Core drills for Brick

Drilling holes in walls or ceilings is a very common operation both during construction and in rooms with a finished interior. Brick is one of the most common materials that needs drilling. Holes in brick are most often made with a diamond hole saw, while carbide-tipped core bits are taking a back seat. A well-chosen brick hole saw makes a clean hole quickly without crumbling the masonry around it. In search engines this tool is also often called a brick drill bit — in practice it is a diamond core bit that cuts a hole of a specific diameter in the wall.

Advantages of diamond drilling

Drilling with a diamond hole saw for brick has a number of advantages over carbide-tipped core bits:

• Wide range of compatible machines
• High drilling speed
• Non-impact operation (no load on the structure)
• Ability to make large and deep holes
• Minimal construction waste after drilling
• Accurate, clean hole

All these advantages are gradually pushing carbide core bits and percussion bits out of the construction market, as they have practically no advantage over diamond hole saws for brick.

Sizes and uses of diamond core bits for brick

When drilling brick, a professional may face many different tasks that require holes of a specific diameter and depth. Here are the most common jobs and the brick core bit diameters they require:

• Kitchen hood — 112–132 mm
• Industrial hood — 200–300 mm
• Gas pipes — 32–42 mm
• Sewer pipes — 112–132 mm
• Ventilation systems — 102–132 mm
• Heat recovery unit — 82–132 mm
• Air conditioner — 42–62 mm
• Electrical sockets — 68–72 mm
• Junction boxes — 82 mm

While the diameter is fairly clear, the hole depth depends on the thickness of the wall. It can be anywhere from 150–200 mm to over 1000 mm. Diamond core bits for brick are usually made with 300 and 450 mm barrels, but this length is not always enough for the job. In that case special extensions are used. Only brick core bits for socket holes have a fixed depth: about 70 mm, which is enough to install any type of socket box.

Core drill bits for brick — which machines do they fit?

The DISTAR catalogue offers core drill bits for brick with different mountings, so you can match the tool to the equipment you already have:

• M16 thread — for hammer drills and drills with a suitable adapter;
• SDS-plus shank — fits directly into a rotary hammer, no adapter needed;
• 1 1/4" thread — for diamond core drilling machines, for large diameters and deep holes.

How to drill brick correctly

Brick is a fairly soft material that is easy to work. Most professionals use dry brick hole saws. Some of these bits (for socket boxes or air-conditioner holes) can be used on an ordinary household hammer drill, while others are used on dedicated diamond core drilling machines. Whatever the equipment, a few practical tips will help you drill brick:

• Mark the future hole accurately
• Depending on the purpose of the hole, decide on the drilling angle
• Make sure there are no cables in the wall or where the bit will exit
• It is best to start the hole with a special template or centring device
• Without a template or centring device you can start without them, but hold the brick hole saw at 45 degrees to the material and gradually straighten it
• If you have drilled to the full depth of the bit and it is not enough, remove the bit, take out the drilled brick core and fit an extension between the bit and the machine spindle
• If there is metal in the structure, do not increase pressure on the bit and, if possible, reduce the spindle speed
• When using a brick hole saw dry, use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust from the cutting zone — this keeps the work clean and cools the diamond segments more effectively

As you gain experience drilling brick, all these tips will seem self-evident, but for a less experienced professional they will be very helpful. If the wall also contains concrete elements, concrete hole saws or core bits for reinforced concrete will also come in handy.

Where to buy diamond core bits for brick?

Buying diamond tools at the first DIY store you come across is not the best idea, as most of them are stocked with cheap, low-quality Chinese tools. A much better solution is to find a good manufacturer of brick hole saws and stick to one brand. One of the well-known brands of high-quality diamond tools is Distar. The company and its products have a number of major advantages:

• High-quality diamond tools
• Technologically advanced production line
• Deliveries to more than 50 countries worldwide
• Presence on many social media channels and content about using the tools
• Convenient website
• Fair product prices

Distar's production uses state-of-the-art equipment from renowned German, Korean and Chinese brands. All products made on this equipment pass uncompromising quality control on many parameters. Every Distar brick hole saw is checked before it is shipped to the customer.

Besides high-quality products, Distar offers a very convenient website with plenty of training information, product prices and ordering with delivery to any city. For cutting masonry instead of drilling, see our diamond blades for brick.