building a roof top railing with The Titan Post Anchor™

How a diy'er built A ROOF TOP RAILING - and you can too.

Josh Hunt loves his family. Creating a beautiful home is one way he demonstrates his appreciation for them. In Josh's neighborhood roof decks off the back of each house are very common. But some, including his own, are really showing their age and to be honest have become an eye sore. In fact, some of them are unsafe.

Josh knew his roof deck was in desperate need of some tender loving care. The 2"x 2" pickets were spaced beyond the maximum allowable four inches and the entire railing was wobbly making this otherwise beautiful vantage point unsafe and unusable.

No technical skill needed

When Josh did some research and found the 6"x 6" Titan Post Anchors™ he knew this was a project he could manage himself. So, he set out to solve the problem and boy did he succeed!

about the builder

Josh is from MA, near Boston and he built this roof top railing using Titan Wood Post Anchors™

Josh is just an ordinary homeowner - probably just like you - and he was facing a huge cost in rebuilding his deck if he hired professional builders.

A Complete Rebuild From The Deck On Up

Josh decided to gut the entire structure and start from scratch. He built a floating deck frame using 2"x 6" and sloped them to match the gentle pitch of the roof deck itself. He installed new treated 5/4" x 6" pine deck boards using a picture frame border technique which added some visual excitement.

Building a railing on a roof deck can be challenging because the frame below is rarely deep enough to allow for a joist connected railing post. Even if you set posts into joists, they will eventually suffer the same fate as the previous posts and rot faster and you will have to notch deck boards around each post. It also takes more time, skill, and it adds more complexity to your project especially when you have a nice picture frame border pattern you would like to incorporate into the decking.

Jim's site before installing deck foot anchor footings.

A Surface Mount Post Anchor Solution Any DIY'er Can Manage

Josh searched around and found the 6"x 6" Titan Post Anchor™ and realized it could be used to surface mount his roof deck railing posts. It also elevated the bottom of the post off the wet deck so no matter the weather they would be drier than if they were joist mounted.

So, the Titan Post Anchor™ killed two birds with one stone". Josh could frame and lay down the decking faster and with some basic joist blocking under each post location, he could easily surface mount the 6"x 6" posts and meet the manufacturer's residential engineering guidelines.

A Beautiful Result

Josh ended up with a beautiful new roof deck that was far superior to the old relic that had long outlived its useful life. Now, he and his family have a space to enjoy in their home where they can relax on warm summer evenings and literally feel above it all. And Josh can feel even better knowing how much money he saved using the Titan Post Anchor™.

Hanging joists from beams set on deck foot anchor to reduce elevation.

A BETTER LOOKING, EASY TO INSTALL, CODE COMPLIANT WOOD POST ANCHOR SOLUTION

The Titan Post Anchor™ will make your life a whole lot easier. It's the first low visibility surface mount post anchor that any beginner can install with minimal skill - with both cost and time savings any builder will love.

Here Is how it works

Drill

Use an off the shelf 1-1/4"x2" hole saw to cut a pilot cut for tube.

Drive

Use a 3 lb mini sledge to drive tube into post beyond depth of hole saw cut.

Fasten

Pre-drill holes and drive lag screws. Get the installation guide.

Or Watch This INSTALLATION Video

It's so simple to install even folks who are just starting out and have minimal carpentry experience can easily do it. Check it out.

why it works

Cut Away View of Titan Post Anchor™

A sharp edged, light weight, rigid tube cuts deep into the core of the wood post and diverts enough load away from the screws to increase the overall load resistance. A truly innovative and effective solution.

It is now possible for a surface mounted anchor to be used for residential code compliant wood railings. Just click the link below to BUY NOW.

Some Insightful Thinking

You may be asking yourself, why go down this path when fastening into end grain is inherently weaker than typical cross grain methods.

Because all of the following benefits...

simple installation
position anywhere
on virtually any surface
eliminate notching decking for posts
drier, longer lasting posts
eliminating big ugly brackets

...are simply too compelling to ignore!

Solving this historic performance gap became an obsession for me, the inventor. And the solution came from some rather simple geometric insights.

Install on wood...

To properly secure the post anchor to a wood surface, ensure there is wood blocking like a 2x6 or 2x8 below the deck boards and between the joist.

Pre-drill the screw holes if they are too close to the edge of a board to prevent splitting.

composite, synthetic or hardwood

The same principle applies with composite and synthetic deck boards. It's a good idea to pre-drill the screw holes so the screws can drive in easier without snapping off the heads.

