Home Hardware Titan Post Anchor Tillsonburg Home Show

Lots of curious on lookers took part in floor demonstrations by Crompton’s Home Hardware at the Tillsonburg Home Show on the weekend. Home Hardware is a national dealer for the Titan Post Anchor and customers were provided demonstrations during the show explaining the benefits that the Titan Post Anchor has over traditional post anchoring systems.

Titan Post Anchors are the only internal anchoring system available on the marketplace that allow homeowners and professionals to anchor wood posts to wood and concrete surfaces both indoors and outdoors and it has been approved for building codes both in Canada and the United States.

Homeowners can purchase the Titan Post Anchor in Canada through any Home Hardware store.

Wood Post Anchoring System

It seems a direct response from myself is required to clearly express the state of the Titan Post Anchor if users wish to use them in wood rail applications 60cm above grade or higher where the Ontario Building Code or Canadian Building Code applies. 

 It can be confusing for most people and is the reason why we are in the final stages of actual railing section tests by Intertek having already gathered a large body of data for the performance of single free standing posts. The OBC Table 9.8.8.2 states: the completed guard rail system, must withstand a uniform load of 0.5 kN/m (34 lb/ft) over the length of given rail OR;concentrated load of 1.0 Kn (224 lbs) at any point along the rail. The Canadian Building Code, section 4.1.5.14 (1b) states that a guard in a residential environment must resist a concentrated horizontal load of 1.0 Kn (224 lbs) and a uniform load of 0.75kN/m (51 lb/ft) over the length of given rail. My company has invested much resources in conducting extensive tests to provide accurate guidance to users so they will be able to determine how to build their wood rails to easily surpass these standards.  Intertek, the global testing experts for guard rail products has confirmed on the basis of three sample testing average loads on single 42″ posts as follows: 4×4 42″ post and anchor – 337 lbs4×4 42″ post and anchor – (chicago bolt) power bolt  – 425 lbs Tested May 20104×4 42″ post and anchor – post brace – 608 lbs Tested May 2010 6×6 42″ post and anchor – 503 lbs6×6 42″ Titan Max post and anchor – 643 lbs – Tested May 2010 In each and every case the concentrated load on a single post is actually greater than the minimum design load required of a finished railing (plurality of posts).   This is not the most difficult standard to meet and in fact when a point load is shared by a number of posts our testing of sections shows point loads of as high as 700 and 800 lbs.  The uniform load is what determines the maximum distance posts can be spaced apart from one another.  This is determined by the total load of a given rail divided by the distance between corner to corner.   The OBC sets this at 34 lb/ft and the CBC sets it at 51 lb/ft.  Total loads of 700 to even 800 lbs (120 lb/ft to 133 lb/ft) have been achieved.  This surpasses both code minimums by a factor by at least 2.35x.  Keep in mind this sample is a 36″ high rail section so a 42″ section would be slightly lower – but still well above minimum loads required.

 Our final set of testing, currently under way with Intertek will determine the guidance we give users as to post spacing in any given railing design.  This is what most people are waiting for.  So you will have to be patient.  But even without that documention any engineer can accurately calculate total loads that any given number of posts will provide by adding up the single post load values and dividing by the rail span distance from one end or corner to the next.    Intertek is now engaged in verifying independently the same style of test: two posts and rail subjected to a maximum concentrated load.  This body of data on railing sections will be added to the single post data to create comprehensive guidance on virtually any post or rail configuration.

I have personally conducted numerous load analyses based on our Intertek data for customers in Muskoka and Wasaga and had their engineers review our numbers from Intertek and approve the various designs.  But I can not do this for hundreds of customers at a time. And this is what a growing group of people have been asking for and so this is what we are committed to providing.  I wish this could happen at the snap of a finger but this is a major capital investment for a small but growing Canadian company.  And my employees and I gratefully thank you all for your support and business. We recently received notice from the Canadian Patent office and were issued a patent for this product.  We have also received notice from the US Patent Office that a patent will issue in the coming months.   As you and tens of thousands of customers across Canada and the US can see, the concept of using a lightweight hollow tube to impale the core of a wood post provides an added level of strength that is missing if lag screws only are used while eliminating big ugly rusty external wrap around brackets.  Rest assured you are dealing with a company that conceives, develops and brings to market some of the most innnovative building products in the world – and with engineering to back it up where required.   If your region requires this kind of enhanced engineering reports, please stay tuned.  You will very soon be able to offer your customers the most advanced surface mounted wood post anchor system in the world.

