By Steffani Cameron and Bob Vila | Updated January 11, 2021 at 9:07 AM

Although the cool industrial aesthetics of concrete is the design style of choice for modern homes, its density and strength have long made it an attractive building material. However, for homeowners trying to install art installations on concrete feature walls, drill holes at the end of the driveway to set fence posts, or punch holes in the back corners of the concrete, this durability can be a big obstacle. Such activities run a very real risk of damaging the drill bit or accidentally damaging the concrete surface because they are too enthusiastic and poorly executed to try to drill into the concrete.

In fact, you can drill holes in concrete internal feature walls, with only reliable rotary drills and masonry drills-just be careful not to burn the drill's motor or remove the drill. However, older concrete is usually much denser than some of the decorative concrete used in modern finishes, so it is impossible to cut through a 50-year-old concrete foundation with an old rotary drill. When you use older concrete — or if you plan to drill multiple holes about 2 to 4 inches deep and 3/4 inches wide — it is best to upgrade to an electric hammer drill.

These drill bits and their cemented carbide drill bits are specially designed for drilling holes in masonry or rock with quick hammering, and can be widely used in tool rental shops. A high-quality hammer drill (also called an electric hammer) can drill a 2 inch deep and 1/4 inch wide hole in less than a minute, which is much faster than a rotary drill, so it can be proved to be about 40 The afternoon rent in USD is reasonable.

When renting or buying a hammer drill, look for a hammer drill with good power, ideally more than one speed setting, stop function, and auxiliary handle for spare hands to improve comfort, control and safety. Among them, DeWalt, SKIL, Black & Decker all provide popular models suitable for most DIY applications. Please note that although the Dewalt tool (approximately US$100 on Amazon) costs more than twice that, it provides more powerful features than SKIL (approximately US$50 on Amazon) or the Black & Decker model (approximately US$50 on Amazon) .

Mark the desired locations of the holes with a pencil on the concrete surface and carefully check their locations before proceeding. In addition, during this planning and preparation work, please consider the required drilling depth for each hole. If the feature of your drill includes a stop bar, set it to the exact depth required according to the drill manufacturer's specifications. No stop bar function? Instead, wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit to indicate where you stop.

Put on the goggles, and then insert the tungsten carbide masonry drill bit that fits your desired hole size into the hammer drill. Next, step your feet firmly on the ground, shoulder-width apart, and get ready to drill. Hold your electric drill firmly with both hands: hold it with one hand like a handshake gun. If your spare hand does not have an auxiliary handle, please use that hand to support the back of the electric drill.

It is important to control the drill bit so that it does not run away after you start working. When you drill at an angle, the drill bit should be completely perpendicular to the concrete. Be prepared to generate some recoil due to the hammering action of the drill bit.

Make a pilot hole first. Many hammer drills only provide two speeds, so turn on the drill at a slower speed for best control when making pilot holes. If your drill has only one speed, then before you make a hole, control the burst in a few seconds each time. The pilot hole only needs to be 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep.

When you start with a pilot hole that is at least 1/8 inch deep, your drill will be easier to control, but you will also continue to operate the drill with a stable, light but firm touch, so you will never force it in. If you have Confidence, please adjust the speed to the maximum, hold the tool firmly with both hands, and then drill the hole in the concrete until the hole is completed.

Beware: Concrete may have bubbles and pebbles or stones, which can make resistance unpredictable, so it is easy to lose control of the tool for a period of time.

If you encounter an obstacle, do not push the drill bit deeper into the concrete. This may damage the drill bit or the drill bit, or cause you to lose control of the drill bit and mess up your hole, damage the concrete surface, or worse.

Whenever you reach any hard-to-crack place that hinders progress, put the drill down and grab the masonry nails and hammers. Place the tip of the stone nail in the problematic area, and then tap it with a hammer a few times—not hard—to break the obstacle. When you are done, continue to drill the concrete at a slow speed until you are sure you have passed the rough patch.

Pull out the drill regularly to remove concrete dust. Considering that you can use a hammer drill to drill a 2-inch hole in less than a minute, a pause every 15 to 20 seconds is sufficient.

After drilling the hole to the desired depth, use a can of compressed air to blow all the concrete dust out of the hole, and then use a vacuum cleaner to suck away anything that falls on the ground. Throughout the process, you should still wear goggles to prevent any concrete dust and debris that may fly to your face and scratch your eyes.

Repeat this process for any other holes you need. Once passed, the vacuum will make cleaning a breeze.

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