Aaaaaah! Concrete! What screws should I use to install a pull-up rig or squat rack into a concrete floor?

Got a concrete floor?

Almost everyone does.

Even if your floor has tile, wood, laminate, or carpet, if you are on the bottom floor of a building, you probably have a floor made of concrete under it all.

Concrete is amazing- one of the structural innovations that allows us to build amazing and cost-effective buildings.

But.... how do you install a freestanding pull-up rig or squat rack into a concrete floor?

Freestanding pull-up rig installed into a concrete floor

It's actually not that hard to install a freestanding pull-up rig into a concrete floor... if you have the right tools and hardware.

For tools, you need a hammer drill. (check out more pull-up rig installation tips here)

For hardware, you have two main choices:

  • Concrete wedge anchors
  • Concrete screw anchors

And there is a clear winner- use concrete SCREW anchors to install your pull-up rig, not concrete wedge anchors.

But let's look at what these anchors are and how they work, then we'll explain why concrete screw anchors are a better choice.

What are concrete wedge anchors and why would you use them for pull-up rig installation?

Concrete wedge anchors are bolts that go into a hole in concrete and when you screw down their nut, the anchors expand and grip against the sides of the hole.

They come in two main flavors- just a concrete wedge anchor, and a concrete wedge anchor with a sleeve.

Concrete wedge anchor types for pull-up rig installation into concrete

Both styles work in the same way. To install a pull-up rig using concrete wedge anchors:

  • Drill a hole into concrete
  • Use a mallet to hammer the concrete anchor in
  • Concrete wedge anchor installed into concrete - for pull-up rig installation
  • Put your pull-up rig upright over the anchor
  • Bolt down the pull-up rig. The action of bolting down the rig/anchor pulls the "wedge" part of the anchor up, which expands the ring or sleeve, fixing the anchor in place.
  • Concrete wedge anchor installed into concrete- expanded - for pull-up rig installation

What are concrete screw anchors and why would you use them for pull-up rig installation?

Concrete screw anchors look more like traditional screws.

Concrete screw anchor for pull-up rig installation into concrete

To install a pull-up rig using concrete screw anchors:

  • Drill a hole into concrete
  • Put your pull-up rig upright over the hole
  • Screw down the anchor(s). These anchors work like traditional screws- the threads grip the sides of the hole and hold the pull-up rig down to the ground

We suggest using concrete screw anchors to install pull-up rigs and squat racks to concrete flooring

Traditionally, pull-up rigs and squat racks were installed with concrete wedge anchors. We are switching all our pull-rigs and squat racks over to concrete screw anchors.

Concrete screw anchors are superior for pull-up rig and squat rack installation because:

  • The design is less intimidating to people who are not used to drilling/installing into concrete
  • Concrete wedge anchors leave a bit of screw thread sticking upwards after installation. This can be dangerous if someone falls on it. You can cut the thread down with a hacksaw/grinder and cover it with a plastic cap, but it still sticks up.
  • Concrete wedge anchors sticking out of a fully installed freestanding pull-up rig
  • If you do not drill a deep ("too deep") installation hole for concrete wedge anchors, then you cannot remove them once installed- you have to grind them down! On the other hand, you can easily unscrew concrete screw anchors.

So just use concrete screw anchors for pull-up rig and squat rack installation into concrete ;)

Has this post been helpful? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.


This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.