attach a 2x4 across the base to keep the column from moving left to right. I then attach a 3' piece of 2x4 to each side of the column. The pieces start at the front of the column (i.e. against the 2x4 across the front of the column) and go back about 2 feet behind the column. I then attach a piece of plywood across the two pieces. I then place a bag of Sakrete in a black trash bag and lay it on the plywood. Oh, and all the wood is painted black to make it less noticeable.

My columns were a little over 7' tall last year, not including the gargoyle, and I had not trouble with multiple days of strong winds.