How To Drill Into A Wall.

[CanesFan95]

I've never quite understood what's the right way to drill screws into a wall for things like wall antenna mount brackets or conduit strapping. What tools do you need and how to you make sure you don't drill into a pipe or electrical wires inside the wall?

And what kind of screws do you use? Everytime I go the big hardware stores, their selection of screw basically sucks and I can't find anything with enough length and a nice large crew head to firmly fasten something. One problem is how screws cause concrete and stucco to literally crumble like sand.

Are we supposed to use anchors? The only ones I can find are drywall anchors, so what about stucco, concrete blocks, or wood?

 

[mmckenna]

Are we supposed to use anchors? The only ones I can find are drywall anchors, so what about stucco, concrete blocks, or wood?

In concrete? Usually. There are Tapcons that will allow you to screw directly into concrete, but they require a certain masonry bit size to make the pilot hole. They can work well, but I prefer not to use them.

Usually, a expansion bolt ("Redhead"), lag shield, or similar device is used. Screwing directly into concrete, short of using the Tapcons, isn't going to work.

Stucco - Find the stud or hope the sheathing holds.

Concrete blocks - drill all the way through and install a backer plate with nut/bolt. Or, if the concrete block has been 'filled', you can use the expansion bolts.

Wood - Depends on what you are installing and how thick the wood is. Lag bolts, long screws, or through bolt.

 

[trap5858]

There are as many answers to this question as there are surfaces to mount to.

Selecting the right hardware is critical to your success. The surface to mount to has to be considered for its ability to withstand the forces of what you are attaching.

Lead shields are commonly used when mounting in concrete, there a screws designed to be placed into a pilot hole in concrete. For mounting in wood anchors are generally not needed.

 

[CanesFan95]

So if you've got stucco over these kinds of blocks, what type of screws?



And it seems like once your drill be gets through the stucco and hits the block, it stops and won't drill through the block.

 

[mmckenna]

And it seems like once your drill be gets through the stucco and hits the block, it stops and won't drill through the block.

Then you are using the wrong tool for the job.
A hammer drill with suitable masonry bit (make -sure- it's rated for hammer drill use), will drill right through that, unless you hit rebar.

I've drilled a lot of holes in concrete, and having a good hammer drill with high quality bits, makes it very easy.

 

[mmckenna]

So if you've got stucco over these kinds of blocks, what type of screws?

View attachment 104167

The type of hardware will depend entirely on what you are mounting. There is no one answer.
If it's something very light, or screws to hold some wire clips in place, then the tapcons or small expansion anchors would work.
If it's something heavy like an antenna, then you drill all the way through. You'd install a heavy backer plate on the inside and use a long bolt or all-thread.