Home Improvement Question

[DJD]

So, I bought this gazebo kit thing at Lowe's today for my back patio...powder coated steel with a shade canopy on top...pretty dang nice looking. It's 10x10 and my little patio is 12x10.

I build the thing, get it in place, looks great and provides a nice bit of shade...just what we wanted. So, I want to secure it to the concrete. Each post has four holes in the bottom for just that purpose. So, I have a hammer drill...and I have a set of 1/4" Tapcon blue concrete screws with a 5/16" head that can be used with a nut driver. Groovy, looks easy enough.

Two hours later I'm worn out and gave up. Hammer drill bores the holes just fine, with the masonry bit that came special for the screws. But when I try to sink the screws they just spin and don't bite, almost like hole is too big. I tried a smaller bit, with a longer screw, and screws sink about halfway and then just spin.

Nothing I do will put these screws in the concrete. I even tried some lag screws with a hand ratchet and same thing, they get down and just spin. I can pull them right out by hand.

Anybody?

Brian,
I have used tap cons for years and never had that problem. Sure sounds like the hole is to big. Did the tap cons come as a kit? I know you checked but when looking at the screw and drill bit.....does the bit look a little smaller than the screws?

[MrSplitshot]

Brian,
I have used tap cons for years and never had that problem. Sure sounds like the hole is to big. Did the tap cons come as a kit? I know you checked but when looking at the screw and drill bit.....does the bit look a little smaller than the screws?

Yep, bit that came in the kit was slightly (not much) smaller. I went back and bought the smaller bit that was for the 3/16" screws instead of the 1/4" screws, thinking that might be the issue, but same problem. I'm kinda baffled.