I am about to secure a 2-post Tripplite rack (http://www.tripplite.com/en/products...xtModelID=3208) to the fllor in our media closet. The holes in the bottom plates are 3/4" in diameter.

Am I better off doing 5/8" carriage bolts all the way through the hardwood and subfloor and securing the bolts with nuts from the basement or trying to reduce down the size of the hole diameter (find washers that will fit) and do a much smaller lag screw (3/8" or even 1/4") and just securing it into the hardwood and subfloor?

Never done one of these and the tripplite directions don't give me any pointers.

Thoughts?

 

I've only seen these installed commercially and I've never seen one that was secured from the bottom with nuts. As long as whatever you use is secure it won't go anywhere unless one of your kids decide that it's gym equipment.

 

BTW, you could secure the top to the wall with the help of some cable management rails, like in this pic...

 

Thanks, that helps. I think I am going to go with 4, 5/8" grade 8 carriage bolts, washers and nuts. May end up securing a 2x4 between the joists in the basement and lagging through that, too.

I wonder what was used to secure that two post to the floor.

 

Check this out
http://www.eaccu-tech.com/cabinets-r...-3-8-hardware/
http://www.accu-tech.com/Portals/544.../40604_cut.pdf

 

This sounds good to me. Unless you're filling the rack ceiling to floor with something ridiculously heavy like UPSes, this should be more than enough to secure it.

As a precaution you can also mount equipment in order of weight (within reason) so that the heaver stuff is lower, but I don't think you'll need to do that.

 

Do you have sufficient space to easily get behind the rack once it is in place and work comfortably? I typically opt for caster if the weight permits and have the ability to roll the rack out of the closet. If there is plenty of space to get behind, then not a problem. Typically, builders barely make the closet bigger then the rack so that is why I find I use the casters more often then not.

Here is an example of a rack we put in in which the closet was rather small. There was no way to get in the closet without rolling the rack out. It is important to leave long enough tails in prewire so you can make a nice harness that will allow you to easily pull the rack out.

 

Just realized you said two-post rack rather then a full rack. I assume then that you definitely have enough room to get behind. If you don't mind drilling through your floor, then it will be the most secure. I will still consider securing to the wall at the top as well. Is this the closet you posted pics of in which I was asking about the power outlet on the same wall?

 

Plenty of room and it is the same room.

 

wow you guys go hardcore with the rack.......
I just picked up a 19" rack from our LAN room. We downsized, & had a spare & no room for it so I took it home. Deciding what to do with it. It's a full size 19" rack.

 

A few pics... I'll take better ones once I'm done. Final work on Monday with all the Control4 stuff finally getting installed. We'll see how this turns out.

 

Still a spaghetti mess, but it's coming along. C4 stuff got in yesterday, still a bunch of items to resolve, should be mostly if not completely done this Saturday.

 

Updates?

 

What are you connecting with all those wires?

 

It's all in and done. I need to take pics, but been busy.

 

Anything and everything that can take an IP address. TVs, computers, all my control4 gear, audio, video... blah... blah... blah...

 

So you've hardwired everything in the house. That sounds like a lot of work!

 

Well, I paid someone...

Essentially they put a network jack everywhere. Behind each TV. Several in each bedroom, pulled extra cable up to the attic, etc. While neither of my kids have a TV nor a computer in their room, at some point they will. And who knows what else will come down the pipe.