The composite and synthetic material can be very dense and sometimes similar to hardwoods.

Hardwood or composite decking tip

And even concrete or masonry

Set one screw in the first hole to secure the anchor while pre-drilling the remaining holes. Drill 1/2" deeper than length of screw.

Position post and anchor for final attachment.

Once the holes are drilled, remove the template anchor and position the post and anchor over the holes for final attachment.

Fasten concrete screws.

One concrete screw per corner is enough to keep the post and anchor secure given the pull out resistance of each screw.

* Residential code compliance

The Titan Post Anchor has been independently tested by world renowned engineering firm Intertek for residential compliance in the United States and Canada when installed at recommended post height and spacing.

The USA tests have been carried out in accordance with AC273 for Handrails and Guards as set out by the IRC. Canadian tests have been done in accordance with the Canadian Building Code with applicability for all ten provinces.

For a copy of the sealed engineering reports including compression and tension testing click here.

Just click the link below to BUY NOW.

Note: Based on 36" rails USA, 42" rails Canada. Rails 36" high are permissible in Canada for decks less than 5'-11" above grade.

The possibilities are endless

Railings

Newel Posts

Fences

Pergolas

Gazebos

Other Structures

Composite post sleeve and skirts

If you have a composite railing system, you can now use the Titan Post Anchor™ and affordably attach posts to concrete and masonry surfaces and then slide over the sleeve and skirt.

Just click the link below to BUY NOW.

This is a DecksGo Recommended Product. It's a product that we are confident you will be happy with and it has a great track record as a top performer in its category.

DecksGo was the first company to bring this product to the market. And you can expect more great "first" moments like this.

This is what we do - try to bring you leading edge building solutions before anyone else.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

AWESOME PRODUCT!!

These Titan post mounts were just what I needed!!

I wanted to install my railings set back from the edge of my deck. But I didn't want to cut through the actual deck to lag the posts to the joists. Plus I didn't have the time to do all that work.

With these post bases I was able to evenly space the posts where I wanted them without having to worry about "hitting a joist". They were very easy to install and are way stronger than "toe nailing" a post.

Thanks again for an awesome product!

William Mahig - East Islip, NY

everything you ever wanted to know about the Titan WOOD POST anchor...

Insider Guide to the Titan Wood Post Anchor eguide

BEST ANCHOR I'VE USED

We just completed our deck this past weekend and I have to say I'm extremely happy with both the performance and ease of use of the Titan Post Anchors.

Overall a great product way better than the Simpson Strong Ties I've used in the past which have that tall ugly box at the bottom.

Alex McClure - Wylie, TX

GREAT DESIGN, LOW VISIBILITY

Great design, low visibility. Looks professional once installed. Instructions are straight-forward and easy to follow.

I had several posts to install, so I setup sort of an assembly line process. Made it simple. I hammered them in to treated pine posts with a 2 1/2lb hammer. (after drilling the pilot hole first). Easy as pie!

They hold very securely with no wobble. Rather than using shims (deck was fairly level already), I simply cinched down on the appropriate bolts to plumb the post.

Great product. I would DEFINITELY recommend these to anyone!

Mitch Parsons - League City TX

GREAT DECK POSTS

I have installed 10 of these post anchors in the process of refinishing my deck. They work great.

Will I use this product again? Yes, most definitely.

Gary Harpold - Roanoke VA

POSTS ON CONCRETE SURFACE

I could not be more pleased. These anchors are great. I mounted porch rails on concrete. I used the recommended bolts to connect the anchor to the post, then used tap cons to connect the anchor to the concrete. This resulted in a greatly stable porch railing.

I've used these anchors and skirts on two jobs so far. Should I find the need again, I will definitely use Titan anchors.

Phillip D. Deere - Lake Mary FL

STRONG BUT GREAT LOOK

The Titan has it all. It's got the strength that is what you're looking for but the look is outstanding and combined with the other features I put on this railing system it was the right choice. And I'm happy about that.

Bob Evans - Big Rideau Lake, ON

NICE PRODUCT & LOOKS GOOD!

This is a nice product that works very well. You do need to ensure the bracing below is correctly placed for maximum strength.

I also noted that it is best to slightly angle the exterior screws when driving with an impact gun to ensure enough clearance. Customer service is excellent as well. I have received many compliments on the final results, so all-in-all I am pleased.

