If you're looking to make some repairs to a concrete driveway or walkway or need to drill through a basement wall or floor for any reason, you're going to need the right type of drill and drill bits, and a bit of knowhow. Drilling through concrete is not like drilling through any other material of your home, as concrete gets stronger as it gets older and its rough texture underneath the surface can easily damage a drill bit. With the right tools and a few simple tips, you might find that it's easier to drill through concrete than you imagined. Note the following.

1. Choosing the drill and drill bits

It's best to choose what is called a hammer drill for drilling into concrete. This is a type of drill that has a hammering-type feature that gently pushes the drill bit forward, and it will make drilling through the thick material of concrete much easier. You also want to choose what are called masonry drill bits, which usually have a tungsten carbide finish brazed at the tip for added strength and durability. This will keep you from breaking the drill bits as you cut through the concrete.

2. Marking the depth

When drilling through concrete it's virtually impossible to mark the depth as you go, and you don't want to drill so far that you do damage to a wall or floor.

A method that the pros use to be sure of their depth is to measure that depth up the drill bit itself, and then wrap tape around the drill bit at that mark. As you drill, once you hit the edge of the tape then you know you've reached the desired depth. Don't use string for this trick as it's easy for string to move up and down the drill bit as you drill.

3. Mark the chuck and drill

The chuck refers to the point at which you will start drilling. If you mark this by gentling hammering a screwdriver into the point, you create a small indentation into which you can push the drill bit, making it easier for you to start drilling.

It's good to start out at a slow speed and to add some water to the drilling area as you go, to keep the drill bit from overheating. As you work through the outer edge of the concrete, you can then turn the drill speed up but be patient and let the tool and drill bit do the work. Trying to push it through the concrete can cause the bit to break, or cause the concrete to crack.

For more tips or assistance, consult resources like Hardcut Concrete Sawing Drilling.

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