Drilling. Reinforcement met. How to drill it correctly?

How to drill concrete: tools, preparation, process technology

The need to hang a chandelier, install wall cabinets, a socket, etc., sooner or later arises in the life of every owner of a living space.
Considering that concrete columns, floors and ceilings are quite common in modern apartments, it may turn out that the fasteners have to be mounted on a concrete structure. If you are “lucky”, then it is quite natural to wonder how to drill concrete? Concrete is one of the most durable building materials today. However, its strength in this case is the main problem, since it is not possible to drill reinforced concrete without specialized equipment and relevant knowledge. At the same time, calling specialists to form several small-sized holes will cost you a disproportionately large amount.

Drilling a wall with a hammer drill: photo

If you want to save money, then it would be quite reasonable to think about solving this problem yourself. Despite the obvious complexity, the right approach and strict adherence to the technological part of the process will help you achieve a high-quality result. This article will provide you with detailed instructions on how to drill concrete with your own hands.

How to choose a drill for drilling reinforcement in concrete?

The initial characteristic is the diameter of the hole, as well as the shape of the landing part. In this case, the drill is always designed for one-sided drilling, since for concrete surfaces it is almost impossible to align the axes of two holes that are drilled from opposite sides of the slab, wall or block.

How to drill reinforcement in concrete? In one pass, it is usually possible to obtain holes in the reinforcement if the maximum diameter of the cavity does not exceed 10...12 mm; in all other cases, preliminary drilling is performed first, and then reaming.

The choice of the size of the impact drill decides a lot. The disadvantage of a rotary hammer is that it sharply increases the level of vibration, and this will negatively affect the accuracy of the resulting hole. Considering that reinforced concrete has no plasticity, this circumstance will “help” break a hole or break off a piece of concrete along with under-drilled reinforcement.

Do I need to use a core or a bit? Experts think so. In addition, an impact drill with a rebar drill must be installed on a massive stand (or a tripod - when making vertical holes in the ceiling).

The best quality is obtained from hollow drill cores for reinforced concrete. They penetrate into the foundation only along the perimeter of the bit, leaving a cylindrical volume of concrete inside the tool. This piece is removed after drilling or periodically broken into pieces to ensure smooth operation of the drill. Drilling reinforcement in this way can be dry or wet (the second is preferable).

The main feature of this probe is that you do not need to touch bare wires with it, as we did in the article Live Wires, but simply bring it to a concrete wall, and if the indicator on the probe lights up, then there is a wire running nearby in that place and you need to drill very carefully.

Watch a video on working with such a probe, it is also called “Hidden Wiring Detector”:

While drilling you hit a piece of wood

Sometimes, strange as it may seem, you can find wooden blocks inside concrete walls. If, when drilling a concrete wall, you hit a piece of wood, then the situation is similar to the situation when you hit reinforcement. Simply change the drill from a concrete drill to a wood drill.

Here the case is simpler, because the wood is soft and you will drill through the block very quickly. How to understand that it is a piece of wood? Firstly, the drill will also stop quickly going into the concrete. Secondly, there will be a specific sound, different from the sound of drilling concrete and clanging on metal in the case of reinforcement. Thirdly, when intensively drilling, as they say, in one place, you may smell a burning smell (the wood will become very hot from the drill).

To get acquainted with this sound and these sensations, just try drilling a wooden block with a hammer drill and you will understand everything.

Special drill for drilling reinforced concrete

If you have to drill a reinforced concrete structure, then it is recommended to purchase a special drill for reinforced concrete, which was developed by the German company Bosch. This drill is called ProDiager, with which you can drill concrete with reinforcement inside.

The advantages of using such a nozzle include:

• Possibility to drill holes up to 20 mm in diameter
• Resistant to work with 1000 holes
• Eliminates the need to purchase additional drill bits for rebar

Drills for concrete hammer drills are equipped with a monoblock head from ULTIMAX, made of carbide material. Using this design, you can not only drill reinforced concrete, but also perform this work at high speed. Reinforced concrete drills effectively cope with rebar, stone, granite and other high-strength materials.

Reinforced concrete attachments have a special SDS-plus shank design, which allows them to be used in conjunction with conventional hammer drills. Bosch has also developed special rebar drills used on rotary hammers. Such drills are available in diameters from 16 to 32 mm, and the depth of the resulting holes ranges from 120 to 300 mm. The disadvantage of such nozzles is that they are quite expensive, so this is not the best option for getting one hole.

