How to Drill Into an Interior Brick Wall

Switch on a pipe and cable detector and scan the area of wall into which you intend to drill. Note the location of nearby pipes and cables, and satisfy yourself that they do not pass under the point where drilling will occur. On bare brick walls it is usually safe to assume that anything you detect will be behind the brick rather than within it, so you will be safe so long as you don’t drill deeper than one brick depth.

Disconnect the drill for the power supply and open the chuck. Hold a masonry bit of the desired size in the center of the chuck and tighten it by hand. Check that the bit is still central and give the chuck a final tighten using the chuck key. Remove the chuck key from the drill.

Connect the drill to the power supply and gently squeeze the trigger. Observe the masonry bit and ensure that it revolves with no sign of eccentricity or wobble. Repeat Step 2 if the bit is off center.

Place a dust sheet on the floor to catch the brick dust ejected by the bit as it drills into the wall. If you need to drill to a set depth, measure the desired distance along the bit and wrap a piece of sticky tape around the bit to mark the point at which you should stop drilling. Set the drill speed, if your drill has a speed control, to match the speed recommended by the bit manufacturer. Otherwise select a "fast" option, the symbol corresponding to drilling into hard surfaces, or the "hammer" symbol if the bricks are known to be particularly hard.

Hold the drill against the point where the hole is required and adjust it until the drill bit is perpendicular to the wall surface. With your feet apart, to ensure a balanced position, press gently against the wall and squeeze the drill trigger. The bit will quickly bite into plaster or plasterboard, establishing the angle of the hole. Apply a little more pressure and pump the drill with an "in and out" action as the bit bites into the brick behind the plaster.

Ease off the pressure as the bit approaches the desired depth and, when the desired depth is reached, begin to pull back with the drill still running. Continue until the bit is entirely removed from the hole, bringing any remaining pulverized brick dust with it.