Drill Into Brick

 1. Get a Drill, Drill Bit, Screw & Screwdriver

When drilling into brick it is essential to have the right type of drill to do the job with and the best sort of drill for drilling into brick with is a hammer drill.  It is possible to use a regular drill, but if you’re drilling into very hard and tough brick or making a lot of large holes then it is much better to use a hammer drill.  This is because the hammer drill has a lot more power and a higher speed which makes it a much easier process.

 

When drilling into brick you must use a masonry drill bit as the shape of the tip is designed to drill through solid materials such as brick.

 

It is also essential to choose screws that are going to be able to support the weight of what you are hanging or fastening.  Anchor screws are the best type to use as they have a thread that is designed especially to screw into solid materials.  In order to create a snug fit, it is advisable to have a screw that is slightly bigger than your drill bit as it helps prevent the screws from slipping out of the holes.  You also need an appropriate screwdriver that fits the screws.

 

 

2. Mark Your Desired Hole

When preparing to drill a hole you need to make sure that you are going to drill it in a safe place.  Therefore, you must never drill near an electrical socket and it is essential that you check where any pipes or live wires are in the walls.  If you are unsure where they are then you can use a wire detector to check first

 

When choosing where to drill you need to also decide whether to drill into the brick itself or into the mortar.  It is better to drill directly into the brick as generally brick is able to support weight better than mortar, although it does depend on the size of the hole and the age and type of brick.  If the brick is old or is cracking then it is better to drill into the mortar.  The depth of the hole you are drilling is also an important factor when deciding whether to drill into the brick as a deep hole can cause the brick to crack, in which case it is better to drill into the mortar instead.

 

Once you have decided where to drill it is important to clearly mark where you want to drill.

 

 

3. Put on Your Protective Gear

As drilling can be quite a messy business that causes a lot of dust and bits of debris it is a good idea to protect yourself with the use of safety glasses, a dust mask, gloves, and earplugs.

 

You might also want to have a vacuum at the ready or tape a bag to the wall to try and prevent the dust from going on the floor.

 

 

4. Select Depth and Mark Your Drill

The next step is to check the manual of the product you are installing to find out how deep the hole needs to be.  If it doesn’t say or you don’t have a manual then the ideal depth is just slightly more than the length of the screw.

 

A drill with a depth-stop attachment is particularly useful for this sort of job, but if you don’t have one then masking tape will be sufficient to do the job with - just place some around the drill bit so that you know approximately when the hole is deep enough.

 

 

5. Level the Drill with the Hole

The next step is to place the tip of the drill bit on your marker and try to line the drill up horizontally and as level as possible before attempting to drill.

 

 

6. Drill the Pilot Hole

It’s important to remember that care must be taken when drilling into brick to prevent it from cracking.  Therefore, to prevent it from cracking, you must make a pilot hole first.  A pilot hole is a hole that is smaller than the eventual size that you want the hole to be and should be made with a smaller drill bit.

 

When beginning to drill you must start by using the drill at a low speed and without much force or pressure on the drill.  This will enable you to begin the hole gently and will allow you to keep control of what the drill is doing while making the start of the hole right on the mark that you have made.

 

Once you have begun to drill into the brick then you can increase the speed of the drill and apply more pressure to it, moving the drill bit back and forth until you have reached the required depth of the hole.  If the drill is not going in straight then take it out and adjust it so that it is going in level again.

 

When drilling, particularly if you are using a drill that only has one speed, there is a chance that your drill bit can overheat.  If this happens then you will need to cool it down so it is advisable to keep a bucket of cold water nearby so that you can dip the bit in and cool it down if you need to.  If you do need to cool the drill bit down then be careful not the get any water on the drill itself.

 

 

7. Drill Into the Hole Again

The next thing that you need to do is to check the size of the hole.  If  it is the right size for the anchor screws then it is time to start screwing them in.  However, if the hole is too small then you need to drill into the hole again, but this time using a drill bit that is bigger than the one you have just used, but still slightly smaller than the anchor screws that you are going to use.

 

Line your drill up again level with your hole and begin drilling again, remembering to move the drill bit backwards and forwards as it helps to stop the dust from clogging up in the hole.  If you need to then you can use a can of compressed air to remove the dust.

 

 

8. Install the Appropriate Anchor

By now your hole should be the right size and without any cracked brick around it, which means that you can now start screwing in the anchor screws that you have chosen to use.