To summarize, it must be said that drilling the reinforcement found in concrete is not an easy task, but it is quite possible. To do this, first make sure that deformation of the reinforcement will not result in damage to the concrete base. Try to move away from the reinforcement, thereby obtaining a crooked hole into which you can install a dowel and screw in a screw. If you need to make a straight hole, but metal is in the way, then you should drill it with special drills. These drills are tens of times more efficient than conventional metal bits, but they must only be used in non-impact drilling mode.

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You've almost drilled to the required depth and you can't go any further.

Almost - this means, for example, for a depth of 5 cm you underdrilled 5 mm. Then you hit something. There are rare cases when you come up against something major, for example, some hard monolithic cobblestone that cannot really be drilled out or crushed in any way.

If the self-tapping screw on which you are going to hang the structure does not have strict load requirements, then try taking the same self-tapping screw, but 5 mm shorter, and simply cut the dowel, which is not fully inserted into the hole and sticks out with a small end, with a construction knife. as shown in the picture:

Next, just take a self-tapping screw that is 5 mm shorter and screw it into the trimmed dowel. This is not a very good practice, but sometimes there are situations when nothing else can be done and then this is the way out!

Drilling technology for reinforced concrete reinforcement or what you need to know about it

What can be difficult in the process of drilling reinforced concrete? If an impact drill or hammer drill is chosen to implement the task, then coping with the process will not be difficult. However, according to statistics, very often when drilling reinforced concrete slabs, a drill or drill comes across reinforcement. What to do in this case?

1. You can move some distance away from this place and make a new hole. The probability that no reinforcement will be found in the new location is 50%
2. Continue drilling into the metal with a concrete drill. If the diameter of the reinforcement is small, then it is quite possible to get a positive result. If the reinforcement is thick enough, then it will not be possible to drill it with a regular drill or concrete drill. The cutting part of the drill tipped with carbide material will overheat as a result of friction with the metal, which will lead to a rapid dulling of the edge of the nozzle
3. Take a metal drill and drill through the metal. After this, continue working with a concrete drill. This is the most popular method, but has some disadvantages

Drilling reinforcement in concrete is easy in theory, but when it comes to practice, you have to try more than one method and ruin more than one drill in order to achieve the required result. In this article we will find out which method of drilling metal in concrete is the most effective and reliable, and which methods will lead to new problems.

First, let's look at the features of proper drilling of such a durable material as reinforced concrete.

1. The first step is to apply markings to the surface of the material being drilled.
2. Use personal protective equipment to prevent a person from receiving injuries or other damage.
3. If a hole is being drilled in a residential area, then in order to prevent the occurrence of dust, it is recommended to cover the working area with plastic film or use special attachments connected to a construction vacuum cleaner
4. It is necessary to drill concrete with reinforcement using special drills made of hard alloys. Such drills contain a minimum amount of cobalt, and the hardness on the Rockwell scale is not lower than 90 HRC
5. Initially, you need to select a drill with a diameter that matches the required size of the hole in the wall
6. To work with reinforced concrete, you will need to use an impact drill or hammer drill. If you need to drill through thick concrete completely, then for such purposes it is better to use a hammer drill
7. Use the stopper on the tool to drill the hole to the appropriate depth. If there is no limiter, then measure the depth of the hole using the drill and mark it with electrical tape
8. The drill must be selected according to its length with a margin. If you need to drill a hole 100 mm deep, then you must choose a drill whose length must be at least 120 mm

With the advent of hammer drills, drilling concrete has become such a simple process that today no effort is required to implement it. Difficulties arise only when reinforcement is encountered in the surface of the concrete being drilled. If you continue to drill metal with a drill into concrete, then nothing will come of it, unless you use a state-of-the-art, expensive diamond-coated attachment. To drill through reinforcement found in a concrete structure, you must first select the appropriate nozzle.

Features of drilling holes

Concrete is a heterogeneous mass that consists of cement and sand with crushed stone mixed into it. To increase the strength of the material, metal rods are added to it.

When drilling concrete, a carbide drill attached to an electric drill often hits metal or a stone. If the tool hits a stone, the drill must be pulled out of the hole, and the stone must be crushed using a hand punch with a hammer. After this, drilling can continue.

Tip: To crush stone, you should use the shock operating mode of the equipment, replacing the carbide drill with a regular one.

Before you drill a hole in concrete, you need to choose the right tool. It depends on the:

1. Types of concrete;
2. Diameter of the required hole;
3. Drilling depths.

To drill holes in concrete, the following devices and tools can be used:

• Electric drill or hammer drill;
• Crown;
• Boer;
• Drill;
• Punch.

Tool overview

In order to choose the right equipment for drilling holes in concrete, you should first become familiar with the most popular ones for doing work at home.

