Q: I want to install a waist-high railing between the exterior wall of my home and a column on my front porch. The railing has holes at the bottom so that it can be mounted into the concrete, but therein lies my problem. How can I do that? A: Securing the railing into the concrete is surprisingly simple: Choose an anchoring method, drill a hole and secure the railing.
Mounting something into concrete uses the same principle as that of a toy that I remember. I think it was called Chinese finger cuffs, and it was a little tube just large enough so you could stick your index fingers into each end. It was made of a woven bamboo-type material, and after you stuck your fingers in and then pulled to get them out, the weave in the cuffs would stretch and not let go of your fingers.
The beauty of this gadget was that as you struggled to remove your fingers, you were defenseless to protect your lunch money. Oh, the horrors of the playground. Anyway, the hole you drill into the concrete will house a fastener that will expand to hold down the rail.
The more you tighten the fastener, the more pressure is exerted against the concrete walls and the tighter the object is held to the concrete. There are different types of anchors available, each costing around $1. For this project, I would use a Red Head drop-in anchor.
Place the rail where you want it and mark the locations for the holes. First, drill a hole into the concrete (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) with a masonry bi.