Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Sill Plate attachment to foundation.

I have an older house built in 1938 and the wall sill is not attached to the foundation. I plan on putting 5/8 bolts through the sill and in about 6" into the concrete and using a square metal washer stead of round. From what I understand there are two methods commonly used to do this either through an anchor bolt or by using epoxy. Has anyone done this before and do they have a recommendation on the best method to use? Anything else I should be made aware before starting?

You can trust epoxy.I have set a great many anchor bolts with epoxy.

A few different ways of doing it.You can get a two part caulking type tube but the guns you need to use them is expensive.If you can borrow one its the way to go.Just blow the hole out with air and fill half full of epoxy.The all thread will not want to drop in the hole.Spin and push all the way down.

If the concrete is still sound Concrete Wedge Anchors will also work well. The current BC building code requires the anchor bolts to be spaced no further apart than 8'.

With that said I do question why you feel the need to retroactively install anchor bolts on a 70 year old house.

Concrete wedge anchors are quick, easy, and as sound as any method. I'm assuming this is a total remodel and you are popping them in because you already have the wall opened up?

Concrete wedge work fine as mentioned.
Also Simpson has anchors approved by code that you drill and then screw in and they hold.
Epoxy is fine too, but expensive if not set up for it.

I would not even consider power driven nails.

In the end if you are preventing strong winds from damaging the structure, you have to have the sill connected to the slab but it also has to be a continuous connection all the way up and over the roof and back down again every few feet. Sill anchors will often make sure the sill plate is still attached to the foundation but the rest of the house is totally gone....

If its lateral load you are worried about just about anything will work fine.

Epoxy, a lot of lumber yards will have a gun you can rent or borrow. Just make sure the hole is CLEAN before placing the epoxy.
Either blow or vacuum the hole all the way to the bottom,you'll have to make up something with flexible tubing. Brush the hole with a stiff brush,Simpson sells them , and then blow or vacuum again.

Considering the age of your concrete and the application epoxy set anchor bolts would be the preferred method as installation is a bit more forgiving. For 5/8" bolts I believe you drill 1/16" oversize. I like the PowerSet system. Have glass bedded a few rifles with the epoxy and it's tough stuff

If the concrete is sound I would go with the wedge anchors hands down, you drill a hole with a hammer drill and pound them in with a hammer, they will go in but they will not come out. The washer will pull through the wood before the anchor will pull out of the concrete. A 1/2 inch anchor should be all you need, I see no need to use a 5/8. I use them alot.

Thanks for all the replies, I was thinking of under-taking this as a way to anchor the house in case of an earthquake. I know all the variables that could make this a useless exercise but thought for the minimal effort it might be worthwhile. Only about half the walls are exposed so it would mean some drywall removal and replacement. The other option is just to ignore all the current paranoia about earthquakes and spend the money on some new firearms.

The firearms plan sounds better. If you get an earthquake big enough to move your house, the bolts won't do any good. Besides, its been there this long and hasn't moved...

R.

Pop into National Concrete on John street. They deal in fastners and obviously concrete suply. The two part epoxy is phenominal and will harden like porcelin. I've used it to ancor bunks in prisons in concrete block walls. There is a product available, may be from Hilti that will feed from a normal caulking gun rather than the expensive specialty two tube epoxy gun. May want to visit Steels near Store street, or Acklands Grainger on Government. Wedge anchors work well too and there are a plethora of designs to choose from. You can go online and visit the Simpson company catalouge, or have them send you a cd. They make fasteners and brackets for every application you can imagine. Lumberworld ususally has a good supply of these, or again Steels.

It wouldn't be high on my priorty list, but if you do undertake it, best of luck.

Excellant information, thanks again.

I think the last earthquake on the Island was '48,so the house rode that one out. Sometime within the bext 200 years, we are due for the Big One.Much like Japan. Cold Cure epoxy and 1/2" Redi rod will do fine,the biggest problem is getting room for the Hilti drill. Rent a SDS size,they are only a lttle bigger,with a new four blade 5/8" bit,it will make short work of it.

Getting the room to use the drill is still a concern of mine, have to try it on the more exposed walls first.

im a licensed building contractor in the state of florida.
i doubt residential building codes are more ridged anywhere due to the hurrecane problems here. all of the above methods would be ok here especially the epoxy method.
if it were my house and it had stood for over 70 years id leave it alone. who cares if the sill plate is still attached after a disaster takes the rest of it away.

I would agree. Unless you wanted to seismically upgrade the entire structure plate anchorage alone would not be of any real benefit.

If you are interested in upgrading the entire building my advice would be to contact a local structural engineer with a good understanding of the process.

I'm so old I remember pictures of the Alaska earthquake,that was a Big One,the frame houses did OK. Port Alberni got flooded with that one.I'm sure ,on line,Cali. has a thing on siesmic upgrades.Their houses wouldn't be as well made. The other thing with shaking would be roof rafters bowing the walls out.Snow load does that too. You might need more cross ties.Most good carpenters would angle the shiplap in those days.They would be using wet green fir and nails don't come out of that when it dries.

I guess you could angle the rods.