Their photos and features:

It is better if it is impact; drilling holes in concrete with a simple drill is quite difficult, and sometimes even impossible.

The table summarizes the pros and cons of the tool:

This is a more serious tool for drilling holes in reinforced concrete, having a variety of sizes and powers. It is usually used for drilling holes by professional builders and for laying utility lines.

The table summarizes the pros and cons of the tool:

This is modern technology. The equipment allows you to make holes not only in concrete, but also in reinforced concrete, which contains reinforcement and granite crushed stone. A special feature of this technology is the cooling of the diamond bit and the removal of sludge with water.

With diamond drilling, you can get a perfectly smooth through hole without damage or chips at its entrance and exit.

The table summarizes the pros and cons of the tool:

Some practical tips

Different types of artificial stone such as concrete have their own recommendations for drilling holes in it.

• If the main equipment for drilling concrete is a hammer drill, it is worth keeping in mind that this is only suitable for concrete with increased density. For cellular structures such as foam concrete, it is better to use an electric drill with the hammer function turned off. Otherwise, there is a risk of cracks forming in the material;

Advice: There is no point in purchasing a special hammer drill for drilling cellular concrete, the price of which is much higher than an electric drill.

• To prevent the breakdown of an expensive tool during the drilling process, it is necessary to strictly observe the basic rule - the longitudinal axis of the equipment must be strictly perpendicular to the concrete surface;
• When drilling holes, an indispensable device is a “punch”. This is an elongated metal trihedron with high hardness, on which there is a pointed end on one side, and on the other there is a handle that helps to hold the tool in the hand.

The need for a punch is as follows:

1. When preparing the solution, a gravel or crushed stone aggregate is used. When drilling holes, the tool often rests against such fractions, slips, and does not move further. In this case, you should insert a punch into the channel made in the wall and hit it thoroughly with a hammer to crush the “pebble” and then resume drilling.
2. When applying significant forces that are necessary to split such a barrier using the impactor effect, there is a high risk of damaging the tip of the tool - diamond coating or will win.
3. The cost of a punch is much lower than a drill. And if it becomes dull, you can easily return the working part of the part to its previous shape using an ordinary file.

Tip: A punch must be available when drilling a hole in a concrete surface

Execution technology

We have dealt with the need and the difficulties that arise, now we will look at how to properly drill a concrete wall.

Tool selection

First of all, let's decide what to drill into a concrete wall. Drills for wood and concrete, of course, are not suitable.

You can choose from the following options:

Drills tipped from Pobedit. But it should be borne in mind that in addition to rotation, a shock function will also be required.

But the question of how to drill into a concrete wall is not limited to the choice of consumables.

You also need to decide on the tool:

• Regular drill. Only if you don’t have anything more suitable and you only need to make 2-3 holes. And in this case, from time to time you will have to pierce the concrete layer with a steel pin with your own hands.
• Drill with impact function. It will cope with a small amount of work even if the diameter of the required holes does not exceed 13 mm. The fact is that the impact in such a device is carried out due to a metal “ratchet”, which wears out quite quickly under intense load.

Impact electric drill

Hammer. It can handle large volumes and can even use special nozzles in the form of crowns, which are ideal for drilling nests for sockets. In it, the impact is carried out due to the piston system, which is much more powerful and less likely to fail than the “ratchet” of a drill.

Hammer with "crown"

The following generalized table will help to summarize and give a final answer to the question of what is the best way to drill concrete walls:

Carrying out work

Now let's figure out how to drill a concrete wall. To do this, let's take a hammer drill as a clear winner of impromptu competitions.

The instructions for its operation are as follows:

1. We check the shaft shaft for debris. If we find one, we delete it.
2. Insert the drill until it clicks. In this case, in some models it may be necessary to pull the slider part of the “nose” of the tool towards you.
3. We bring the hammer drill to the concrete surface strictly perpendicularly and begin to drill, lightly pressing on it.

Drilling a concrete wall with a hammer drill

1. During the drilling process, the drill may get stuck. In this case, you should not try to loosen it in order to pull it out, as you may break off the tip. Simply remove the tool from the device, insert a drill of a smaller diameter and try to use it to widen the hole and free the captive product.
2. Monitor the equipment while allowing it to cool.

How to drill into a concrete wall

Some finishing work, for example, fixing metal profiles for installing plasterboard slabs, requires drilling a large number of holes in a load-bearing concrete wall. Drilling holes in concrete is also required when installing hanging furniture or an air conditioner. The difficulty of drilling lies, firstly, in the fact that concrete has high strength and is difficult to process, and secondly, concrete panels are not uniform in composition; they contain metal reinforcement, crushed stone and a cement-sand mixture, which makes work difficult. Before drilling concrete, you need to purchase special drills with carbide tips. The screw part of the drill and its shank are made of tool steel. The working cutting part is a plate of carbide material sharpened at an angle of sixty degrees, sealed into a groove on the cutting part of the drill.

