Drilling into brick is helpful for all kinds of home improvement projects, but it requires some skill and knowledge, which I will share with you. Drilling skills will be used in many household improvement tasks such as hanging a painting, making a hole for electrical wiring, or putting up a shelf, TV, or picture on the wall. You will need to learn how to drill into the brick or masonry. Obtaining quality drilling tools and learning necessary safety precautions are essential.
As you can’t drill directly into the brick for that, you need a hole to insert a raw plug for holding the screw in the spot you performed, after which it is screwed. Also, drilling into the brick wall is more straightforward than the plasterboard as it needs some unique fixtures to fix.
So, in most cases, cordless drills can drill into the brick. Still, you need to ensure that the drill has enough power and torque to drill into the brick or mansory. Also, the drill bit used should be of top quality Mansory drill bit.
Ensuring Adequate Power is required for Drilling into a brick
Make sure you have a large battery. The best consideration would be from 18v to 20v, whereas the standard 12v to 14v will also work. Still, it would help if you replaced the battery again and again. As brick is a rigid material, batteries drain faster due to more power requirements, so understanding the best drill and battery to use is essential, and for that, you have to understand the difference between amp hours and voltage.
The higher the voltage, the higher the number of revolutions per minute (rpm), which means that the drill will spin much faster, and amp hours affect the amount of torque the drill has, which means the more amp hours, the greater the torque.
What Drill Bit Should be Used for Drilling Into Brick?
The ideal drill bit is the mansory drill bit as it is very tough and is best to get through these materials. Among Mansory drill bits, the best ones are fortified with tungsten carbide to cut through these materials.
These drill bits are designed not to get overheated, and their work process is that they work away at the material you are drilling into while their twist section removes the dust and debris produced during the drilling.
Choose the best quality when purchasing drill bits for drilling into the Mansory. It would be best to never compromise on this as Mansory drill bits are primarily available in sets, so it is better to buy the complete set as it has several sizes.
Mansory drill bits are highly compatible with the cordless drill. Still, you will need another Mansory drill bit for hard surfaces, which should have SDS fitting instead of a simple masonry drill bit. These types of drill bits can be used in a hammer drill.
What Drill to Use For Masonry or Brick?
You can use a cordless drill set to simplify the drilling function if the brick you are trying to drill in is softer. Still, for the mansory wall, using the hammer function for the drill is ideal. Hammer function means that it will provide a blow to the drill bit from behind, just like hitting the drill with a hammer while you are drilling.
This setting lets the drill drill faster as it causes more vibration, which makes extra vibrations. This leads to the easy grinding action of the Mansory drill bit, which happens more quickly.
Some drills have the setting of drill and hammer, commonly named combi drills. So, always check if your drill has a hammer symbol on the clutch setting before drilling.
How do you Drill Into a Brick Wall?
Now, the main reason you are here is how to drill into the brick correctly. Here are some simple steps:
- First, identify the type of wall you are drilling.
It is essential to know which material you are drilling through; it all depends on the age and model of the house. The exterior walls are primarily bricks, but the internal walls can be brick or timber stud walls. Now, finding out which one it is knocking on the wall can give you an idea, as a hollow sound typically indicates a stud wall.
- Check if there is any pipe or wires beneath the drill area.
It is always better to see whether the place where you are performing the drilling operation does not have electrical connections or water pipes beneath it, or else it can make much of a disaster for you and hassle in repairing it again. You can use a detector around the spot where you will drill.
- Mark out the place where you want to drill.
Use a pencil or pen to mark the spot, then use the drill to make an indentation in the wall so that the drill does not skip around the surface.
- Start drilling.
Hold the drill straight at 90° toward where you are drilling. Start slowly drilling toward the brick and push forward, but don’t push it too hard; it will heat up the drill bit quickly. Now, move the drill bit back and forth to clear the debris to prevent the flutes from getting clogged up. Then, to know that you have drilled deep enough, measure it with a drill bit against the size of the rawl plug.
- Inserting the rawl plug.
