Drilling. Reinforcement met. How to drill it correctly?

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 concrete

Electric hammer drill

Tools

To drill a reinforced concrete surface, you need to use specialized tools - in this case, you won’t be able to get by with a homemade tool.

Depending on your preferences and the diameter of the hole, you can use a hammer drill or a small electric hammer drill. The first option has less power, but at the same time has less weight and a convenient design. The hammer drill, accordingly, has greater potential, weight and dimensions.

In addition to the existing tool, it is necessary to purchase special drill bits that allow you to work with a concrete surface. For a hammer drill, drills with a Pobedit tip are selected.

The hammer drill has its own set of impact attachments, which, in most cases, are quite sufficient. As additional components for a hammer drill, you can also use drills with a tip.

Concrete drills

To form holes with a diameter of 35 to 120 mm, crown bits are used, which have Victory teeth - with their help, grooves for sockets, switches, etc. are drilled. If you are wondering whether it is possible to drill concrete with a screwdriver, then there are also tungsten carbide coated bits for this purpose. However, it should be noted that they are only suitable for units with a power of at least 1 kW.

Preparation

Before drilling into concrete, you need to prepare the available tools. First of all, the fixing cartridge is inspected for the presence of sand or other foreign elements - if any, they must be removed. For this purpose, you can use a clean, dry rag;

Hammer head

• The drill should fit into the groove freely so that you can feel that it has gone in all the way. This is a mandatory condition, failure to comply with which may render the tip unusable. If we are talking about a hammer drill, then the drill must be clamped as tightly as possible; in hammer drills, the clamping is carried out automatically;
• Before drilling into a concrete ceiling, you must protect your face with a respirator or plastic visor. When working with walls, the use of personal protective equipment is also desirable, although not so critical;

Drilling

The process of drilling concrete is not particularly complicated and consists only of the ability to work with the tool. When working with drills, you should combine the hammer mode with drilling.

If you use crown attachments, the impact mode must be turned off. The only possible problem during this process will be the reinforcement frame reinforcement that may get in the way of the drill.

Drilling concrete

Before drilling reinforcement in concrete, you need to change the tip for working with concrete to a regular metal drill and drill through the obstacle

It is important to remember to turn off the bumper mode before drilling reinforcement in concrete

In addition to the above, there are also a number of useful tips that will help you achieve quality results.

• Non-professional construction tools are not designed for long-term loads, which should be taken into account when working with them. The case must not be allowed to overheat - on average, the period of continuous operation of the equipment is no more than 15 minutes, after which the mechanism requires cooling. These 15 minutes of inactivity will be quite enough;
• When drilling, the drill becomes very hot and when a critical temperature is reached, the pobedit tip begins to deform. To cool the drill, simply immerse the tip in water - the more often you perform this operation, the less the consumables will wear out;

Concrete drill

If the drill is stuck, in no case should you try to turn it by increasing the speed - at best, you will break the drill, and at worst, you will render the tool itself unusable. It is necessary to remove the tip from the socket, charge a similar one and drill a hole next to it - only after this you can try to “rescue” the drill from captivity;

Diamond drilling

If you are thinking about how to drill through a concrete slab or create a large-diameter hole, then you cannot do it on your own. The most effective is diamond drilling of holes in concrete and cutting reinforced concrete with diamond wheels, which are carried out using specialized professional equipment.

Diamond drilling

The cost of installations is quite high, and purchasing them for single use is irrational. It would be wiser to invite specialists who provide their services at a very reasonable price.

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.

Is it possible to cut through reinforcement in concrete with a chisel?

An outdated way to remove reinforcement when drilling a hole in concrete is to use a chisel or core. This method involves cutting a metal wire. To do this, you will need to drill a large diameter hole to provide easy access to the fittings. After this, using a sharp chisel and a hammer you will need to cut the metal wire.