Kind regards, Richard Bergman, B.Comm, LLB

Titan Post Anchor

I just had a customer call and wanted to use my post system on a roof deck
of a boat house up one a residence on one of the lakes in Muskoka and the
local inspector or engineer wouldn’t accept anything accept what is shown in
the SB-7 Guidelines of the Ontario Building Code.  So the customer asked me
to prepare something for his engineer to review.

 I took his plans as he had them and prepared a load analysis on each rail
span based on the individual load ratings of each type of post from our test
data and calculated the total load per span and compared it to the Canadian
building code. 

 This plan was easily over the code at all spans, typically 2 to 2.7x beyond
the code.  Safety Factor in Canada is 1.5x.  The customer gave this to the
engineer along with our Intertek letters and approved it

You can purchase the Titan Post Anchor at www.myocstore.com

Titan Post Anchor – 6×6 Posts – All Hardware Included Package – w/Black BoltsBEST VALUE PACKAGE

Includes
1 – Post Anchor – .625″x7.5″x7.5″
5 – 3/8″x 5″ HDG Lag Bolts
5 – 3/8″ HDG Washers
8 – 1/4″x3″ Black Nickel Plated Lag Bolts

Dress your Titan up with our beautiful Post Skirts available in five great colors

Accessories used to prepare post for anchor

Installation Instructions

6×6 Titan Post Anchor Kit

The Titan Post Anchor is made for wood posts that need anchoring to wood or concrete surfaces. This wood post anchor is unique in  that it allows anchoring of your post and conceals the actual anchoring system. This anchoring system is not like any other anchoring system in the marketplace as the wood posts ends up having a 3″ long circular tube placed up inside the middle of the post.  The wood anchoring system is for both 4×4 and 6×6 posts. It takes approximately 8 minutes to install this anchor to each post and once this is completed it is placed on your deck or concrete surface where it is then anchored down by 8 lag bolts. The Titan Post Anchor is sold across Canada and the United States through selected retailers and can also be purchased online at www.myocstore.com

You just finished building that outdoor deck or patio and want to complete the project with some nice accessories such as post caps, balusters or lighting accessories. Look no further your search is over. Myocstore offers a large variety of quality decking and patio products that can finish off your decking project to perfection. They carry brand name products such as Deckorators, Maine Ornamental and Titan Building Products. Not only do they carry a wide variety of outdoor living accessories but they carry only the highest quality products.  The saying “you get what you pay for” is very true and you will not find any cheap or imitation brands on this website. The next time your looking for variety and quality please visit www.myocstore.com

The Titan post Anchor can be purchased online at www.myocstore.com or at a variety of building material retailers in Ontario.

You recently sent me 15 post anchors and guide kit with titan hole cutter. Unfortunately installation into IPE is not going smoothly at all. I drill the first part as instructed and just went and got a $25 messenger 1.25 bit, came back and removed 1.7/8 the first part and went to do the second pass with the hole cutter only to find out that the collar base of the titan hole cutter is BIGGER than 1.25 so I can not cut any deeper than what I originally have cut. I could spend $28 more and get a larger messenger bit but if you have used a messenger bit before you will know it is not really possible to go up one size when a hole has been drilled out. What can you do about this situation?

Response from Titan Post Anchor…………………

Ipe is one of the hardest woods there is.  There are hardwood instructions as part of the instruction guide and there is a video on the site that shows how I install it using Cumaru, almost identical to Ipe.

For most hard woods you have to use a Forstner bit after the first hole saw pass and remove about 1.25″to 1.5″ of the core and then do another pass with the hole saw so that the saw cuts a total depth of 3.25″ – in the case of Ipe – close to the full lenght of the tube – 3.5″.

This is because you can not easily hammer anything into this wood.  Everything has to be predrilled.  In this respect, the anchor does not install in the way it is intended to be installed for the vast majority of uses – with normal density woods like pine, cedar and perhaps hemlock.  It is designed to pierce the entire solid core of the post, not having a hollowed out bore.

With normal density wood extra strength and rigidity is derived from the tube piercing the solid wood and the friction that is attributed to the tube surface.  So you would lose strength in normal density wood by removing the core as the out walls would be all that is holding it together.

This concern is reduced substantially when you use Ipe because even though the walls are thinner with the core removed the wood is still so dense that is makes up a lot if not entirely because of that.

You must predrill the holes for the lag screws also or you will likely torque the heads off.

