Best Way To Drill Into Concrete – Have you ever had to drill through concrete or brick? Well, if you own a home, I guarantee there will come a day when you need to hang something on your brick fireplace or hang something on the outside of your brick siding.
For so long I avoided drilling brick and concrete because it was one of those jobs that I thought was ‘too hard’ or required a lot of complicated tools, but lately I just couldn’t avoid it anymore.
Best Way To Drill Into Concrete
Our house has plastic shutters and one of the nails holding the exterior brick sheeting was broken. The blind was hanging on a nail from the windstorm that was blowing horizontally in front of our window. (I’m sure the neighbors were wondering why we left it hanging there for almost a week).
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The husband, who thought it would be difficult to even drill into the brick sheet, suggested (bless his heart) that we just “glue” instead. As if taping blinds to a broken nail sticking out of the brick is a permanent solution. HA!
Although drilling in masonry was something I had never done before, after getting my hands on a set of Bosch BlueGranite hammer drills that The Home Depot sent me to review, I realized that drilling in brick or concrete masonry is very easy and necessary. my toolbox only has the right bits and tools. There is nothing to fear and certainly nothing to avoid, as my husband and I did!
If you’re new to masonry drilling, the first question you’ll ask yourself is, “Can I use a regular drill to drill concrete or brick?”
When drilling a hole (usually in wood or drywall if you’re a homeowner), you need two things: a drill bit and a drill bit. The drill rotates the drill bit and as you drill with some force, the drill bit makes a hole in the wood, drywall, plastic or whatever material you are drilling.
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. Not only does it rotate the drill bit, it allows you to make a hole in the masonry, but also the hammer movement that allows the drill bit to sink.
Second, the drill bits you use to drill brick, stone, or concrete should be masonry drill bits, like Bosch’s concrete and brick drill bits called BlueGranite Turbo Carbide Drill Bits.
See how easy it was for me to start drilling the masonry!
If you’re like me and new to drilling concrete or brick, the easiest way is to use a drill. But before you do, you’ll want to have all of these items handy.
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As I mentioned earlier, you usually want to use a hammer drill or impact driver to drill through brick or concrete. But if you’re like most homeowners, you probably just have an ordinary drill. Many tool brands sell common power drill and hammer combos, keeping the cost lower than buying them separately. Check out our holiday deals and get a set!
If you don’t have an impact driver, try drilling into brick or concrete with a regular drill. Although it is not ideal, it is
If you are doing a larger job that requires concrete or brick or deeper holes, definitely invest in a hammer drill, it will make your job easier and faster. I’m surprised I don’t have a hammer drill! I definitely plan to add one to my collection soon!
I brought concrete pavers from my yard to dig. If you don’t have one nearby, go to Home Depot and pick up a practice cube. They are usually around $1-$2. You’ll want to practice drilling concrete or brick before attempting to drill concrete and brick around your home! Unless you “destroy” a brick, all is not lost. 😉 You also want to make sure the brick or concrete is secure. Use a clamp or anti-slip pad when drilling to prevent the masonry from twisting and moving.
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Before we talk about the size of the masonry drill, let’s talk about the pilot hole: why you need it and how to drill it.
When drilling wood, especially cedar (like I built these raised garden beds below), it’s a good idea to drill a hole slightly smaller than the screw you use. This guide hole allows the screw to slide more easily, providing sufficient resistance. The pilot hole protects the area. For example, cedars crack and split if you try to drive screws without pilot holes.
And while masonry won’t split and crack without a pilot hole, good luck trying to drive a screw. Create the pilot hole in the same way: use a masonry drill bit smaller than the screw you’ll be using.
A good rule of thumb is to keep track of the drill and screw you use and make sure the screw is thicker than the drill bit. Sometimes the screw package will tell you what size drill bit to use. But if not, hold them and make sure the drill is a little smaller. If necessary (and possible), make a test hole:
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Below you can see how I drilled a test hole in the brick to the size I thought would be suitable for the screw I was using. I later realized I needed a smaller drill bit size because the screw was too tight inside the hole.
If you’re using a regular drill like I did, you’ll notice that you need to put some pressure on the drill. Start slowly. You’ll notice that the carbide tip drills into the brick or concrete and pulls dust from the masonry as it drills to clean the hole.
It’s a good question. You want to drill as deep as you need to insert the screw. Wood is a little different in that you can drill 3/4 the length of the screw. But with masonry screws, you want to drill the length of the screw.
I went slow and careful and tried these BlueGranite masonry tips. This was the first time I literally drilled into bricks! Suddenly something that seemed so scary wasn’t so great. There’s always a first time for everything, right? 🙂
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Masonry screws are usually blue. Although I knew what they were, I had never drilled into brick or concrete, so I didn’t buy one until the shutter fell off the sheetrock of my house. I wasn’t sure what size to buy and bought 1-1/4″ and 2″ masonry screws.
You’ll see my little test hole on the left. Here’s what was too big. I drilled another hole in the can that was smaller. The masonry screw fits perfectly in the hole! Use a regular drill to tighten it with a screw.
Surprisingly, driving a screw into brick was as easy as driving a screw into wood. It went in easily, without as much resistance as I expected.
And as silly as it sounds, after driving my first screw into this brick, it felt so perfect! HA! He came out fine. I knew that after successfully drilling this brick, I was ready to tackle the plastic shutter hanging in my house.
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When I was comfortable enough with drilling brick, it was time to drill the sheet brick for my house. Before the nail was in the mortar, which was fine because the cap wasn’t too heavy. But in general, drilling a brick face is much stronger than drilling a mortar. I wanted to dig in there.
You will notice that I have tape on the BlueGranite masonry. The tape helps me know how deep to dig and reminds me when to stop digging. (Never mind all the spider puddles and debris behind my blinds!).
After drilling a pilot hole in the brick sheet, I put a masonry screw into the cap and into the brick. It went in smoothly and squeezed well! Talk about a sense of accomplishment. It’s the little things, I tell you. 🙂
If you’re looking to buy masonry drill bits, such as those for drilling into brick, stone, and concrete, you can find them at The Home Depot.
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I laugh at myself thinking how nervous I was going into the brickwork now. Now that that’s done, I’m thinking of other projects to use that masonry for
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