You can increase the size of the hole for free access to the reinforcement using a chisel on a hammer drill. If you have enough free space to work with a metal blade, you should definitely use this method. Sawing reinforcement with a metal blade requires a lot of time and effort, but this is quite feasible if you first make a through hole.

This is interesting! If you use a chisel or blade for metal, you should use tools made of high-speed and high-strength steel.

Danger of damaging hidden electrical wiring

Very often, when it is necessary to drill holes in concrete, we cannot begin to do this because we are afraid of damaging the internal hidden electrical wiring of the apartment. This fear is not in vain, and it is very good that you are thinking about it.

The only way to determine whether there is an electrical wire running nearby under concrete is to use a special non-contact electrical probe, which looks like this:

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”:

What to do if you hit the reinforcement with a hammer drill?

Tool preparation

To begin, select suitable drills that will be used in your work. For example, to drill a reinforced concrete wall, you need to purchase 2 types: for concrete and for metal. Any specialized store knows what they drill into walls of this type, so feel free to contact a consultant and he will help you choose the right products.

Concrete can be different, and how easy it will be to work depends on its “age”. To increase reliability, we recommend using high-quality drills. For impact drills, appropriate consumables with carbide tips are used. They easily drill through hardened concrete, promptly clearing the hole of accumulated crumbs.

To select a drill, use the following parameters:

• working part length;
• diameter;
• marking.

Scheme for drilling a concrete wall
Carefully calculate the depth of the holes in the wall and their diameter, because the final result will depend on this. For example, SDS hammer drills are used for holes up to 15 mm in diameter, and punch drills for 20 mm or more. Make sure that the spiral grooves of the product are greater than or equal to the length of the intended hole. This point is important, since too great a immersion depth makes it impossible for the tool to remove accumulated concrete chips. If all the conditions are met, the question is: “what is the best way to drill concrete walls and what kind of drill to choose?” - will disappear by itself.

Before you begin, make the final settings. An important parameter is the drilling depth. For paintings and light shelves, 25 mm is sufficient; installation of heavy hanging objects requires deeper holes. Most modern tools have the ability to adjust this indicator or a special limiter.

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.

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.

Which hammer drill should you choose?

Drilling holes in concrete floors is difficult, since they have increased strength and often have a heterogeneous structure, including crushed stone, metal reinforcement and other fillers. A hammer drill helps to cope with this task.

, it can perform both impact and non-impact drilling. Therefore, when you have to carry out construction work such as installing plumbing, air conditioning, removing old finishes, laying electrical wiring, you cannot do without this tool. This device is multifunctional and is designed for drilling wide and deep holes.

Before you start drilling concrete, you need to choose the right hammer drill

, since it is available in several types, each of which is characterized by its own technical capabilities.

Nowadays you can find simple household and advanced professional hammer drill models on sale. Household ones are usually used for drilling holes in houses and apartments; they have a power of up to 900 W and are equipped with an SDS-plus chuck. Devices of this type are represented by the brands Black Deker, Bosch, Hundai, Skil, Enkor and Caliber. As for professional models, they are suitable for all socket boxes, have additional protection against vibrations and can work for a long time without interruption. Professional devices from such manufacturers as Dewalt, Makita, Hitachi and Metabo have also proven themselves well.

In addition, when purchasing a hammer drill for working with concrete, you should pay special attention to several indicators. Number of operating modes

Single-mode devices are not suitable for working with a concrete slab, since they are simple and have the functions of the most common drill. Dual-mode devices are capable of drilling (drilling with impact force); they are recommended to be chosen when you need to make through and blind holes in concrete. These types of hammer drills can simultaneously strike and rotate the drill; they are made of durable metal. Three-mode devices are also considered ideal for working with concrete surfaces. They are universal, perform impact without rotating the nozzles and quickly drill through concrete, revealing its hard structure

Number of operating modes. Single-mode devices are not suitable for working with a concrete slab, since they are simple and have the functions of the most common drill. Dual-mode devices are capable of drilling (drilling with impact force); they are recommended to be chosen when you need to make through and blind holes in concrete. These types of hammer drills can simultaneously strike and rotate the drill; they are made of durable metal. Three-mode devices are also considered ideal for working with concrete surfaces. They are universal, perform impact action without rotating the nozzles and quickly drill through concrete, revealing its hard structure.

