Home Page link

Anchoring a Canopy onto Patio

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Anchoring a Canopy onto Patio panabiker 06-13-2008
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by panabiker on June 13, 2008, 9:20 pm
I am thinking of getting a 10'x10' canopy that is made of fabric top
and a frame with 4 metal legs, and set it up on my back patio. The
patio was build with 6"x9" paver bricks. My question is, how should I
anchor the legs onto the patio. Each leg has 4 screw holes. If I
simply drive some screws into the bricks, would they keep the canopy
from being blown away (under reasonable summer weather)? These bricks
are not bind to each other but tightly put together with sand filling
the gaps. Would screws even stay in the bricks, or will they crack the
bricks?

PexSupply Save 50 468x60
Posted by Tom G on June 14, 2008, 11:31 pm

>I am thinking of getting a 10'x10' canopy that is made of fabric top
> and a frame with 4 metal legs, and set it up on my back patio. The
> patio was build with 6"x9" paver bricks. My question is, how should I
> anchor the legs onto the patio. Each leg has 4 screw holes. If I
> simply drive some screws into the bricks, would they keep the canopy
> from being blown away (under reasonable summer weather)? These bricks
> are not bind to each other but tightly put together with sand filling
> the gaps. Would screws even stay in the bricks, or will they crack the
> bricks?
After my second such canopy blew away in a storm, I gave up. I had them
anchored into a poured concrete slab and on the second one I added guy ropes
tied to big screw in anchors like they use on farms to hold down in ground
silo covers. The wind just twisted the canopy into pieces and blew it out
from under the canopy top. If I remember correctly, the instructions for
these things say to remove the fabric top in the event of storms or wind.
Of course this was at the end of the intructions and kind of lost in the
print. And the fabric top was not something you could easily take down and
put back on. The canopies I used were in the $350 range, not the $100
instant up ones. The instant up versions that you could just put up when
you were planning something might be a better way to go.

Tom G.



Posted by buffalobill on June 15, 2008, 9:23 am
> I am thinking of getting a 10'x10' canopy that is made of fabric top
> and a frame with 4 metal legs, and set it up on my back patio. The
> patio was build with 6"x9" paver bricks. My question is, how should I
> anchor the legs onto the patio. Each leg has 4 screw holes. If I
> simply drive some screws into the bricks, would they keep the canopy
> from being blown away (under reasonable summer weather)? These bricks
> are not bind to each other but tightly put together with sand filling
> the gaps. Would screws even stay in the bricks, or will they crack the
> bricks?

just guessing: when peak storm gusts hit it it can't collapse or tip
over to avoid damaging itself. perhaps making it so the awning tugs
and breaks breakaway ties instead of damaging the frame legs or your
home. or maybe the outside posts could be hinged to fold to the ground
if the wind lifts up the canopy which could then fall unsupported and
flatten against the home with less damage.

Posted by Reno on June 16, 2008, 10:22 am
3d637abb3443@b1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

> I am thinking of getting a 10'x10' canopy that is made of fabric top
> and a frame with 4 metal legs, and set it up on my back patio. The
> patio was build with 6"x9" paver bricks. My question is, how should I
> anchor the legs onto the patio. Each leg has 4 screw holes. If I
> simply drive some screws into the bricks, would they keep the canopy
> from being blown away (under reasonable summer weather)? These bricks
> are not bind to each other but tightly put together with sand filling
> the gaps. Would screws even stay in the bricks, or will they crack the
> bricks?

Screws would crack the bricks and even if you drilled extra carefully and
used anchors the bricks are not heavy enough to resist much vertical
force.

You need some sort of heavy anchor type base. You could simply pour a
concrete footing of about 400 lb weight - concrete weights about 125 to
150 pounds per cubic foot. It should be 8 inches thick to hold drilled
anchors. Make a box about 24" x 24" by 8" thick. Use about 2 to 4
reinforcing bars each way evenly spaced - total of 6 to 8 bars. Locate
the bars about the midpoint of the pad thickness. Get pre-mix concrete at
home supply store and mix exactly as per instructions - water content is
important to get right.

Dig down a bit so top of block is an inch above the patio bricks to keep
top dry and reduce chance of bolts rusting. Better yet to use all
stainless steel anchors and bolts. You don't need a sand base layer. Pour
the bottom half and then lay bars down and pour top half. If you have to
stop and mix more concrete keep delay to less than 1/2 hour so layers
adhere to each other propoerly.

Get some Hilti concrete anchors and install them as per the instructions.
You would need to rent or borrow an impact drill. The anchors use bolts
so you install the anchors and then bolt the legs down.

Similar ThreadsPosted
Patio Swing Canopy? April 22, 2007, 2:57 pm
Re: Canopy and Awnings March 28, 2007, 3:22 pm
Re: Canopy and Awnings March 28, 2007, 11:01 am
Re: Canopy and Awnings March 27, 2007, 7:06 pm
Re: Canopy and Awnings March 27, 2007, 8:21 pm
building an over door canopy October 26, 2005, 4:03 pm
canopy cover. where to find? March 12, 2006, 9:18 am
Outdoor Canopy Treatment May 29, 2008, 10:37 am
Hunter ceiling fan supported by canopy? July 2, 2005, 11:24 pm
anchoring building down June 21, 2006, 4:40 am

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap