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Can only drill 1 inch into chimney breast

Anonymous user 15/03/2024 - 2.47 PM

I don't think I can describe this very well, but I'll try - any help welcome please! I've got a heavyish picture I want to hang on a sealed chimney breast. I don't know how it's sealed, but I assumed I would be drilling into brick. (I'm trying to hang it near the top of the wall). The drill goes about an inch in, if that, then it hits something that moves! It feels as if there is a board or something behind what is just plaster or a very thin brick (?) that isn't fixed. Because it's sealed up, I wasn't to bothered about it so carried on trying to drill, but because the thing it's hitting isn't fixed, it won't catch. I tried hammering a plug in anyway to see if it would move the board enough to get it in place, but it just mashed the plug. What is it behind the brick/plaster and what can I do to hang the picture? ------------------------- Thank you BT ROOFING SERVICES for the helpful reply :) You were right and I just needed to try harder, so I did and now the plug and screw are in place and the picture is up. Being too hesitant. I wasn't sure if I'd get a response saying "don't drill into it!!" so your response really helped. 3 more chimney breasts to go...

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1 Answer

Anonymous user

You need a more powerful drill and decent quality drill bit what your describing wouldn’t stop a decent drill and drill bit drilling it sounds you lack the power as chimneys don’t have boarding on the inside even so if let’s say a brick was lose or anything that still wouldn’t stop the drill unless it lacked power. Chimneys are usually built just from bricks or blocks and then render and are hallow on the inside, some modern chimneys have mental flu pipes for gas burners etc but your know if your chimney had this. Some bricks and blocks can be very hard and I usually find any SDS hammer drill will go through with ease even any modern hammer drill will go through but SDS hammer drills are better for the job. If you don’t have access to this sort of equipment and don’t want to purchase/hire one you could try drill into the mortar but this might be tricky if you can’t find the mortar not to mention the fixing your get from the mortar won’t be the most solid fixing nor the best. Another option buy a decent quantity bit and turn your drill onto its lowest speed setting and apply lots of downward force that might help it bite.

Answered19 May 2019