Mounting Wrought Iron Fence on Top of Concrete Surface or Wall

We often get asked what options and recommendations are out there for installing an iron fence on top of a concrete surface or wall top.  It may be a wall, backyard patio or an elevated curb, but the installation is the same.  The main things you will want to check in advance are:

• For a concrete surface (like a floor or patio) you will need to know the depth (thickness) of the concrete.  The standard is typically 4 inches, but you may find thicker ones on older properties.  You do not want to drill through the bottom of the pad.

• For a wall top, you will want to know how wide the wall top is where the fence will be mounted.  You never want to drill holes too close to an edge so that leverage placed on the post will crack or pop out the side of the slab or wall.

There are several options to go about this, but we will discuss the two most common:  flange/ deck mount posts and core-drilling.

The first is a flange post.  Our iron posts have a 5″ square flange welded to the bottom of a steel post with 4 holes drilled for mounting.  As you can see in the photo, it’s basically a ‘foot’ welded to the post bottom that allows it to stand freely and be bolted to a flat surface.  You have several hardware options for mounting your post, but we like concrete wedge anchors the best since they are the most stable.  Not familiar with concrete wedge anchors?  The following link has some info and a short video on how to install them:

https://www.concretefasteners.com/anchors-fasteners/thunderstud-wedge/installation.aspx

The second option is core-drilling your surface.  The core drill method bores out a cylindrical hole that you set the post in.  Instead of using cement, the post is set in a mortar/ grout material such as Por-Rok.  The core drill tool can often be rented from a tool rental store.  The depth the post is set down varies based on the application.  If it’s going in a concrete surface like a patio, you do not want to drill through the bottom.  You need the rigidity of the sides and bottom to set your post.

So which is the better option for mounting fence on a concrete surface or wall?  Well, that really depends on your layout.  Core drilling is far stronger than a flange post.  However, flange posts are easier to install and do not require any special tools.  Both methods are acceptable, but how you want the final product to look and your exact situation may influence which is the better choice.

Not sure how to proceed?  Give us a call at 800-261-2729 or email us at [email protected] and we would be happy to work with you to offer suggestions.