• Weight. Impact devices, depending on their weight, can be light, medium and heavy. Lightweight models are electric tools with a performance of up to 800 W, their weight does not exceed 4 kg. They are most often purchased for processing simple floors. For working with natural stone and concrete, it is best to give preference to middle-class devices that weigh up to 8 kg and have a power of up to 1200 W. It is possible to drill a hole in concrete with a diameter of more than 40 mm using heavy devices, their weight is more than 8 kg, and the impact energy exceeds 13 J.
• Engine location. Today, manufacturers produce devices with horizontal and vertical motor placement. Horizontal hammer drills belong to the simple class; they are easy to use, but cannot cope with concrete surfaces.

They can be drilled

only small holes. Therefore, if you plan to chisel large and deep holes, then you need to choose a tool with a vertical type of engine placement. It can work for a long time, since the motor is cooled better in this position.

Types of nozzles

Construction work on processing concrete slabs or walls is carried out, as a rule, using a hammer drill, which craftsmen often call a drill. This multifunctional tool is sold complete with accessories. Their sizes vary. The main accessories of a hammer drill include a chisel, a drill, a crown, a diamond drill and a pick. The longest drill bit among the attachments.

The drill is characterized by a spiral shape and is used to drill cylindrical holes. The chisel allows for dismantling; it is used to remove old tiles, plaster and other finishing. The lance has a large diameter and, unlike a drill, is capable of quickly punching holes in concrete floors. The channel drill is designed to create grooves in concrete during the installation of communication systems. A crown is used when it is necessary to drill holes of a certain diameter for switches and sockets.

READ Assembling the Makita 2450 Rotary Hammer

This type of attachment differs from conventional drills in that it has a “tail” shape. Drills are classified as disposable tools, since after long-term use they are practically not subject to renewal and sharpening. The main advantage of the drill is that it is capable of clearing concrete chips from holes when drilling. It is recommended to choose this attachment for drilling deep holes; for drilling through and blind holes in concrete, a drill with a diameter of 6 to 32 mm is suitable.

If you need to drill concrete

, the structure of which includes
reinforcement , it is advisable to give preference to diamond-coated nozzles.

General principles of drilling

As already mentioned, drilling is a common activity for a repairman, and therefore it is important to immediately learn several main rules associated with this activity.

• Introduction of suitable equipment. There are a huge number of drills, each of which is designed for a specific type of material. Therefore, you should not try to drill concrete with a wood drill and vice versa. It is also important to take into account the conditions in which the tool will be used. For example, industrial drills cannot be used for interior repairs (this is simply dangerous). It is also important to take into account resistance to moisture: for external work you will need a tool of class IP34 if the climate in the area is wet and IP32 if you have to work in good weather. IPX2/ can be used indoors
• Correct markup. Before starting any work, it is important to carefully and accurately mark the drilling locations with a marker. You can also stick cardboard tape under the marker so that the drill does not slip on the material.
• Selecting the desired drilling speed. It all depends equally on both the material and the diameter of the blade. If we are talking about very thin drills (with a diameter of less than 3 mm), then you need to work at low speeds, at least four hundred per minute. For other drills, the following rule applies: the thinner the drill, the faster the drilling speed required.

In addition, it is important to ensure that the handle is firmly attached to the shaft of the hand drill. The drill must also not be allowed to skew.

How to work with tiles using a drill

Often people who do not have extensive experience in the field of repair are afraid to drill into such fragile material as tiles. But this can become an urgent necessity, because you need something to strengthen the various cabinets and shelves in the kitchen, bathroom or toilet. As annoying as it may sound, in almost all cases the condition of the tile after drilling is determined not by the master who takes up the drill

, and the one who laid these tiles. A competent tiler lays the tiles so that no voids are created between the tiles and the wall. In this case, careful drilling will not harm the tile in any way. If there are “air pockets” between the wall and the tile, then most likely the tile will crack.

