Screwed

This past weekend, I put together a 10’x10′ gazebo from Target. It’s pretty cool, but I am not sure how long it will last in the Texas sun. It came with tie-downs, but I wanted to secure it a bit better by fastening it directly to our patio. So, I went to Home Depot and bought some screws that are supposed to be for concrete, and also bought the drill bit that is specially made for it. It had a carbide tip and was the correct size for the screws. In fact, they sell the bit and screws as a set. Well, that drill bit lasted for just a little over one single hole in our patio. What a piece of crap. Maybe our patio is partially made out of diamond… I don’t know. I was planning on putting in 16 screws to hold down the gazebo, but only managed one hole with that drill bit. I figured that I would just put the one screw in, and then see about getting a different “better” bit. But when I was driving that screw in that was specifically designed for concrete, the screw broke, leaving a sharp metal stub exposed about 1/4″, perfect for mangling feet. Luckily, my vise-grip pliers were strong enough to get it out. I was so mad. I don’t recommend using Tapcon equipment. It’s crap.