Hammer Drill or Rotary Hammer for poured concrete wall

A wet diamond core drill will give the best and easiest results. A dry diamond core mounted on an industrial grinder will give the next best results. All other methods will result in a beaten and chipped out hole which will work and can be grout packed.

Reply to
DanG
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I am looking for a way to create a hole through a poured concrete wall to allow a 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe from a sump pump to go through. The "hole" will actually be at the very top of the poured concrete wall where the wall meets the sill plate. In fact, I could even just create a half-round chip-out area at the top of the poured concrete for the bottom half of the opening, and drill out the sill plate for the top half of the opening. But, given the way everything is set up, I do need to go through the poured concrete wall for at least part of the opening -- I can't just drill through the sill plate etc.

I have been looking at information online about hammer drills and possibly rotary hammers. I can find YouTube videos etc. that show people drilling concrete, but I don't see any the show people drilling through poured concrete basement walls. My poured concrete wall is about 6 or 8 inches thick (I'd have to check to be sure).

My plan is to rent a hammer drill or a rotary hammer to create the hole.

Can anyone give me an idea of how hard this is to do? Will a hammer drill or rotary hammer work for this? I am thinking that maybe I can drill several smaller holes through the poured concrete and then chip out the rest rather than try to drill out a single 1-1/2(+) inch hole.

Which is better to rent for this job -- a hammer drill or a rotary hammer?

Reply to
RogerT

Rent the rotary hammer to begin with. If you rent a 'hammer drill' you will go back for the rotary. BTDT. You aren't going to make a neat round hole with anything but a coring machine. Using the rotary hammer drill a series of holes around the outline of your big hole and knock out the webs with a hammer. Expect a big mess for cleanup.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Forgot to add that you as well as a couple drill bits you will also need a chisel bit to nibble out the scrap and neaten up the hole a bit.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Why can't you just go above the sill plate and out through the rim joist like the rest of us do? Just wonderin'....

Reply to
Steve Barker

I'd buy a 2" core drill bit [about $100 on ebay] and use my 1/2" drill. [*not* in hammer mode] The bit I have is about 4". I'd drill till it bottoms- chisel the waste and do it again.

Hitting re-rod might create a problem- but to do 8" of concrete would be a 10 minute job-- and you'd end up with a nice hole exactly where you want it.

-snip-

If you're determined to rent- I'd ask what they have in core drills. There might be something that will plow through re-rod & 8" of concrete in short order.

Personally- I'd rather own the tool to use another day.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

Thanks. I think I'll try the rotary hammer.

I just went to see if they rent them at Home Depot near me and they had hammer drills but not rotary hammers. I can check the Home Depot that is near the property where I will be doing the work to see if they have rotary hammers for rent.

But, I also just checked the Harbor Freight website and I may just go ahead and buy one since they are only $80 and their store is on my way to the property. Here's what I saw on their website:

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Reply to
RogerT

It's a little hard to explain but, the joists run one way and the PVC will be running the other way across the room and across the joists. If I run the PVC up at the end to get up over the poured concrete wall and go out through the sill plate or rim joist, the sump pump will have a long pipe full of water sitting on top of it when it's not pumping. I would rather have the top pipe that goes across the room be able to empty and not reman full of water in between pumps. Goig striaght out through the top of the concrete wall will allow that.

Reply to
RogerT

The water won't be bearing on the pump, it will be bearing on the check valve. You need a check valve above the pump or the water will just drain backwards through the pump into the sump when the pump shuts off. Spend a few extra bucks for high quality check valve and you're done. I prefer the PVC type that are combo checkvalves and ball valves so you can fuss with the pump without all the water pouring out of the pipe.

Now if you're worried it might freeze, that's a different matter, but as long as you can slope the short length that goes through the sill so it drains, it should be fine unless your basement or crawl space gets really cold.

HTH,

Paul

Reply to
Paul Franklin

Thanks. My system does have a check valve. I don't mind there being 5 or 6 feet of water in the vertical pipe above the check valve. I just don't want another 25 feet of horizontal pipe full of water also being above the check valve. So, my plan is designed to prevent that from happening.

Reply to
RogerT

Rent the rotary hammer to begin with. If you rent a 'hammer drill' you will go back for the rotary. BTDT. You aren't going to make a neat round hole with anything but a coring machine. Using the rotary hammer drill a series of holes around the outline of your big hole and knock out the webs with a hammer. Expect a big mess for cleanup.

+++++++++++++

Thanks. Here's the update. I bought a rotary hammer at Harbor Freight today for $79.95 and a $15.95 set of 5 SDS masonry drill bits.

Drilling with the rotary hammer went pretty well -- a lot easier than I thought it would. But after drilling 5 or 6 quarter-inch holes in a U-shape at the top of the wall, I had a pretty hard time breaking out what was left to create the hole. It turns out that the poured concrete wall is about 12 inches thick.

I tried hitting it with a hammer but that didn't work. Then I tried using the hammer/"chipper" attachment that came with the rotary hammer with it set in just the "hammer" position. That worked a little, but not too well. The problem is that the only chipper attachment that came with the rotary hammer was a pointed one. That tends to bore in but not break off pieces too well. What I think I need is a chipper with a flat blade on the end. I had a small pry bar with me with a flat edge and that worked a little better by trying the use that as a chisel, but I either needed to have a regular flat edge cold chisel with me (which I didn't), or I need to get the flat chisel attachment for the rotary hammer.

So, the job only 2/3 done and I'll finish it when I get the right chisel tool and/or attachment, and I think the rest of the job will go pretty easily.

But thanks again for suggesting the rotary hammer. I'm glad I bought it and it does work well. I just need the right type of chisel attachment and/or a flat blade cold chisel at this point.

Reply to
RogerT

On 9/25/2010 6:56 PM, RogerT wrote: (snip)

So several hours of hard labor and 100 bucks later, you still aren't done. But at least you had fun, and got a new tool out of it, even if it is only a HF special.

Stuff like that, I'd rather call somebody in who owns the right tool (in this case a core drill). and has done it before. Around here, that hole done by a concrete cutting sub would have run maybe $150, and he would have been in and out in an hour. And the hole would have been pretty.

But that's just me. I do understand the satisfaction of not letting a challenge defeat you and all. But lately, now that I have a little cashflow, some things just don't seem worth the hassle any more.

Reply to
aemeijers

Yep, all true. I'm having fun, and I got to buy a new tool that I do expect to use more in the future. So far, it was only about an hour of actual labor before I figured out I should just get the right chisel bit before continuing. But there was also travel time to get therotary hammer and to/from the job, plus time reading the directions on the tool etc.

I do have the money and I could have paid someone, but that would have involved time finding someone, then arranging to be there and going there to watch them do it, and hope that they actually show up when they said they would.

Reply to
RogerT

Well, you _could_ have cut the time down some by not reading the instructions :) I thought reading those was banned for DIYers.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Please URGENTLY share any concrete person's contact info, we just discovered our landscaper poured concrete and blocked drainage so we need someone to quite simply bore a drainage hole in concrete or block wall ASAP.

Reply to
agmoore123

Why don't you get off your lazy ass and "let your fingers do the walking?"

Reply to
Gordon Shumway

I know a great guy in Westminster, Maryland. Please email your address and phone number and I'll have him call you.

Reply to
Micky

Oren posted for all of us...

Why? I'm sure he's got his free Oslamaphone and free mortgage so what's the problem? They are in a giving mood!

Reply to
Tekkie®

DanG posted for all of us...

He only needs a hole the size of a straw!

Reply to
Tekkie®

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