How Do You Drill a Hole Through Brick? (1 Viewer)

[Rutgar]

I need to run cables and wires to two outside walls. Going through the wall is impossible, so I thought I would just drop conduit down the outside and go back in to the house from outside. I need a one inch, plus hole. Is there a special bit for drilling a large hole through brick? Or will I have to chisle a brick out, and go through that way?

- Rutgar

 

[Nick P]

I'm not sure about a 1 inch hole but there are masonry bits for drilling through concrete and brick. You have to use a slow rpm and keep water on the bit to help it stay cool.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Yes, buy a masonry bit at your local hardware store or Home Depot or Lowe's. They have carbide tips and will go through brick quite easily and you don't have to use water when drilling brick.

 

[Luke D]

I would rent a hammer dill from home depot I think you can rent the bit too. The hammer drill will work better then a regular drill and masonry bit. Also try drilling through the mortar joint if possible.

 

[MarkMel]

Rent a hammer drill at your rental center. They work much better than a regular drill at drilling through brick and concrete. The rental cost will more than make up for your time if you did it with a regular drill.

 

[MarkMel]

simultaneous posts.

 

[Orlando]

I've had to do a lot of Brick pass-thru work on my house. Get a masonary bit as mentioned. They work fine no need for water, just give the drill a rest every few minutes if it is taking a while. I would stay away from the hammer drill as the vibrations from it can do more damage then it is worth. They could break other bricks, motar or even cause cracks on the inside wall.

 

[MarkMel]

I used to install $50k - $200k theater systems in $10 million dollar homes. We always had to drill through brick or concrete. Never once did the drill cause any damage other than the hole intended. How many holes have you drilled using a hammer drill orlando? All a hammer drill does is add an extra motion to the drill bit. (up and down along with spinning around) This clears the dust better breaks up the brick or morter in front of the bit and keeps the bit cooler. I'm not advising him to go out and rent a concrete breaker or jackhammer. A milwaukee hammer drill such as this will make your life much easier.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=hi&n=228406


Using the right tool for the job saves time and money.

 

[Eddie L]

I agree with Luke D and MarkMel
rent the hammer drill...Milwakee, Hilty, Ryobi
any rental tool place should have these
if you can go between the brick and into the mortar to start, it's much easier
It's quick and easy, vs. a masonary bit even with a 1/2" drill
no comparison
been there, done that

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Yeah, but he wants to drill a one inch hole in the brick. I’ve done some professional installation work and I’ve used hammer drills, but I’ve never seen one to something that big.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Eddie L]

Are you kidding?
I drilled 1 1/2" thru my concrete block to run bolts thru to tie into my outside deck
I called our local rental center and they have up to
2 5/8" bits

 

[Scott Sabin]

Rutgar,

Once you figure out the exact size of hole you need to cut (you said 1-inch plus), you can either try to drill with a very large bit (and preferably a hammer drill), or you can use a combination of drill and chisel.

The combination method is what I intend to use to make a vent opening through my brick for my bathroom fan. To do that, drill a single, small hole from inside the house, in the center of your final, larger hole. Then on the brick from the outside, draw a circle with the actual diameter you intend to cut. Next, mark 5 or 6 equally spaced hole locations on the circle line. Drill holes at each of these locations on the circle with a small masonry bit. Use a masonry chisel to "connect the dots". If you want to minimize the roughness of chiseling, cut even more small holes around the circumference of the circle.