In order to drill through the tiles correctly, you need to take a drill, masking tape, or a hammer drill (or a powerful drill with drill bits for concrete). Then you will need to perform the following steps:

• The drilling location is marked with a piece of masking tape and a marker. The adhesive tape is there to prevent the nail from sliding on the surface of the tile.
• Drilling is done strictly perpendicular to the material. The number of revolutions should increase evenly: from unlikely to 150-200 revolutions per minute. This way you can effectively avoid damage to both the material and the tool.
• It is important to ensure that the drill does not overheat. If smoke starts coming out, the drill
  needs to be cooled down immediately.

Once the holes are made, you can insert dowels into them. This is done with a hammer.

How to drill through wood carefully

Wood is one of the “easiest” materials when working with a drill. But there are some subtleties here too.

• The drilling speed directly depends on the type of wood. Loose, not very hard varieties of wood will be possible even with a low-power device. Of course, the expected diameter of the hole also plays a role - the larger it is, the stronger the drill is needed.
• In order to make huge holes, you need to use special core drills. Their diameter can exceed 120 mm. As for depth, on average crowns are suitable for materials up to 20-22 mm wide, but there are also special models that can cope with widths of more than 60 mm.
• If you need to make a blind hole rather than a through one, then Forstner drills, which are available with a diameter of 1 to 5 cm, are perfect for this.

It is worth talking separately about drilling timber. Although it is comfortable to fix for upcoming drilling, the large thickness of the material makes it difficult. Drilling timber for future fastening in dowel holes. For a standard beam 18 cm wide, it would be best to take a drill with a diameter of 25 mm and a length of 36 cm. You will need to drill slowly, at low speeds. In terms of power, a 1300-1500 W drill is perfect. If the beam is not very long, then 2 holes on each side will be enough. If the length of the timber for the dowels is quite long, then you will need to make an additional hole in the center. After the holes are made, you can hammer them into the dowels using a hammer or a small sledgehammer.

Concrete drill bits for drills - what and how best to drill

Comparing different types of tools, you can see that they have visible differences. Those used for drilling monoliths have a pobedite head installed. It is made of high strength metal. Pobedit allows you to drill concrete slabs and rocks.

Products with a reinforced head are used to process monolithic concrete slabs, metal, wood and other materials. The purpose can be determined by the color of the tip. White color is provided for concrete treatment. Black is used for drilling in metal, and a light shade of metallic color is used for drilling in wood.

If they are doing one-time repairs in an apartment, then they choose a tool at a more affordable price. During professional work, the need to work with this tool often arises, so purchasing well-made units is more important. At the same time, it is profitable to buy a set. Each part in such a set is purchased at a lower price.

Surface preparation

Before operating the device, you need to check whether there are any communications on the area of ​​the selected surface. If you neglect this rule, you can damage the electrical wiring or the place where the pipe passes. A metal detector will help the worker cope with this task, since when it detects non-ferrous metals, iron or steel, it gives a specific signal.

If the selected section of the concrete wall meets all the requirements, then you need to mark a point and then begin operating the device.

The intended drilling location should be marked with a pencil.

Errors when working with a drill

1. Clothes and gloves must fit properly.

Under no circumstances should you try to hold the rotating chuck with your hand - this is what the drill body is for. Otherwise, you may injure yourself. If you use gloves, do not take them “with reserve”. Gloves that do not fit properly may also become caught in the chuck and cause injury. Overalls should not dangle - they can be rolled up or pressed with sleeves.

You should not press as hard as you can on the turned-on drill - this will cause you to fall, as it will become more difficult for you to control your balance. In addition, you may break the drill. If a tool passes through a concrete wall, the injuries it can cause to a person can be more than serious.

