How to drill a hole in concrete without a hammer drill

How to choose a tool?

drill, hole, concrete, hammer

For a larger volume of work, a hammer drill or drill with an impact function and drills with victorious tips are needed. An impact drill combines a rotary motion with a reciprocating motion, which helps it perfectly copes with light concrete, and when asked how to drill a concrete wall, which is a load-bearing one, there is a simple answer. a perforator will be the best assistant, the main purpose of which is to punch concrete fences. There is one more difference:

  • the hammer drill is designed for drilling holes no more than 12 mm in diameter;
  • the hammer drill is capable of drilling large holes.

The reinforcement trapped in the body of the concrete wall should be drilled with metal drills.

What will help the home master?

In domestic conditions, when it is necessary to make 2-3 holes in concrete, you can do with an ordinary drill, without the impact function. To do this, it is necessary, as the victorious drill is immersed in the body of the wall, from time to time to break the concrete with a strong metal pin (punch), which coincides in size with the diameter of the hole. It is used when the drill starts to “get stuck” in the wall. At this moment, a steel punch is inserted into the hole and they begin to beat on it with a hammer or a sledgehammer, trying to crush too dense areas and punch the hole deeper. In this case, the pin is slightly turned. Then the hammer drill can again come into operation.

All of the above steps are repeated one after another until the hole is increased to the required depth. This method is quite laborious and tedious, but quite acceptable for a pair of holes.

Alternatively, when drilling a hole in concrete, you can use universal diamond-coated drills. They are highly effective when working with metal, gravel and concrete. They can only be installed on a conventional electric drill, or on a tool with the vibration function disabled.

You need to work with the drill very carefully, otherwise it will fail too quickly. Pro advice. to avoid overheating the drill, it should be moistened with cold water from time to time.

What do the professionals advise?

Concrete structures are strong enough and difficult to drill. In addition, drills quite often come across crushed stone, which is part of the concrete mixture, from which wall and ceiling slabs are formed.

Holes in concrete have to be made quite often, especially in the process:

  • finishing works;
  • furniture installation;
  • air conditioner suspension;
  • additional electrical wiring device;
  • plumbing installation.

There are two ways to solve the problem of holes in a concrete wall:

  • with an impact drill, or better with a perforator, with a victorious drill;
  • diamond drilling.

It is worth noting that it is not possible to make a hole in a concrete wall with ordinary drills, therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to purchase drills with specially soldered plates made of high-strength victory alloy, which perfectly cope with concrete and brick. But for soft materials, it is not recommended to use them, since victorious drills do not cut them, but crumble.

How to drill a concrete wall. a possible way out of the situation

Sooner or later, most people living in houses with concrete walls need to hang a cabinet, lamp, shelf or painting. At this point, the pressing question arises of how to drill a concrete wall. It is no secret that every home craftsman has encountered this problem at least once in his life, but not everyone knows how to solve it. Many courageously torture the drill and their own strength, but without achieving the desired result, throw everything until the next attempt to make a hole in the wall. But the drill eventually breaks, and the shelves remain standing somewhere in the corner of the room or gathering dust in the closet. But there are still options. you just need to know them and be able to use them.

Than big holes are drilled?

Professionals who are constantly faced with the problem of drilling holes in concrete use special equipment, which includes:

  • powerful electric motor;
  • drilling drive;
  • diamond drill bits of different diameters;
  • base-mounted guide post.

Diamond drilling allows you to make holes of large diameter. up to 40 cm. The process is fast enough, efficient, without unnecessary dust and noise. Water is automatically supplied to the drilling site, which simultaneously cools the diamond core bit and flushes away the dust.

With diamond drilling, the holes are precise in shape and clear in outline, with a polished inner surface. They can be made in various enclosing structures at any angle to the horizon, and the possibility of cracks or chips in the concrete is completely excluded. Destruction occurs only at the location of the future hole.

Specialized firms are engaged in diamond drilling, so if it is necessary to drill holes in concrete of large diameters, you can invite craftsmen with their own equipment. And it is not necessary to buy a diamond drilling machine specially for this.

How to drill concrete with a drill?

Each of us has repeatedly faced the need to mount various objects on the walls that add variety to the interior, create coziness, or simply remind us of the pleasant moments of life. Most often, you have to fix lamps and sconces, paintings and photographs, mirrors and shelves to a concrete surface, install an air conditioner, or a TV. If, in the case of a small picture, or a photograph, you can do with driving a nail into the wall, then when the question is about more massive and heavy objects, the question of drilling holes arises. In order to avoid misunderstandings when working with concrete, for example, breakage of a drill, dullness of it, it is worthwhile to competently prepare a partition, choose a quality tool and choose the right drill.

SECRET to drilling through concrete for tapcons (so simple so effective)

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

The 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 fastening screws. Correctly inserted drill improves the quality of drilling, and is able to secure it.

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

Do not under any circumstances try to “lengthen” the drill by incomplete immersion in the chuck.!

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

Power selection for drills

The optimal power for working on concrete, in order to drill a hole, is considered to be a power of at least 600 W and 2500 rpm, but this figure must be adjusted depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations so as not to spoil the drill. As already mentioned, concrete “crumbles” when we drill, and this does not require too much speed.

