How to Drill Into Brick

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How to Drill Into Brick and hope the blog can help you.

Are you planning to hang a garden hose reel or artwork on a brick wall in your home, and don’t know where to start? Choose the right tool, drill bit, and technique, and you can bore holes in brick walls—indoors and out—in mere minutes.

Brick is the primary exterior wall material on 14 percent of the new 641,000 single-family homes sold in 2022, and decorative interior brick is often used to add warmth and beauty to a home. However, it’s not as easy to hang your artwork, curio cabinet, shelving, or a heavy flat-panel TV on a masonry wall as on a wood stud wall with drywall on top. Still, you don’t even have to call in a professional to hang your TV. You just need the proper tools and you need to know the right technique for how to drill into brick.

Why drill into brick?

From hanging interior artwork to mounting a garden hose reel on the exterior, there are many reasons you might want to drill into brick. Some projects may involve just one hole and others, like building a deck or mounting a floating shelf, can involve drilling multiple holes. 

While the reasons for drilling may be varied, the methods you use are essentially the same. The biggest variables have to do with the weight of the item that you plan to attach to the brick, and the condition of the mortar or brick into which you want to attach said item. Always make sure to choose a mounting method that is rated for the weight. 

Some common reasons for drilling into brick:

  • Hanging artwork or a TV
  • Mounting a garden hose holder
  • Attaching a deck ledger board
  • Installing a window planter box
  • Securing a floating shelf

The Right Tools

A drill/hammer drill or rotary hammer are the right tools to drill into brick. Typically, a drill/hammer drill is for small holes and a rotary hammer is for larger holes that are more than ⅜- inch in diameter. 

”Selecting the right tools for the task will enable you to drill effectively into bricks,” says Matt DiBara, fourth-generation mason contractor at DiBara Masonry in Los Angeles, California, and co-founder of The Contractor Consultants. He suggests using a hammer drill and a tungsten carbide masonry bit.

Drill/hammer drill bits have carbide tips and a smooth shank that can be chucked into a typical three-jawed chuck. While rotary hammer bits are also carbide-tipped, they have a shank that is inserted into a bit holder called SDS max. Of the two tools, the drill/hammer drill is much louder and less powerful. It’s more for DIY applications. A rotary hammer is a more expensive and far more robust tool, and is typically for professional use. 

The terms “drill/hammer drill” and “rotary hammer” are often used interchangeably, even among industry pros. While both tools do, in fact, “hammer” and they both pulverize masonry and concrete while evacuating dust out of the hole being drilled by the flutes in the bit, they do it differently. 

  • A drill/hammer drill generates its percussive force by means of a gubbins gear. Think of two poker chips rotating against each other on their edges. As the ridges ride over each other, the bit follows the up and down motion. This pulverizes the brick in front of it as the bit pounds into the hole. The metal-on-metal gubbins action is loud, so be sure to wear ear protection.
  • A rotary hammer action is more like that of a jack hammer. A ram pounds the back of the bit as it spins. This action is quieter, seems to generate less heat and is much quieter.  

If it’s an option, consider renting a rotary hammer and the carbide masonry bits instead of buying. You’ll need two to drill larger holes: a smaller bit for drilling a pilot hole and a larger one that’s the recommended size to finish the job.

Where to Drill: Brick vs. Mortar

A yellow drill being used to drill hole into brick wall.
Photo: istockphoto.com

As you position the object on the wall and lay out the required holes, your next decision will be whether to drill into the brick or the mortar. You’ll find lots of conflicting opinions on which option is better, but the correct answer really depends on a number of factors: the type and age of the brick, the depth and diameter of the holes, the type of anchor you use, and the weight you’re placing on the fasteners.

In addition to weighing which material makes the stronger bond, take a minute to consider how you’ll handle patching and hiding the holes if you drill in the wrong spot or remove the item later on. You can patch mortar holes with a tube of mortar repair, but it’s much harder to match brick color and texture when it comes time to fill those holes using mortar compound that you might have to mix yourself

Drill into mortar if you are hanging something light.

It’s generally easy to drill into mortar. The mortar joint is probably suitable for attaching lighter-duty items like lightweight wall art. However, keep in mind that there are often unknown or unpredictable voids in mortar that you can’t see, which can make it difficult for the fastener to attach.

Drill into brick if you are hanging something heavy.

Brick usually holds better and supports more weight than mortar. However, if you have old, fragile brick and you’re mounting a heavy object that requires deep holes and expansion-style anchors, deep holes weaken the brick, and expansion anchors can create enough circular stress to crack the brick. 

If your bricks show signs of cracks or spalling, find another brick that is sound or attempt to drill into the mortar so the anchor’s circular expansion forces push against fully intact bricks. Another strategy is to attach a French cleat to sound bricks that will allow you to distribute heavy weight across multiple bricks.

Tools & Materials

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