How to drill without dust: options, the better

Construction work is always accompanied by dust and debris, but using some recommendations and tips, it can be significantly reduced:

• During operation, the hammer drill leaves a slight dust, so that it does not fly around the room, use a construction vacuum cleaner at the same time. Some brands of tools have a built-in vacuum cleaner, which makes the task easier;
• using a drill, it is best to either make a jig on the end or a bag, or make an envelope under the hole so that the debris falls into it.

How to drill holes in a brick wall: choosing tools and attachments

To make a hole in a brick wall, a hammer drill with a drill or an impact drill are suitable; the latter is most often used. Its power must be at least 600 watts, the minimum number of revolutions is from 2500 per minute. It is best to use a drill with continuously adjustable power and a quick clamp function.

Using the hammer drilling function, the drill becomes identical to a hammer drill. Increases speed and ease of operation. To make a hole in a brick wall you need to use the dynamic impact method. Without this, the drill will not be able to engage the inside of the brick.

The drills must be victorious. If through drilling is necessary, a drill is used

How to drill a load-bearing wall with a hammer drill in a panel house

In most panel houses, the walls are made of concrete; in order to make a hole with a hammer drill, you need to use pobedit drills.

In addition to them, you can use special crowns. They have soldering around the circumference. When using them, you need to disable the hammer drill's impact function.

Specialists use diamond drilling, which requires powerful equipment and skills.

How to properly drill a reinforced concrete pipe with a hammer drill

When using an impact drill for reinforced concrete, you need to use the “perforator” mode and pobedit drills. First, the hole is made smaller, then larger. The drill needs to be cooled periodically.

Important! When working with concrete, you need to avoid hitting the reinforcement, otherwise the drill will break. Using a special device you can check where it is located

How to make a hole in a concrete wall with a drill

It is difficult to drill into a concrete wall with a conventional drill. You need to install victory drills and select low speeds. A dowel is inserted into the desired location to help the tool pierce the surface. Next, drilling should be alternated with striking the dowel.

The drill must be constantly cooled, otherwise it will burn.

If the drill does not have a speed control, then it will not be possible to make a hole.

How to make a hole in a concrete wall in an apartment with a drill

For a small hole, you can use a punch. Most conveniently, it can be made from a drill, 8 mm in diameter. The end is sharpened sharply. The drill is placed in the desired place, rotated, while simultaneously hitting it with a hammer. Wet the drill periodically to make it work longer.

Step-by-step instruction

How to make a hole in a concrete wall or ceiling slab without a hammer drill or other similar tools?

First you need to prepare everything.

Despite the presence of a special drill, work on a concrete wall

carried out taking into account the recommendations of specialists.

An incorrect approach can lead to tool breakage and partial destruction of the wall. Before starting work, prepare the following set of tools and materials:

• drill of sufficient power;
• drill with victorious (carbide) surfacing;
• hammer drill. metal pin of the required diameter;
• hammer or sledgehammer;
• vacuum cleaner.

The process of drilling concrete with a conventional drill is not fast, so Strib must be patient. Concrete dust gets into the floor and it is recommended to cover the surface with newspapers to keep it clean. Periodically collect spilled particles with a vacuum cleaner. The sequence of work is as follows:

• The corresponding drill is installed on the tool. The drilling point is marked on the wall.
• Mark the drilling point, working at minimum speed with light pressure. A small hole is made at the surface so that the drill does not slip during intensive actions.
• They go deep into the wall by 8-10 mm. When drilling, hold the tool at a right angle. There is a risk of damage to the surface, tip or hands when tilted.
• Take out the drill bit and use a steel bar to break through the concrete.
• They go deeper into the wall another 10-15 mm and hit the concrete again. After each stage of work, the drill is cleaned of concrete particles.

READ Rotary hammer or drill, which is better for the home

Diamond core drilled concrete can be viewed at:

The author tells how to drill concrete without impact:

Some practical tips

For different types of artificial stone, such as concrete, there are recommendations for drilling holes in it.

