Updated: 23/07/2020

How to Drill a Hole in the Wall

Getting work done around the house is a necessity. Most of us need to drill holes into our home walls every once in a while. Purchasing cordless drills, different drill bits, and plugs are easily done online. The real trick is in actually drilling a hole in the wall. You cannot screw directly into a wall. You need to drill a sizable hole, attach a wall plug, fix the screw, and then attach whatever you want. 

Many home improvement experts will tell you drilling holes into walls is easy. What is not easy is identifying the holes, bits, and plugs needed for different types of walls. If you’re a first-timer, we would advise you to stay away from power tools at this time. You should opt for cordless drills that have an ergonomic hold and are easy to use. While purchasing screws and drill bits, ensure they are compatible with your drill machine. 

Before we start, let us take a look at everything you will need:

• Cordless drill
• Rawl plug with correctly sized screw
• Drill bits
• Colourful tape to mark spots on the bit
• Hammer
• Pencil for marking
• Screwdriver
• Multidetector for hidden pipes or cables
• Safety goggles 

Let us look at the process in simple steps:

1. Decide the location of the hole on your wall. Using the multi-detector, check for any hidden pipes and cables. If you find any, shift the spot either above or below. Make a safe mark like a dot or a cross with the pencil once you find the perfect place. 
2. Next, you need to choose the exact drill bit size and plug to go with your screws. Select the plugs according to the material of the wall. Select wall plugs meant for plasterboards when drilling into a wall instead of a masonry wall.
3. To get the exact depth, hold the plug up to the bit and make a spot on the bit with a little colourful tape. When drilling, always go slightly deeper than the marked wall plug spot.
4. Turn the drill to the hammer setting when starting the drilling process. Hold the drill steady and keep it perpendicular to the wall at all times. Do not let it tilt or sway. Keeping it stable ensures you get a clean hole.
5. Stop drilling once the length passes slightly more than the marked drill bit spot.
6. Fit the wall plug using your fingers. Add a little pressure to keep it snug in the wall. If you need to level it, use a hammer to make it secure. Now you can firmly insert the screw into the wall.

Drilling a Concrete Wall

Concrete is hardened, and so should be used with a percussion drill. While drilling, use masonry bits, so that the hole is made clean, and the drill bit does not break off into the wall. You can also use a tungsten carbide drill bit depending on the anchor and chuck size. You could use a carbide head with 3- 4 cutting edges with a spindle drill. 

Needless to say, you should keep the cordless drill steady and drill straight. If you fear dirtying your surroundings, you could use a folded sheet beneath to collect any fallout.

Drilling a Brick Wall

Brick walls usually need percussion drills owing to the difficulty in drilling. A drilling machine with a speed regulator works great for brick walls. If the wall is thin, you can go without a percussion drill machine. You could use a tungsten carbide drill bit set to get even holes throughout. While drilling brick walls, always use protective/ safety goggles to protect your eyes as there is a lot of flying, fine matter.

Drilling a Wooden Wall

Wooden walls are the easiest to drill. You should use a cordless drill with a flat wick or spiral wick. Avoid using masonry bits or tungsten carbide bits as they are too severe for wooden walls and may blacken the hole. Flat wicks are excellent for small and large diameter holes.

Drilling a Plasterboard Wall

Plasterboard is even easier to drill through than wood. You need to set the cordless drill machine speed to the least, and simply drill perpendicular to the plasterboard. You may use a masonry drill bit, but any wood drill bit will also aid the drilling process. Since a plasterboard wall is not hard, the drilling should be done gently, without adding too much pressure or speed. You should, ideally, avoid using metal drill bits since those make it quite blunt.