How To Drill Into Concrete

In this video, I demonstrate how to drill into concrete with a regular drill and with a hammer drill using a concrete drill bit (also known as a masonry drill bit).

I walk you through the process step by step, so this is great for beginners or pros looking for concrete drilling tips.

--Contents of this video ----------------------------
00:00 - Intro
00:50 - How to drill into concrete with a regular drill
02:35 - How to drill into concrete with a hammer drill
03:27 - What is a hammer drill?
04:10 - Hammer drill vs. regular drill for drilling into concrete
04:45 - Conclusion and bonus tips

---Materials and Tools needed for the job ----------------------

You don't need a hammer drill to drill into concrete, brick, or stone. Concrete is the hardest of the materials, and a regular drill will work just fine; it's just a bit slower, and you will have to apply more force.

Any time you plan to use concrete anchors or concrete screws, you will first need to drill the appropriately sized hole into the concrete So first, you need the correct size masonry drill bit, then a decent quality power drill.

From there, simply mark the location, carefully get the hole started, then drill just like you'd drill into any other surface.

Once you have the hole drilled about 1/4" deeper than the anchor or screw you'll be using, clean out the hole thoroughly and then pound in the anchor or screw in the tapcon screw.

---About Handyman Startup ---------------------------
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Very few people know you can generate a six-figure income as a handyman, only offering basic services like hanging pictures and TVs, patching drywall, fixing fences, and other small but simple repairs.

---About my Youtube Channel ----------------------
Here on Youtube, my main goal is to create high-quality tutorials that save you time and help you get better results with your projects. Basically, I create DIY videos that don't suck.

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[manandatractor]

Having drilled thousands of holes in masonry I can say that having the right tool for the job makes things go much smoother and quicker, and that would be with a rotary hammer drill. Yes you can use a regular drill with a masonry bit, and as commented on, you're going to have to use some physical pressure to get the job done. I believe the point is, if you only need a few holes for a specific install then it isn't necessary to blow a bunch of money for another tool. However, if you're doing this in a repetitive fashion then save your body and energy and use the correct tool for the job and get the job done more efficiently.

[MrKayoed]

Drill with a smaller hole because it’ll be easier going through the concrete, then move up to the larger drill bit. It takes less toll on your drill, especially if it’s cordless.

[jimeoff]

One of the best presentations of any DIYer that I've seen.

[petcatznz]

It’s a good idea to mark the hole's centre position with a cross that’s a bit larger than the drill bit. That way, if the drill drifts at the start you won’t loose the correct centre position if the drill moves a little and scrubs some of the mark out.

[StCreed]

Good luck with this approach. I tried this when I moved from my old home into my current one. In the old house I could easily drill into the wall with a normal (corded) drill and a masonry bit. Tried that in the new one, took me an hour, I got about 5 mm in and I had to get a new masonry bit. I also bought a hammerdrill and it took me 5 seconds.

This same wall, I hired someone to drill a hole for the kitchen ventilation. He came, and then used a huge diamondcore drill with watercooling that he bolted on the wall with 4 separate bolts. Still took him 5 minutes to get through the first wall at full power. Yeah, my walls are a bit of an outlier, but still. If you find yourself with really hard concrete, get a hammer drill. It's way easier.

[ericshaggs]

I did this experiment on my own as I did not want to go out an buy a hammer drill if I didn't need it. After going through 2 batteries and not even getting through 1 1/2 holes I decided to buy a drill with the hammer feature. It was a night and day difference. It took me just 5 minutes to drill the rest of the holes I needed.

[Mentatstrategy]

This was one of the most helpful videos. I used the same drill your using to install a sturdy ground anchor, the cement was almost as easy as wood. At first I tried a cheap bit - it overheated and barely made the hole. Then I switched to a quality bit - HUGE difference. I'm also 240 which probably helped - thank you for saving me from buying an overpowered tool that I'd never use.

[nilsschear]

The difference is wear and tear on your cordless. If you’re doing lots of holes you will burn up the cordless, a good sds hammer drill will last years with daily use. For a home owner this is fine, but for me, a 25 year veteran in structural concrete form work, it’s not even comparable.

[MN-puqx]

I've used masonry drills on many occasions and have to use one again today. SO, being a terrible procrastinator, I thought I'd have a look at YouTube for how to use a masonry drill, before starting the job. It turned out well because I watched this video. I'd not initiated the hole on non-hammer before, so I'll give that a go. And I'd never considered not using a hammer drill for masonry bits, so that's a lesson too. Anyway, very good video, it's now 10 minutes later, 12 mid-day where I am, meaning it's lunch time. I'll now start my job after lunch. Thanks very much for providing an excellent distraction!!! I've got to go now because my wife is screaming at me to get off the computer...

[handyman]

You can keep a cup or bottle of water to pour water around and into the hole to keep the bit cool which helps with wear.

[Anyonesguess]

Excellent video. Simple & straightforward.

[rajivshrestha]

You saved me $150-$200. I was about to go buy the hammer drill, however your video gave me the confidence to get the work done with driver drill!! Thank you, really appreciate your advice!!🍻

[kshred]

Option 3: Rotary Hammer plus SDS bits. The SDS bits are splined which allows for a superior hammering action. Can also be used as a mini breaker (with appropriate chisel bits). Well worth the investment.

[sheenascott]

I came here because I bought a 20v cordless drill and it just got delivered today. Never used a drill until a few hours ago and I want to mount a TV on my concrete wall. I'm giving this a try tomorrow and I pray it works out and I don't phuqq myself up 😂 fingers crossed 🤞🏼

[toritapscott]

Thanks for this! First time home owner with a ton of things that need to be done, so this super helpful!

[evslone]

Excellent advice with lots of good tips.

[OlTrailDog]

Thanks for the tip about marking holes where you want them to be. I was randomly drilling holes all over and didn't understand why the bracket didn't line up.

[davidcox]

If you want to get more than 2 or three holes from your drill bit, have a bucket of water handy, and dip the drill bit into it every so often. This keeps the bit from over heating and loosing its temper. I also use a cold chisel punch to start my hole. This keeps the drill bit from wondering. Simply place the punch in the correct location and smack it with a hammer a couple of times. Also, if you are drilling into brick or concrete block, it is best to not use the hammer function, and it will blow out the back of the block like an explosion.

[FullmoonEffects]

Depends on the concrete. The concrete i had to drill had really hard rocks mixed in. At some point it stops drilling, the bit heats up and it wears out.

[jeffthewhiff]

I had a project for a customer last fall that required me to drill several holes in very old concrete. After trying to use my regular drill and several bits later, I decided it would be much easier to rent a hammer drill and it was a wise decision for sure.