Safety cover anchors and tubes

[imintrouble]

I recently had my pool surround redone in concrete pavers and i removed all of the old anchors and anchor tubes from the surround. The anchor tubes i had were rusting so they must have been some sort of steel. It turns out i didn't realize how much the anchor tubes would cost to replace and now i need some help. I purchased a merline smartmesh cover that came with 29 merlin brand anchors. Merlin anchor tubes seem to be very pricey. I need help with the following questions:

Are Merlin and Loop-loc anchors the same exact size and configuration so that i can use a Loop-loc branded tube with a Merline branded anchor?

do i have any other options other than anchor tubes for my safety cover in a concrete paver surround?

Does anyone know of a cheaper brand or option for an anchor tube other than loop-loc or merlin? recommendations on where to find?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[X-PertPool]

this is from the description of the dealer section of looploc.com

Pipe (For anchor-in-pipe installations)
Loop-Loc Anchors exactly fit 1" diameter pipe.

they retail for about $7.56 a pipe

Are the pavers cemented in place? If so you don't need pipes.

Anyways if the pavers are small (one foot in size or smaller). then you are supposed to drill in the corners where the pavers meet each other. If they are giant pavers then you can drill in the center.

 

[JamesW]

The inside diameter of the anchor pipe is 3/4-inch. The outside diameter of the pipe is 1-inch for the Loop-Loc pipe and 7/8-inch for the Merlin pipe. You can use any pipe with a 3/4 inch inside diameter. I would suggest brass, stainless steel or other such non-corrosive material.

You want a thick walled pipe for strength. You should take an anchor with you to make sure that it fits securely in the pipe. The ridges of the anchor casing can be sanded down if necessary if the fit is close, but a little tight.

For all of the time and trouble you will go through, you're probably better off using the anchor pipes that are made for the anchors.

I would not use a hammer drill on pavers. I would use a core drill diamond hole saw.

Edited to remove reference to using stakes.

 

[bk406]

Use a hammer drill or better yet a rotary hammer. A diamond hole saw is over kill and not needed, IMO. Drill between the pavers in the joints, not through the center. Dont put the anchor in pipe outside the paver deck. Thats not the way the install is recomended. While you can install a safety cover DYI, IMO I would hire a pro who has done them before, and installed them on pavers. They know what they are doing. The key here is "safety". A pro installer can put one in the correct way and you will have peace of mind knowing its done right.

 

[imintrouble]

I'm glad to hear they are the same size anchors. Going to buy the loop loc tubes since they are the cheapest unless anyone can mention a less expensive brand. I'm not worries about the install. 32-36 in from coping edge and drill in between bricks. Thanks for the posts. Any other suggestions are appreciated. I'm not closing the pool for a few weeks.

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

Add a 2' long piece of #5 rebar in the hole first. Much stronger under slow load conditions.

Scott