How to Drill into Concrete
While most fences are installed in holes with concrete or pounded into the dirt, there are some that are bolted to existing concrete surfaces using baseplates and various types of anchors and bolts.
If you are installing a fence with baseplates and bolts, you might be wondering how to drill into concrete. Here’s what you need to know.
Get the Right Drill Bits
If you don’t do much drilling, you might not know that you need different drill bits for drilling into concrete, but if you’re wondering how to drill into concrete properly and relatively easily, you will need to get the right kinds of bits.
The type of drill bits that are used for drilling into concrete are known as masonry bits, and you can find them at most hardware stores.
Use the Right Drill
The next thing you need to know when you’re wondering how to drill into concrete is that you need the right kind of drill.
You want to use a fairly powerful drill that has a hammer function. This will make it easier to drill into the concrete. If you don’t own this type of drill, you might be able to rent one from a tool supplier or rental company, and that’s usually better than trying to do this with a hobbyist’s drill – and cheaper than buying one!
Inspect Your Concrete
The next thing you need to know about how to drill into concrete is that you need to be sure your concrete can handle the drilling.
Cracked, crumbling, very old and brittle or otherwise damaged concrete might not be able to support a fence at all. Likewise, if you only have a thin concrete slab, you might not be able to install a bolted fence, and it might be better to cut through the slab and install your fence posts with holes and concrete.
Finally, remember that in most cases, you can’t install fences directly onto precast concrete blocks or pavers – although you might be able to install them on a cinderblock wall with the right kind of baseplates.
Be Wary of Rebar
Most concrete slabs, beams and other types of structural concrete have steel reinforcing, also known as rebar, embedded in them. This increases the structure’s tensile strength, but they aren’t ideal for drilling into concrete. In fact, if you are drilling into concrete and you do hit rebar, you could break or bind the drill bit, which could be dangerous and will definitely slow down progress.
There are some services that will scan and mark reinforcing on your slab, but they are usually only used when structural integrity is critical, and they are very expensive.
In most cases, there is about 2” or 50mm of “cover” on the rebar, which is the layer of concrete between the rebar and the surface of the concrete. So if you’re drilling less than that to bolt your fence in place, you should be able to avoid hitting any rebar.
Bolts and More
When you’re wondering how to drill into concrete to install your fence, the final thing you need to know is that the holes are just part of the equation. The bolts, chemical anchors and other hardware you use to do the installation are just as important.
If you’re not completely confident that you can drill into concrete and bolt your fence in place properly, it’s always best to hire a fence company or contractor to do it for you. Smaller companies might even agree just to install your posts and leave the rest up to you to DIY.
