How to drill through dense concrete

[georgiaob4]

 

  

Hi! I’m new to home improvement and have tried to install some curtains in my unit! I have successfully drilled into the concrete wall on one side using a RYOBI hammer drill, but on the other side, I meet resistance after about 10mm. I persisted for hours (drilling pilot holes, enlargening and allowing the drill bits to cool down in between), and still can only get about 25mm deep. In a moment of defeat, I installed the anchor and curtains in the too-shallow hole and tried to secure them with spakfilla, only for the curtains to fall down (unsurprisingly) The masonry anchors I am using require 40mm deep holes.

I have drilled so many holes in this area at this point (and learned how to fill them), but meet resistance and very time! 

I am using RYOBI masonry hammer drill bits, but have reached the limit of my knowledge. 

Should I buy an expensive stud finder that works on concrete walls? Should I just use masonry wall anchors that only go 25mm deep, and will that be enough? It has to hold two layers of curtains, one sheer and one black out so a few kg.

Hoping some pros can help me! Thank you in advance!

P.S. ignore the mismatched paint, that is a result of a failed colour match from a previous Bunnings trip!

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @georgiaob4 

There are a few reasons you might be having troubles. So lets explore the options.

Good to see you  looking after heat issues  for the drill bits it will help them last longer. 

The time to consider how hot they are getting is during the drilling process.  If they are smoking hot or turning black, they are generally over heated and cooked. Drill bits need to not over heat while drilling,  Eg  drilling steel I always oil the drill bit and hole frequently it cools the drill bit. Concrete shorter drill periods,

Its good your considering the use of pilot holes but generally that is not usefull for concrete walls more steel and  wood etc

I would go for heavy duty drill bits Kango  or  sutton  as examples of the more robust brands things like craftright will bearly do two holes and the  price is an indicator there.  Ryobi is to my experiance a mid range preformer and should last more than two holes.

1 I would  use a   Rotary hammer drill as it is 10x more powerfull for concrete drilling Vs a regular drill with a hammer function I one a High powered metabol drill and hammer drill function it takes seriously a lot of effort to drill into concrete on hammer drill function.   Then  I bought a  Ozito 1500W Rotary Hammer drill  and it drills into the same hard  concrete like its butter.  Bucause the drilling speed is so quick the drill bit dosent heat up too hot and lasts longer too.

It sounds like you are struggling with a drill with hammer function.?  As it is drilling at a snail's  pace and this will overheat the drill bit and cause it to reduce its effectiveness,

So ideally use quality drill bits, with a rotary hammer drill to make light work of your projects Ideally as  us DIYers dont need the extra stress

Optionally to having to fork out money for a $100 hammer drill  (Note  hammer drills require specific types of drill bits to fit them so it is the cost of  1 drill bit too)

Optionally

I might consider using high strength araldite

 To fix your anchors and fittings into the shallower hole but use your hammer drill to clean out the spak filler first.

Sorry you are having troubles  hope this helps some

[EricL]

Hello @georgiaob4 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about drilling into masonry.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Jewelleryrescue. I definitely agree that using quality drill bits such as Kango or Sutton are one of the main keys to drilling through masonry. The other one is getting a really good drill. Drilling through brick and aerated concrete is quite often not that difficult but going through solid concrete can sometimes pose a challenge. A corded drill such as the Ryobi 1500W SDS+ Rotary Hammer Drill RSDS1500-K will make short work of that drilling issue.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @georgiaob4 

The advice that has been offered is sound. But in reality it's going to cost you $100's just to drill a few holes in masonry. And stud finders don't work in your sceneario. As simple as your requirement is, it still requires expensive tools and accessories you may never or hardly ever use again, So, my advice would be to consider hiring a handyman to install the curtains. Having installed curtains and blinds in many scenarios, there will be more specially tools and/or knowledgerequired.

Nailbag

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @georgiaob4 

When I was going through your description and especially after you said your first holes on the far side went easily I am thinking two things.

If your wall is a solid concrete wall you may have been unlucky enough to hit reo or you have hit a lintel of some sort that is within the concrete. I suspect reo. Did you notice any fine metal shaving clinging to the tip of your masonary drill bit?

If you have hit metal then I would suggest to move the hole 130mm away from the previous hole (think of reo as possibly square and it could be 100mm square or 120mm square) I wouldnt go less as it gives higher chance of cracking near the existing hole.

I would not suggest to drill through reo Ive tried and the hole ended up looking like a D, I did manage to drill the hole but wasnt happy with it. Reo is hardened steel and rounded so its a nope.

Dave