Drill selection

This point can rightfully be considered the main one, since the quality of work and the safety of the drill itself, as well as the accuracy of work, depend on a properly selected drill. Today, there is a huge variety of different drills on the market: for working on wood, metal, concrete. The latter are distinguished by a triangular tip. For a concrete surface, it is best to use a carbide drill, for example, a victory drill. This type of drill crushes the material without tearing it, which is ideal for concrete slabs.

If in the process of drilling the wall the drill does not go forward, encountering a dense area, it is recommended to use a punch. After inserting a punch into the hole, they beat it with a hammer until it starts to move forward and softens the problem area. Then you can continue drilling.

It should be noted that without a punch, a perforator can easily cope with this kind of difficulty, however, it makes holes that exceed 13 mm in diameter. If you want to use universal drills when drilling, you need to remember that they require cooling, vibration off and are only suitable for a conventional drill.

Surface preparation

Before you start drilling, you need to make sure that there are no wiring, pipes, electrical cables in the selected overlap location. A metal detector will help to cope with this task, as it reacts to non-ferrous metals, iron and steel.

How to Drill Into Concrete | The Home Depot

If you ignore this condition, you can stumble upon fittings, damage the drill, or cables / pipes that were hidden in the ceiling. If this section satisfies all of the above requirements, then a point is marked on the wall, and after that a small depression is made in it at a slow speed with the help of a drill. It is also worth remembering that the surface of a concrete wall is looser than subsequent layers.

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 a concrete wall or other necessary material, simplifies the drilling process, while a bad one will take a lot of time, may not cope with the task, or 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 the correction of the speed mode will ensure the accurate operation of the drill, helping it not to damage the surface.
  • Is it possible to hammer drill and adjust the depth?. hammer drilling can be applied to problem areas, softening them.
  • Is it possible to hold the drill with both hands?. the drill is not an easy tool and therefore models that are equipped with handles should be preferred.
  • Is the power of the tool sufficient for your job??

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

Drill errors

Never try to hold the rotating chuck with your hand. there is a drill body for this. Otherwise, you could injure yourself. If you use gloves, do not take “with a margin”. Inappropriate gloves can also get caught in the cartridge and cause injury. Overalls should not be loose. they can be rolled up or pressed with oversleeves.

  • Do not push hard when the drill is on. the cause will be a fall, since it will become more difficult for you to control balance. Also, you can break the drill. If the tool passes through a concrete wall, the injury that it can inflict on a person can be more than serious.
  • The better to drill

    As already mentioned, you can drill a concrete wall in several ways, we will consider each of them in more detail.

    Expert advice

    In order for you to be able to properly drill a concrete wall, you must have the necessary equipment, perform all work carefully and adhere to the following recommendations:

    • without a punch, work can be done with a hammer drill or drilled with an electric screwdriver;
    • do not buy cheap drills, as the victorious tip falls off very quickly and they fail;
    • instead of a punch, you can use a victorious tool, with one you will break crushed stone, and with the second, inserted into an ordinary electric drill, drill;
    • to work with concrete, the rotary hammer must have an SDS-plus cartridge;
    • take into account the placement of the reinforcement, to determine where it is located, you can use a metal detector, if the reinforcement is bare, it must be painted to prevent rusting;
    • for working with concrete, you can use universal diamond-coated drills, but you need to insert them only into a regular drill, or you need to turn off the impact mode.

    With a conventional drill or electric screwdriver

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

    To complete drilling, you will need more time than using a hammer drill, but you can do everything yourself.

    In this case, in addition to the drill and drill, you will also need a punch. First, a small indentation is made in the place of drilling using a punch and a hammer.

    After that, a working tool is inserted into it and begins to drill. If the drill stops, break hard areas again with a punch and continue working.

    Perforator

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

    Hammer Drill vs Drill | Which is Faster in Concrete?

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

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

    During the performance of these works, it is necessary to adhere to the developed technologies and safety rules, then you can not only make a hole yourself without the involvement of expensive specialists, but also avoid injuries.

    Features of the

    Concrete structures are highly durable, so it is quite difficult to drill them yourself.

    This is due to the fact that crushed stone is used to create concrete products and when you get on it while drilling, the process becomes very difficult.

    The need to drill a concrete wall occurs quite often, it is necessary for the installation of shelves, cabinets, air conditioner, wallpapering, fixing a lamp, when attaching insulation or during plastering of walls for attaching beacons.

    There are several ways to solve this problem:

    • using a hammer drill or a powerful impact drill;
    • an ordinary electric drill or electric screwdriver;
    • diamond drilling.

    It should be remembered that for walls made of relatively soft materials, it is impossible to use victory drills, since the holes will turn out to be uneven, and the wall will collapse. It is also impossible to work with metal with such a tool.

    To create large holes or cut a doorway, diamond-coated core drills are used. To use such a tool, it is necessary to use special installations, they allow you to make holes with a diameter of up to 250 mm.

    Since the cost of such equipment is high, it is easier to hire specialists or you can rent it.

    How to save money on a hammer drill and drill a concrete wall with an ordinary drill?

    Many people live in houses with concrete walls, and when it becomes necessary to make a hole in them, they face serious difficulties.

    Do not despair and get upset if you did not immediately manage to hang a shelf, lamp or cabinet, read our recommendations and everything will work out.

    There are several options with which you can independently drill a concrete wall.