If a hammer drill is used as the main equipment for drilling concrete, it should be remembered that it is only suitable for high-density concrete. For wall structures such as aerated concrete, it is better to use an electric drill with the hammer function disabled. Otherwise, there is a risk of cracks appearing in the material;

• To prevent damage to an expensive tool when drilling material, you must strictly adhere to the basic rule. the longitudinal axis of the equipment must be strictly perpendicular to the concrete surface;
• When drilling holes, a hammer drill is an indispensable device. It is an elongated, high-hardness metal triangular piece with a pointed end on one side and a handle on the other to help you hold the tool in your hand.

The need for a blow is as follows:

• When preparing the solution, a gravel or crushed stone aggregate is used. When drilling holes, the tool often rests on such fractions, slides and does not move further. In this case, insert the hammer drill into the channel made in the wall and hit it well with a hammer to crush the “pebble” and then restore the drilling.
• By exerting the considerable force required to break such an obstruction using the striker effect, there is a high risk of damaging the tip of the tool. diamond coating or wins.
• The cost of a hammer drill is significantly lower than a drill. And when it's dull, you can easily restore the working part to its original shape using a regular file.

Difficulties when drilling holes in concrete

In the video tutorial of the article What is a dowel, we learned how to install dowels into a concrete wall, and at the same time drill it. However, there are situations that cause you difficulties when starting and during wall drilling work. In this article I would like to talk about such situations, and what should be done in these cases.

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).

Specialized drilling tool

For example: exclusively for the needs of drilling reinforced concrete, the German company Bosch has developed equipment designs - ProDiager (drill for reinforced concrete) and RebarCutter (drill for rebar).

Features of the ProDiager line:

• Bit diameter, mm - up to 20.
• Durability before resharpening – up to 1000 holes.
• The number of bits in the holder is up to 10.

ULTIMAX's massive compact monoblock head is made from a carbide material similar to VK3, which allows drilling at the highest possible speed. Compatible with all types of powerful impact drills. Suitable for making holes and cavities in reinforced concrete, stone, granite and other materials.

The RebarCutter SDS plus-9 rebar cutter provides cutting of reinforced concrete and reinforcement embedded in reinforced concrete products. With the SDS-plus holder, the cutter can also be installed in conventional rotary hammers.

Specifications:

• The diameters of the resulting holes, mm – 16 – 32.
• Hole depth, mm – 120 – 300.
• Maximum tool runout, mm – up to 1.

Stationary models of rebar cutters are also available, which are equipped with a locking trigger switch. This cutter can be powered by a foot pedal, which improves the operator’s working conditions.

What to do if a drill or auger gets stuck in the wall

When working with a hammer drill or impact drill, a phenomenon such as the drill getting stuck in the hole may occur. This phenomenon is also called jamming, which can damage the nozzle. If a drill or drill is stuck in concrete, then there are the following methods for removing them without deformation:

1. Enable the drilling function on the hammer drill. This method is appropriate for cases when work is carried out with a hammer drill. There is no drilling mode on impact drills. Having turned on this mode on the hammer drill, you should try to remove the tool along with the attachment. And it doesn’t matter here whether the drill is stuck due to jamming due to reinforcement or large fractions included in the screed
2. Disconnect the hammer drill from the drill and use a gas wrench or a hand vice. To do this, you need to clamp the drill shank with a tool, and then rotate it in a counterclockwise direction. Often this is the only way to remove a nozzle stuck in a concrete wall.
3. Make additional holes around the perimeter. By making auxiliary holes in the shape of a cone around the stuck drill, it will be possible to remove it without damage. After removing the nozzle, you will need to seal the drilled holes.
4. Cut off the protruding shank, leaving part of the drill in the wall. This is an extreme method that should be resorted to if all methods have been tried, but none have given a positive result.

To get a jammed drill, you need to understand the reason for its jamming. But in any case, you should not rush to break the nozzle if it cannot be removed.