The carbide tip is very hard and brittle, therefore, when drilling through holes, it is necessary that the tip is not subjected to strong impacts. In addition, at high temperatures in the cutting zone, the solder securing the carbide insert may lose strength and the drill will fail. Therefore, when drilling, the cutting part should be cooled with water. Of course, an experienced master will answer that the concrete needs to be drilled with a hammer drill. Indeed, this tool is excellent. How to properly drill concrete is suitable for this purpose, primarily because it has a chiselling function, thanks to which it can easily cope with drilling holes in hard materials, including concrete. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to buy the most expensive and multifunctional hammer drill, since even the cheapest and simplest model can make a hole in concrete.

In addition to a hammer drill, an impact drill can handle concrete. It copes well with lightweight concrete or brick, but it is not always capable of drilling into hard concrete load-bearing walls. In addition, it has a relatively small impact amplitude, which is why when drilling concrete you will have to put considerable effort into the drill. It is also worth noting that an impact drill is not suitable for intensive, long-term work. The large loads experienced by this tool when drilling hard concrete can cause sudden failure if the drill is used for these purposes for a long time. It should be noted that the option with an impact drill is best suited for small amounts of work. To drill a concrete wall in this way, you do not need additional equipment or tools. To do this, it is enough to switch the operation of the drill from normal rotational to impact-rotational mode. In cases where you have to drill into a wall made of particularly strong material, it is recommended to use a hammer drill.

Safety glasses When drilling concrete, do not forget about safety precautions; be sure to use safety glasses. Drilling concrete using this device has a number of advantages compared to an impact drill. A drill inserted into a hammer drill chuck bites into the wall more easily and with less loss than a drill bit. Thus, armed with a hammer drill, we will drill through concrete much faster.

This result is achieved by several factors. First of all, of the two indicated electromechanical tools, the hammer drill is the device with the greater power. At the same time, its chuck rotates at a lower speed than the drill chuck, however, the hammer blows produced by the electro-pneumatic mechanism have greater force, due to which it drills the wall faster and easier.

In addition, the amplitude of translational movements of the drill in a hammer drill is quite large due to the impulse of a special striker, which is struck by an electro-pneumatic mechanism, and it does not depend on human efforts. The same indicator for an impact drill is much more modest, since the impact movements of the drill are ensured by the interaction of special ratchets with small teeth. In addition, for better drilling, the installer has to exert considerable physical effort by pressing on the drill.

On the other hand, the combination of the high rotation speed of the impact drill chuck with the minimal size of the ratchet teeth leads to their rapid wear. With more or less regular work on concrete, an impact drill soon begins to behave like a regular metal drill. Therefore, if you often have to do repair and construction work, it is better to opt for a more expensive, but also more reliable and durable hammer drill. One method is used for small household jobs. If you need to make a large number of holes, it is better to use the diamond drilling technique. This method is fast and effective, allowing you to make neat holes. However, it requires special equipment: a drilling rig and diamond segments.

A little about the structure of the drill and installation of the drill

A classic drill consists of a power cable, a button, a capacitor wire, a reverse, brushes and springs, an armature, a stator, a gearbox and a chuck, bearings, a key and mounting screws. A correctly inserted drill improves the quality of drilling and can make it safer.

The first thing you should check when starting to work with a drill is whether there is any contamination on the drill itself. A rag will be an excellent assistant in cleaning drills. If the drill is loosely secured, there is a risk that it will fly out and injure the technician. Accordingly, it is necessary to immerse the drill as much as possible into the chuck (all the way!).

It is important to ensure that the drill in the tool is secured strictly along the axis. If this rule is not followed, drilling in concrete will be performed poorly, the shape of the hole may be unpredictable, and the cause of all these misunderstandings will be the elementary effect of drill beating

Some useful tips

• If a hole is being prepared for a plastic dowel, the hole should be drilled slightly larger than the length of the dowel itself, so that the dust remaining after work does not interfere with the correct placement of the dowel.
• It is correct to start drilling with low speeds - in this case, the drill will not jump on the surface, and when the hole reaches a sufficient depth, you can increase the speed, or switch the tool to impact mode.
• Over time, the chuck begins to hold the drills worse and in this case they need to be replaced. If you neglect this rule, the quality of work will be much lower, and you will also be putting yourself at risk.
• When drilling, do not forget to wet the drill with cold water - this will help protect it from breakage, and using special glasses will help you avoid concrete dust getting into your eyes.
• By placing a plastic cup on the drill, you will avoid such troubles as dust flying around the work surface, on your clothes, hair and face.
• If you work in accordance with the recommendations of the drill manufacturer, choose the right place to drill in the wall, do not make the mistakes listed above and follow safety precautions, then drilling a concrete wall will not be difficult for you.

