Builders looking for a surface-mounting solution for wooden columns and posts should check out Titan’s new Evolution structural wood post anchors. Each Evolution kit consists of a 1/2-inch-thick HDG steel base plate with a black powder-coated finish, a 1 1/4-inch-diameter-by-11-inch-long threaded steel tube–inserted into a hole that the installer bores into the base of the wood column that’s being installed–and a beefy 1 3/4-inch-long threaded stud that joins the tube and the base plate together. The base plates, which are available for both 4×4 and 6×6 posts, have set screws for leveling, and are fastened to concrete and stone surfaces with 3/8-inch-diameter-by-3-inch wedge bolts. With proper blocking and a backing plate, the base plates can also be installed on a wood deck. Once the tube-post assembly has been threaded onto the base plate and snugged up, the installer drills a pair of holes through two sides of the post into the steel tube and inserts locking pins. The holes can then be plugged, minimizing the appearance of fasteners and other hardware that are typically visible on other types of post base connectors.
Company president Richard Bergman says that Evolution post anchors have been tested with both Western red cedar and treated pine 4×4 freestanding 42-inch-high posts on concrete surfaces following ASTM AC273 protocols, and have exceeded performance benchmarks. Additional independent testing for wood-framed structures is scheduled for later this summer. For now, code approval for use on decks is limited to compression loads, but Bergman is confident that the Evolution post anchor will soon be approved for use in railing assemblies on conventionally framed decks too. Cost for the kits start at $60; installation kits, which include a 1 1/4-inch-diameter ship auger (for boring holes) and a post wrench (for tightening the assembly), are also available from Titan. Titanbuildingproducts.com.