Keep in mind the forstner bit must be not bigger than the diameter of the tube 1.25″ diameter.  This is stated in the instructions.  DO NOT drill a larger diameter hole.  This completely defeats the purpose in intended installation benefits of the device.

Lastly, for these kind of installations I have developed a new custome barrel bolt that we will be marketing as Thunder Bolts.  They are 5/16″ diameter with low profile domed pan heads with #3 square drive heads.  They go through the post and tube and ensure the wood can never split up the grain even under extreme load.

I can send you some no charge when they arrive in the next couple weeks.  They are black dacromet plated, a very high quality finish and made of 1020 steel.

Bob from Maine asks……………..

Hi,
I bought some post anchors about a year ago and due to various reasons typical of remodeling still haven’t used them. This has given me some opportunity to more thoroughly consider the best way to use them, for example getting the gasket kits.
I was particularly impressed that you took the time to follow up my order with a thank you note, which seems not only genuine but also smart business. Perhaps that is why I am taking the time today to give you my thanks for that simple courtesy.
Please consider this suggestion- Maybe more pictures of railings or links to other deck forums wouldn’t be too much trouble to include on your site. I think you have some great products but there isn’t enough install info even for woodworkers or carpenters to answer all relevant questions/ issues.
When I showed my buddies at work (Yacht joiners) they seemed impressed but expressed concerns that the anchors could trap moisture and said I should drill a couple weep holes for ventilation. I don’t want to do that for the obvious reason of exposing the steel to moisture, but I thought they made a good point anyway, that water is bound to get in. I’m hoping the gasket sets will address this issue and wondering if a person should also caulk around all the bolt heads and cover the whole thing with the covers that you sell. Of course all this takes time and money so a person would love to know if other folks have tried to address these issues and come to think this is overkill or exactly what needs to be done. My other question is are the covers easily removable for when it’s time to recoat the deck surface?
In my situation the anchors are on top of a roof deck with a rubber like coating (sonogaurd) over 2 layers of 3/4 plywood, all glued and screwed.
I’m thinking that the gaskets will at least prevent the anchors from sheering through the rubber coating and exposing the core to potential moisture permeation.
I suspect that my questions wouldn’t be that important if one were using the anchors over a typical wood planked deck. I hope that you can make some astute suggestions as you are obviously in a business that should know the issues related better than most of us.
Wouldn’t you just love to see me online saying, “oh yeah some stuff wasn’t all that well explained, but those folks at Otter Creek were a big help, I wouldn’t get them anywhere else! Really good people”…
Thanks in advance and I do genuinely wish you massive success that often follows treating people well.
On the coast of Maine, where we are rebuilding what other generations misbuilt having underestimated nature, rust, decay etc.

Response by Otter Creek…………….
Hi Robert, thanks for your response and we do appreciate our customers feedback on the products we sell. Its customers such as yourself that make for good discussions when we review products for their worthiness in solving and improving upon their intended applications.
I do thank you for your suggestions for improving our website and we will look at your suggestions and see how we can improve the install information on the Titan and our other products. We have taken some steps to add some customer information to our blog.
We hope this blog helps customers further understand the Titan applications and uses and also be beneficial with other products we provide to our customers.
Your question as to the how to better the Titan for waterproof applications is a very warranted one. As we are the distributors (not the manufacturer) I have taken the liberty of ccing Mr. Richard Bergman, who invented the Titan Post Anchor for his feedback and suggestions. I think your applications of further waterproofing by caulking around the base of the Titan and the screw holes could not hurt and would most likely help with water penetration. The gasket kit is not made to permanently seal water out but to help slow water penetration over time and we strongly suggest this gasket when applying the Titan directly on concrete surfaces. I also express some concern that trying to seal the water out ( if not successful will also help seal water in) . With your rubber membrane roof top I do not believe you would have as great a concern about the Titan rusting at any accelerated rate. The aluminum post skirts do remove easily form around The Titan base and post. I also must say that because the base of the Titan is slightly raised and that the post to anchor tube is internal that rust having a structural impact on the Titan is very much reduced. We do have some exiting pc of news to share with applications involving salt water applications for the Titan. Later this month will be able to offer customers a stainlsss steel Titan made form 316 Marine Grade stainless steel which will eliminate most of the concerns we have just discussed.
Richard, would you be so kind to share any points of interest that I may have overlooked as I’m sure Robert and his fellow Yacht Joiners would appreciate feedback from the inventor himself.