How to work correctly?

Drilling through a concrete wall is difficult, but with the right tools and certain skills anyone can handle this task. The main thing is to follow all safety precautions and operating rules for the hammer drill. Beginners should take a number of points into account when working.

• Holes can only be drilled on pre-prepared concrete surfaces. They must be cleaned of dirt, loose layers and oil stains. In loose concrete, you should first expand the point for the future hole. This is necessary so that the drill does not move in different directions and does not slip. Expansion is usually done using a self-tapping screw or a large nail.
• The device should be operated in a perpendicular position to the concrete floor. Otherwise, the drill bit may break when drilling holes.
• When hammer drilling, you need to switch operating modes in a timely manner. For drilling, you should enable the “drilling” option, and for “beating” concrete, you should enable the “impact” option.

• During operation, the hammer drill and attachments should be given a short cooling time. Therefore, it is recommended to take short breaks of 15 minutes. In addition, periodic cooling with water will help protect drills from overheating.
• To drill concrete, you must also have a hammer or triangular punch on hand. This will be useful if crushed stone and reinforcement . Metal elements are most often processed with a metal drill, but crushed stone can only be removed using a punch.
• You can easily drill holes in a solid concrete wall using a simple hammer drill
  without impact mode. To do this, during the work process you will have to periodically insert a punch, hit it with a hammer and carefully turn it in the hole, then continue drilling.

For such work, it is important to have a drill made of carbide.

• The workplace should be kept clean, so after each drilling, dust and concrete chips should be removed from the hole. If this is not done, the contamination will interfere with the operation of the drill, and the process will be delayed. Dust can be removed either with a brush or a vacuum cleaner.
• Sometimes the drill bit can get stuck. In this case, it cannot be loosened. The nozzle is carefully disconnected from the hammer drill, then the largest drill bit is taken and the tip that is stuck is freed. In this case, you must try not to touch it.
• In concrete surfaces, holes should be made 10 mm larger than the intended dowels. Thanks to this, they will fit better into the ceiling.

Choosing a tool and working with it

When choosing a tool to drill a hole, you should understand that your work depends on it. A good drill accurately drills into a concrete wall or other required material, simplifying the drilling process, while a bad one will require a lot of time, may not cope with the task, or will complicate it

What you need to pay attention to when choosing a drill:

• Is it possible to change the drilling speed? – this point is important, since correction of the speed mode will ensure accurate operation of the drill, helping it not to damage the surface.
• Is it possible to hammer drill and adjust the depth? – impact drilling can be used on problem areas, softening them.
• Is it possible to hold the drill with both hands? – a drill is not a light tool and therefore preference should be given to models that are equipped with handles.
• Is the tool's power sufficient for your job?

Having decided on a drill, before starting work you need to get the hang of holding it. To do this, you should take the drill in one hand, like a pistol, and place the other hand on the handle of the tool (if it is not intended by the design, the hand is placed near the chuck). It is necessary to hold the drill in your hands strictly horizontally, so that the hole does not turn out distorted or at the wrong angle. Wait until the drill reaches ambient temperature before turning on the drill. Sudden temperature changes can cause condensation. If you decide to rest while working, unplug the tool.

Pobedite bit for drilling

These are the most versatile and at the same time cheapest crowns. Cheapness, coupled with a sufficient working resource, makes this type of crown the most popular among other types when it comes to performing a small amount of work. This is where we will focus. The design is very simple, hence the main parameter - reliability. The main element is the “cup”; this is what you should pay attention to when purchasing products. When changing crowns, it becomes possible to select the required drilling depth. Therefore, if you need to drill a hole in depth with a crown, then it is best to choose more massive crowns. There are special (professional) crowns, they are very strong, but their price is expectedly higher. But even with a simple household tool you can make very precise cuts, but you must comply with the permissible amount of work, otherwise there is a high risk of early wear of the pobedite bit.

Pobedite bits are designed exclusively for dry drilling and should not be watered at all. The material does not tolerate sudden temperature changes very well. It is also necessary to know for sure whether there is steel reinforcement in the building’s structure; if so, then you need to work extremely carefully, and moreover, there is a risk of breaking the crown. If you are sure that there is definitely no reinforcement, then you can safely move on to the second part of your work, namely direct drilling.