Selecting a drilling tool

Hammer drill

The potential of this tool when making holes in a concrete surface has no limits. Often they are limited by the maximum permissible diameter of the device, the size of which is no more than 5 centimeters. And at the same time, a huge part of such equipment can drill a hole with a diameter of 3 centimeters. Sometimes this may be enough, but there are situations when this size is not enough. For example, the volume of the hole for ventilation is supposed to be large and in such a situation the hammer drill will not cope with the task.

When operating a hammer drill with your own hands, another problem may arise. While drilling, you may bump into the reinforcement with the drill. This may result in damage to the tool. In the best case scenario, the hammer drill will stop on the metal and will no longer be able to work. It becomes clear that in the presence of reinforcement in concrete, operating a hammer drill is difficult, and sometimes impossible. But if working conditions do not require the presence of reinforcing bars, then this tool is an excellent choice.

Carbide bit

This equipment is distinguished by drilling holes with a diameter of 5 centimeters to 45 centimeters. But alas, the characteristics of a conventional hammer drill do not make it possible to install a crown larger than 25 centimeters. The reason for this is that the power rating of the tool is too low. If it is necessary to make holes of large calibers, then it is worth using a different tool. Larger equipment has a different shank shape. However, there are special adapters that make it possible to use large crowns on low-power instruments. But it is worth remembering that this option is not always profitable and safe due to the fact that the equipment may be damaged due to the installation of a large crown. And drilling holes in concrete using the thin method can be dangerous.

This device has some disadvantages that limit the capabilities of such equipment:

• Cannot drill through reinforcement. During a collision with metal, the carbide crown is destroyed. And while thin metal can be drilled, thick reinforcement cannot be drilled.
• If a crown is used, the concrete can be drilled to a small depth. This indicator is limited to the bowl. However, there are situations when using this device you can drill holes in a fairly thick wall and pipe.

The point of drilling a hole with a hole saw is to use the bit and pick one at a time. When the depth required for the crown has been reached, it is necessary to hollow out the center in the hole using a pick, after which the procedure is repeated until the necessary is completed.

However, in this case, another problem arises - the limited immersion depth of the lance. This nuance can be eliminated if a special extension for the crown is installed correctly.

It is important to know that when performing such operations with concrete there will be a lot of dust around

Safety precautions

Any construction or repair work is associated with certain risks, so it is important to know how to drill concrete without injury. A number of rules must be followed:

• First you need to check that there are no pipes or electrical wiring in the drilling area. This can be done using a metal detector. If possible, turn off electricity in areas where repairs are being carried out. The drill is connected to a separate socket connected to the distribution panel. The metal detector may not recognize pipes or wiring under a decorative coating. Drilling in such places must be done with caution so as not to unnecessarily damage the wall.
• If the house has hidden gas wiring, then the gas must be turned off during the work.
• It is strictly forbidden to drill seams in a block house. Communications are often laid in the channel between blocks in violation of building regulations.
• Be sure to check how the drill is secured in the chuck.
• During the drilling process, it is necessary to use protective equipment: glasses, gloves, special clothing. If you plan to work at height, wear a hat. Drilling produces a lot of dust. A protective mask or respirator must be used.
• When drilling through a wall, you must make sure that another person is not working on the opposite side.
• If the hole needs to be made at ceiling level, then the work is carried out not from a stepladder, but from scaffolding or a trestle. The stepladder is less stable. If there is no suitable support, then the stepladder is strengthened with stops.
• Do not turn on a tool that rests on the work surface. The pressure and speed increase smoothly.

• To ensure stability of the tool, it is held only by the handles. Holding a working drill by the chuck is strictly prohibited.
• In some regions there are legally set times during which noisy work cannot be carried out. This must be taken into account when drawing up an action plan.

To gain the skill, you need to drill a hole in concrete several times slowly and carefully. This will help you understand that if you follow the nuances and safety precautions, this work does not cause major problems and difficulties. Even beginners can do it on their own.