Now insert the rawl plug into the hole and use a hammer to ensure it fits tightly.
- Drive the screw into the hole.
You are ready to drive the screw into the hole.
What is the hammer setting, and when to use it?
A hammer setting is an option in the cordless drill, which provides high vibrations to the drill bit to assist it in drilling through solid materials like bricks and masonry. The hammer setting is only used for hard and strong material, not for driving screws.
Top Tips to Remember When Drilling Into Brick.
- Use the slowest possible speed for drilling through the brick.
- Use hammer action only for hard masonry; use the slowest speed for soft masonry, keeping hammer action off.
- If the surface is smooth, use a nail punch to create a starting point, preventing the drill bit from strolling.
- Do not lean on the drill machine as it works. Let the drill do the work.
Troubleshooting: Why Can’t I Drill into my Brick Wall?
You can only quickly drill into the brick wall using the drills hammer function for a few reasons.
- Check your drill rotation direction.
The drill rotating in the wrong direction will make it difficult for it to make a hole in the wall, so for the forward movement, the drill should be rotating in the clockwise direction, or if it is rotating in the anticlockwise direction, then I will struggle to penetrate the wall. You can change the rotation direction from the button or selector on the drill machine.
- Cheap or weak batteries weaken a drill.
A low-budget drill usually comes with cheap batteries, which need more power, making it more challenging to drill through the bricks.
- Low sharpness of drill bits.
The sharpness is reduced after heavy use of the drill bits through brick or masonry, so it is good to either sharpen them or replace them with new ones, as they aren’t that expensive.
- Wall obstructions.
Sometimes, soundproofing materials are used on the wall to reduce the noise from outside to inside the house, or maybe it’s a nail. If you have a plaster wall, the lath is nailed to the studs behind it, and you are likely to hit one of them, so don’t force it. You can adjust the placement of the hole.
Conclusion:
Drilling into brick is valuable for various home improvement projects, from hanging decorations to installing shelves or electrical wiring. To ensure a successful drilling experience, here are the key takeaways from our comprehensive guide:
- Selecting the Right Drill and Battery: For drilling into brick, it’s crucial to have a drill with sufficient power. Opt for a cordless drill with a battery voltage between 18v and 20v for optimal performance. Higher voltage provides more revolutions per minute (rpm), while amp hours affect torque.
- Choosing the Correct Drill Bit: Use masonry drill bits, preferably those fortified with tungsten carbide, to cut through brick effectively. These bits are designed to stay cool and remove debris during drilling. Consider investing in a complete set of masonry drill bits to cover various sizes and applications.
- Understanding Hammer Function: A hammer drill function is ideal when dealing with harder masonry surfaces, such as a brick wall. This setting adds extra vibration, aiding the drilling process. Ensure your drill has a hammer symbol on the clutch setting if you intend to use this function.
- Drilling Into Brick – Step by Step: To drill into brick correctly, follow these steps:
- Identify the wall type and location of pipes or wires.
- Mark the drilling spot and create an indentation.
- Drill slowly and steadily, clearing debris as you go.
- Measure the hole’s depth against the rawl plug.
- Insert the rawl plug and secure it with a hammer.
- Drive the screw into the hole to complete the task.
- Hammer Setting: The hammer setting on a cordless drill is used for drilling through solid materials like bricks and masonry. It should not be used for driving screws.
- Top Tips: Remember these tips for successful brick drilling:
- Use the slowest speed when drilling into brick.
- Reserve hammer action for hard masonry.
- Consider using a nail punch to create a starting point.
- Let the drill do the work; avoid excessive force.
- Troubleshooting: If you encounter difficulties when drilling into brick, consider checking the drill’s rotation direction, the quality of batteries, the sharpness of drill bits, or potential wall obstructions.
I’m Ethan Knight, a mechanical engineer and writer. I’ve been writing for blogs and university projects for ten years, sharing my expertise in engineering and product tools. I’m passionate about empowering readers to choose and use their tools effectively, enabling their creativity and efficiency. Join me on this journey to unlock the potential of our tools together.