Let's proceed from the fact that there is no reinforcement in the house, and we naturally choose pobedite crowns. They are very cheap (relatively speaking) and are ideal for small-scale work.

Which attachments to choose?

Before drilling a hole in a concrete wall, you need to select a nozzle of the appropriate design. The following types are used for work:

1. Impact-type toothed bits designed for drilling. When working with concrete, it is recommended to use varieties made from individual soldering teeth, made from the most durable metal alloys. Many bits are equipped with SDS tails for installation in a drill with a keyless chuck. Drills are well suited for concrete walls, however, upon contact with metal they can begin to collapse, so before drilling into a reinforced concrete wall, you need to check that there is no reinforcement used for reinforcement at the work site.
2. Diamond bits, which are designed for hammerless drilling of holes. Such nozzles are more modern; with their help, it is easier to make a hole in a concrete wall. The edge of the crowns has an abrasive structure and special cutouts; during production it is processed by spraying diamond chips or corundum. Before making a hole in the wall, you only need to select the desired length of the nozzle: in everyday life, varieties with a diameter of up to 100-120 mm are used, in professional work larger crowns are used. A distinctive feature is the ability to drill without the risk of damaging the fixture with fittings.
3. KS-crowns, which have a cutting edge with crystalline diamond particles. These bits are used for most hard walls, including drilling into concrete slabs, exterior walls and masonry structures.

Before drilling into a load-bearing wall or partition, you need to make sure that wires or cables, if any, will not be touched during the work.

General recommendations

Drilling load-bearing walls and partitions made of concrete is not an easy task. To complete the intended work quickly and efficiently, you need to know some secrets and tricks . It also wouldn’t hurt to listen to the opinions of experienced craftsmen who advise:

• Use a concrete drill to work with the same material, as well as stone and ceramics. They are absolutely not suitable for metal and wood.
• Drill steel reinforcement found in the wall using only a metal drill, and then change it again to a concrete drill.
• Break hard stones in concrete manually using a sledgehammer or using an old drill for this purpose.
• Monitor the condition of the nozzle when working with hard concrete. It should not overheat, so you need to take breaks every 10 minutes.
• To maintain the integrity of the wall on the reverse side, you sometimes need to slow down.
• You can drill ceramic tiles using a concrete drill, but do not press the drill too hard so as not to split the finishing material.

By following these recommendations, you can drill a hole in a concrete wall without any problems. Thus, you will be able to save not only time, but also your own efforts.

The better to drill

As already mentioned, there are several ways to drill through a concrete wall; let’s look at each of them in more detail.

Hammer

When using a hammer drill or impact drill, they must be switched to impact mode, a working tool with a pobedite tip is inserted and it must be directed perpendicular to the wall surface.

If drilling holes takes a long time, then periodically you need to wet the drill so that it does not overheat too much.

After you have drilled to the required depth, you must pull the working tool back without turning off the hammer drill. To clean the finished hole from dust, you need to deepen and pull out the drill several times.

A regular drill or screwdriver

If you do not have the tools described above, then this work can be done using a conventional electric drill or a powerful screwdriver.

Drilling will take more time than using a hammer drill, but you can do it yourself.

In this case, in addition to a drill and a drill bit, you will also need a punch. First, a small depression is made at the drilling site using a punch and a hammer.

After this, they insert the working tool into it and begin to drill. If the drill stops, break the hard areas again with a punch and continue working.

Although a regular electric drill or screwdriver is not suitable for working with concrete, if you don’t have a hammer drill, you can make several small holes with these tools, but you need to use a spear-shaped drill with a carbide tip, usually used for tiles.

Diamond drilling

This is the most effective way to quickly and easily make a hole of the required diameter in a concrete wall.

To perform the above work, you will need special equipment consisting of the following elements:

1. electric motor;
2. a stand that is securely fixed to the base;
3. core drill.

There is no need to cool the drill during operation, as water is supplied to it, which not only cools the tool, but also prevents dust from forming.

If specialists work, then together with the specified equipment they use a vacuum cleaner, with which they remove dust and water.

Since the price of such equipment is very high, it is not advisable to buy it for domestic use. If it is necessary to make a hole of a large diameter, you can always invite specialists for this.

Practical advice from experts

It is important to use tools and equipment correctly. A set of drills with different performance characteristics is prepared. Concrete walls are lined with wood, tiles, and stone, for which you will need different drills. Before work, make sure that there is no wiring under the plaster at the drilling site.

Before drilling, pay attention to important points:

• for holes deeper than 10 cm and with a diameter greater than 12 mm, use a hammer drill;
• work begins at reduced speed, the impact function is turned on when the rod deepens by 5 mm;
• holes for dowels are drilled 10 mm longer than the plastic body.