J. McConnell - Jacksonville, NC

MADE A STRONG RAILING

Great product, made the railing very strong.

T. Close - Troutvale, VA

GREAT PRODUCT

I used these to install a railing on a concrete stoop and walkway. Although I probably shouldn't have, I bored the mounting holes out to 3/8" to accommodate wedge anchors.

I love this product, and my project came out amazing!

Kathleen - Hauppauge, NY

NOW I AM SOLD

Was very unsure about the potential of being able to leverage the post loose.

Mounted the first post anchor and was sold, installation is simple and time is definitely saved. I will be using these post till I find something better.

This is a great alternative to all other expensive bases. I have used my share of the expensive bases and this is by far the best for your money.

Dumette Construction LLC - Gilmanton, NH

THE REAL DEAL

Great product. This is the real deal. Secure fit. Part of my arsenal now.

Barnett Deck - Ottawa, IL

CONCRETE PORCH WITH SLOPE

The Titan Post Anchors are rock solid.

I used this anchoring system for the first time on a concrete front porch with a definite pitch. Rather than shimming up the front of the anchors to keep the post plumb, I decided to use a grinding wheel to score out a "seat" for the anchor perimeter.

The key with this method is to grind out a little in back and very little on the sides. If you need to take out material to the front of where the anchor will sit, you probably took out too much on the backside. Less is more in this situation. They look great!

P. McSharry - Fairfield, CT

GAZEBO POSTS

Was building a gazebo on top of a cedar 12x12 existing decking by my pool with 6x6 posts and needed something strong to hold it in place.

Local building stores had nothing I would even consider using because they were not strong enough or would bend to easy. Found Titan Post Anchors and I was sold.

Bought 9 of these and let me tell you they were solid metal, for the same price for a piece of cheap tin from my local stores. Came with all the hardware I needed to install them. great product. Company was fast shipping and even answered the phone when i needed more info about their products.

So bottom line, they are steel and will hold any post where you need the extra support. Well worth the money.

D.Price - Saint Libory, IL

RECOMMEND TO ANYONE

Purchased 9 - 6 x 6 Titan Post Anchors to assemble to a new construction PT deck surface. Installation to the 6 x 6 was easy, with a little sledge hammer help. The lag screws were a bit short for 2 x 6 decking, so I opted to purchase longer lags to attached through the 2 x 6 decking and into 2 - 2 x 6 scraps together. This proved to strengthen everything very well.

Titan Post Anchors make my deck look very nice and strengthen everything very well. Would recommend to anyone!

Jesse - St. Marys, PA

Thank You For Creating This

I will continue to use your Titan Post Anchors — there is simply nothing else out there that is not either flimsy, or ugly, or both.

The Titan Post Anchor represents a long-awaited improvement upon other bases on the market. If I didn't think so, I would not waste my time writing you.

H. Kirchen - Michigan

Innovative

Being a Civil Engineer by degree and a custom builder and remodeling contractor by profession, I take pride in having a reputation for solving construction conundrums to a high level with cost effectiveness, and in the instance of this pergola, the main concern was, how to structurally attach the 6x6 post columns to the existing stone pedestals.

Structurally, I was primarily concerned with lateral stability strength and shear, and secondarily with uplift. Aesthetics too, were just as important, since the pergola was to have no visible fasteners showing from the ground.

I researched various fasteners on the market, and ultimately found the Titan Post Anchors to be the most suitable for this project.

I core filled the existing pedestals with concrete, attached the Titan Post Anchors to the pergola cedar columns, and then attached the columns with the Titan's to the concrete core filled stone pedestals.

The post anchors were a key component in helping the homeowner in salvaging the existing stone pedestals as a structural base for mounting the pergola columns. This ultimately saved the homeowner money and time by not having to scrap them, and allowed Macek Custom Builders to fasten the cedar columns to the stone pedestals with aesthetic and structural confidence!

Thank you for a great innovative product in the Titan Post Anchor.

R. Macek - Macek Custom Builders, OH

The Best

These are the best post anchors on the market by far.

There is some work to install them in the post but that is to be expected for a solid anchor. The video said to use a 3 pound hammer but that was difficult. I actually used a splitting maul and improved the installation time. I will be buying more for a pergola project. Five Stars!!!!

R. Adams, Mt. Vernon, KY

Awesome

Awesome . Best post system I have ever used. Will never use another system. Much better than Simpson strong ties. Good price too. Package arrived in good time but was beaten up in transit.

Armando Cabrera - Roswell, GA

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