12' to 15' metal posts (that I can bolt to cinderblock wall

[Losangeles]

Hi all

I'll be wanting to put sunshades above our Escape

one long side will be connected into hooks under our wooden eaves, etc

but the other long side is along our cinderblock property line wall. It is about 6' high.

The posts side will likely be the higher side, so the sunshades will be a bit sloped, as it is a 1 story building. To make sure the sunshades clear the HVAC unit....

I have no idea where to look, but i'm hoping to buy in California (LA ideally) some 12' to 15' metal posts that are very strong, not too heavy, and that I can bolt to the cinderblock wall ... to act as supports for the corners of the sunshade above the escape.

Yes the wall is more than strong enough.

Likely it'll be more than one sunshade, (it may end up being a bunch of big triangles) so multiple posts...... to spread out the stress.

Any ideas?

thanks.

[Brian B-P]

Without doing any structural analysis, what comes to mind are posts used for chain link fencing, plus brackets sold for those posts. Line posts are smaller in diameter; terminal posts are larger. 12-foot posts are certainly available, but maybe not 15-foot.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Without doing any structural analysis, what comes to mind are posts used for chain link fencing, plus brackets sold for those posts. Line posts are smaller in diameter; terminal posts are larger. 12-foot posts are certainly available, but maybe not 15-foot.

that is a very good idea Brian.

and

I was web surfing and this website had some specific ideas....

if i can get long enough posts, and depending on the height i need...

i should maybe / probably break the (old, not fancy) concrete driveway a just bit, just enough to sink the post into the ground a bit, then fill with concrete, just to gain some strength, maybe..... Hmmmmm wondering...

[arniesea]

Might I suggest that you use 3/4 EMT tubing used for electrical wiring available at any big box store. They are easy to cut and bend if need using a tubing bender. But more importantly, you can use them with canopy fittings available at several sites. Here is one example:
http://www.canopymart.com/canopy-fitting-selection.html

With a little imagination on a scratch pad, one can design a custom canopy in short order. Or in your case, sun shades. These fittings allow foot pads, corners and angles, plus diagonal joints if one needs to firm things up like a truss.

[Ron in BC]

Kinda tricky one to answer.

From your 12 to 15' comment I'm presuming that you want the bottom of the posts on the ground and then bolted to the wall top and bottom?

Even, as opposed to mounting them on top of the wall, that's a pretty long lever. I know, the wall's strong.

In this part of the woods erecting a 12 - 15' structure at the property line would probably be a no-no. Don't know about your local rules.

Metal posts; that's the easy part. You have stores called Metal Supermarkets. They can supply you with whatever size material you want and with various gages of wall thickness.

A lot depends on how much lateral load you put on them. Are the sunshade lines tensioned up or will they be allowed to "sag" thereby greatly reducing the lateral loading?

Ron

[Iowa Dave]

Top rail tubes around here in homeowner grade are typically 1 5/8
Inches in diameter and 21 Feet long. They connect with a coupler. I'd check your big box stores or a Local chain link fence dealer or Sears.
Dave

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Kinda tricky one to answer.

From your 12 to 15' comment I'm presuming that you want the bottom of the posts on the ground and then bolted to the wall top and bottom?

Even, as opposed to mounting them on top of the wall, that's a pretty long lever. I know, the wall's strong.

In this part of the woods erecting a 12 - 15' structure at the property line would probably be a no-no. Don't know about your local rules.

Metal posts; that's the easy part. You have stores called Metal Supermarkets. They can supply you with whatever size material you want and with various gages of wall thickness.

A lot depends on how much lateral load you put on them. Are the sunshade lines tensioned up or will they be allowed to "sag" thereby greatly reducing the lateral loading?

Ron

thanks for the good thoughts Ron.

Yup the plan was to have the posts start at the ground, and bolted along the way up.

Yup the plan was to have the sun shades loose-ish.

There is no snow, and hardly rain (plus they would be angled) so only the very occasional windy thunderstorm would be a stress.

Multiple smaller sunshades, with multiple posts, would further reduce the load on any one post. :-)

Oh fantastic - I had never heard of Metal Supermarket - but there is one in Anaheim, and that is reasonably close.....

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/anaheim/

I'll have to find out the difference in price between round tube and square tube...

[Ron in BC]

Yup, I know about the Anaheim store, I'd already checked it out.

If you can finds posts used for fencing in long enough lengths the plus would be that they're galvanized. The plus about Metal Supermarket is that they have long lengths and will cut them to the length you require but they're unfinished steel so they'd have to be painted.

I know, unlike here, it never rains in Southern California so maybe you don't have to paint them, I say dejectedly between breaks in torrential rains.

Ron

[padlin]

I had looked into the same although not for the trailer earlier this year. Came up with fence post pipes. Called a local sales/installer, a lot of folks use these pipes, they get them as 20'ers and will cut them to your specs. Came in galvanized and black if I recall correctly. The sail maker sold all the types of hooks you need.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by padlin

I had looked into the same although not for the trailer earlier this year. Came up with fence post pipes. Called a local sales/installer, a lot of folks use these pipes, they get them as 20'ers and will cut them to your specs. Came in galvanized and black if I recall correctly. The sail maker sold all the types of hooks you need.

Thanks for the thoughts...

yeah fence post pipes (galvanized) seem as if they'd be the best bang for the buck, and would work well.

I assume I'd just have to find the correct size Pipe Grip Ties?

Unsure of what outside diameter i'd end up with..... this looks galvanized, and suitable... as a pipe grip tie...

Simpson Strong-Tie PGT 2-3/8 in. O.D. Pipe Grip Tie-PGT2-R - The Home Depot