If the drill bit gets stuck while going deeper, it is removed and the hole is drilled with a punch to break the encountered stone and move further.

Diamond drills are more expensive than pobedit drills and are used only without the inclusion of an impact mechanism. They need to be cooled every 10 minutes; this must be done without water, only in air.

Working with a drill

How to drill a wall correctly
Draw a cross on the concrete wall, indicating the drilling point; this mark will serve as a guide for you in the future. Take the tool in your hands, grasping the main and additional handles (if there is one), and install it perpendicular to the wall, placing a slight emphasis on the mark with the drill. If the drill has a rotation speed setting, set the minimum speed in advance (if there are no settings, the first presses of the start button should be short and intermittent). We drill a hole of 3–5 mm. A small indentation will make further work with the drill easier. You'll spend a little time, but it's better than drilling into a concrete wall and relying on your innate precision.

When subsequently drilling into a concrete wall, pay attention to:

• focusing the weight on the tool;
• drill rotation speed;
• frequency of pressing.

Only professionals with extensive experience know how to drill a wall without mistakes. In our case, we need to try to follow their advice and repeat everything the first time with minimal errors.

So, after making the marks, we proceed to drilling the main hole:

Pobedite drill bit for concrete

Having placed the drill in the prepared “notch”, we press the start button, exerting slight pressure on the tool. After diving the drill a little into the concrete wall, stop and evaluate the result. Next, turn on the shock mode and at a confident pace with a gradual increase in the speed of revolutions, move to the specified depth

It is important to hold the tool fairly firmly to maintain a stable perpendicular position for comfortable drilling into a concrete wall. But remember that due to the heterogeneity of the material, the drill can suddenly slip or plunge, so in order not to break it, constantly monitor the pressure force. Interrupt work periodically to prevent the tool from overheating, this will avoid premature wear.

Do not forget to also remove the drill, freeing the hole from concrete chips.

How to drill a wall

A better tool than a hammer drill for drilling holes in brick and concrete walls has not yet been invented. But rarely does anyone have the luxury of having such an expensive tool on their household. Usually buy an electric impact drill.

Drill selection

When purchasing an electric drill, you need to be guided by the following technical characteristics.

The power of the drill must be at least 600 W. Revolutions up to 2500 per minute and the ability to smoothly adjust them from zero to maximum. The presence of reverse rotation (switch for the direction of rotation of the drill clockwise or counterclockwise). The best chuck is a quick-release chuck; you won’t have to waste time clamping drills and constantly searching for a lost key. The diameter of drills clamped in the chuck is up to 12 mm.

The presence of a switchable hammer drilling function. Of course, when this function is enabled, the drill will not become a full-fledged hammer drill, but drilling walls will be much easier and faster, and here’s why. Brick, cement and concrete withstand static load - pressure very well. But they are easily destroyed by dynamic influences - impact. Karatekas, with a strong blow, easily break a brick in two with the edge of their palm. When drilling with a drill without a hammer function, there is simply pressure from the drill and it is difficult for the cutting edge to catch on to the material, so drilling is slow and the drill becomes very hot due to friction. Drilling with impact is completely different. Upon impact, the drill punctures a part of the material with its cutting edge, and, falling with an impact into the formed recess, breaks off a portion of particles of the material. Something similar to chiseling is happening.

Drill selection

Walls made of wood, plasterboard, and foam concrete can be successfully drilled with an ordinary drill. For walls made of brick, stone or concrete, you need a carbide drill. It differs from steel by cutting edges made of carbide material welded onto a regular drill, usually Pobeda. Less commonly, artificial diamond.

The pobedite insert is clearly visible at the end of the top drill. It is enough to have 2 Pobedit drills with a diameter of 6 and 8 mm on the farm.

Using drills with pobedite surfacing, you can drill a hole no more than 10-15 cm deep. For drilling to greater depths, for example, to drill through a wall, use a drill. Drills for drilling brick and concrete walls are up to one meter long and are designed for drilling holes only with a hammer drill. Even the cutting edges of the drill are made not sharp, but rounded to increase their wear resistance. A drill with a hammer function can also be successfully drilled with a drill.

Drills come with a shank diameter of 10 and 18 mm, with special grooves of the SDS+ or SDS-max standard for fastening, but they also clamp well in a regular jaw chuck. The standard and diameter of the drill are stamped on its shank.

If you need to drill through a thick wall, for example half a meter, then the passage is carried out in several stages with drills of the same diameter, but of different lengths. This is necessary for safety and faster drilling. First, drill the wall with a 20 cm long drill to a depth of 10-15 cm, then with a longer drill to a depth of 30-35 cm and finish drilling with a 50 cm long drill. The drill for such work must be powerful enough. Of course, the drill is not designed for such a load and its use is permissible only in exceptional cases. To perform this type of work, it is better to rent a real hammer drill.

If you don't have an impact drill

In the case where you only have a drill at hand without a hammer function, you will need a special punch. Its task is to crumble or make a crack in the solid fraction. Of course, this will slow down the work somewhat, but ultimately the goal will be achieved. The sequence of actions here resembles regular drilling, with minor changes:

• mark the hole;
• place a punch and hit it several times with a hammer;
• drill until you can get deep inside;
• put the drill aside and use a punch again to break up the coarse fraction;
• checked again, before the next obstacle.

One hole of small diameter can take up to 10 minutes, and during this time the nozzle will experience increased temperature loads. Ordinary water can deal with them, just dip the drill into it for a few seconds. However, you should be careful and prevent liquid from getting into places where electric current passes.

Before you start drilling into a concrete wall, you need to make sure that there is no electrical wiring in the future hole. Usually it is not visible under a layer of plaster, so it is recommended to use a tester. If it is not available, a regular indicator screwdriver for 50 rubles, which is sold in every hardware store, will help. It is necessary to take it with your bare hand by the sting and lean the back side against the place of work. The presence of wiring will be indicated by a lit light.

Preparing for work

Before starting work, the drill is installed in the tool. The centralized electrical supply in the room is turned off. To supply current, extension cords are used that are connected to the distribution box. The operator wears safety glasses and a mask to protect the eyes and respiratory system from dust.

Drilling a hole

The user needs to know how to drill a concrete wall correctly. A tool with a drill or auger installed is installed on a pre-marked wall. The equipment is held by the main handle with the right hand, the left hand holds the drill body.

If there is a side handle, the operator supports the equipment with his left hand, tightly gripping the handle with his hand.

The drill rests on the surface of the wall, then the motor turns on at low speed. If a rotation speed regulator is not provided, then the operator gives several switching pulses for 1-2 seconds, ensuring that the cutting edge of the drill deepens into the concrete surface.

At the same time, the perpendicularity of the axes of the tool and the concrete wall is controlled. Then drilling is carried out with the impact mode turned on, the cutting speed is determined by the force of pressing the drill and the rotational speed of the drill or drill.

When drilling deep holes, it is recommended to remove the drill from the channel to remove dust and chips. When encountering metal reinforcement, it is permissible to use a metal drill; in most cases, the impact force of the drill in a hammer drill is sufficient to destroy a rod made of mild structural steel.

Tips for performing work

Before drilling a hole in concrete, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with these helpful guidelines:

1. If a plastic dowel is supposed to be installed in the hole, then the length of the channel should exceed the length of the dowel by 10-15 mm. The gap is used to collect concrete chips from the walls of the hole.
2. When starting drilling, it is necessary to set the minimum speed. The drill does not move along the surface, which allows you to drill holes in accordance with the markings. As the drill deepens, it is necessary to increase the speed and increase the load on the drill or hammer drill.
3. If the drill bit slips in the chuck (due to wear or damage to the jaws), the clamping fixture must be replaced. Operating a drill with a damaged chuck leads to misalignment of equipment parts and a decrease in the quality of the work performed.

Drilling a wall for ventilation

We have completed many projects where drilling for ventilation was required. In country houses for a ventilation system and in apartments for air conditioning. Drilling is done close to the ceiling if necessary; there is no need to leave a gap. Drilling speed of one hole with marking and installation: approximately 1 hour. Very often requested diameters for drilling walls for ventilation in an apartment are 120 or 130 diameter. For ventilation in non-residential premises the following diameters are used: 160, 200, 220, 250, 270, 300 mm. But very often these are rectangular openings for pipes with a square cross-section.

You can order drilling for fresh air ventilation, call us

Choosing a tool

What is necessary, the first question that a home craftsman should ask himself is not how to drill a concrete wall with reinforcement, but with what. The main assistant here will be a hammer drill, because it is intended for stone and not concrete. Despite this, even massive drills cannot cope with a wall more than 12 cm wide. How to make a groove and secure the cable in it. Although if we are talking about foam concrete, a drill is preferable, because a hammer drill will simply break it.

The properties of the drill also determine whether it will be possible to drill a hole in a concrete wall.

One good option is to use drill bits designed specifically for impact drilling. Their working part is a plate made of strong metal. With the help of these drills, the question of how to drill through a thin concrete wall can be considered resolved.