?

Log in

No account? Create an account
PftS

Can you safely drill into concrete?

Found an Eastside location that is a wharehouse space with a built in reception area, within my price range. Holy cow it would be so nice to have a reception area in our dance studio. The catch is that the floor and ceiling are concrete. We can refloor over the concrete. But how do you drill the screws that hold the poles into a concrete ceiling?? I think this might be impossible.

Posted on Jan. 9th, 2010 at 02:22 pm | | Leave a comment | 6 comments |

Comments


bevsob

You can totally drill into concrete - you just need a heavy-duty drill and drill bit, and concrete anchors instead of regular screws.

However, sounds like I would not be able to rig aerial equipment there, since i need to be able to get up into the ceiling and find the joists.
Posted on Jan. 9th, 2010 10:25 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

emailerin

Here ya go: http://forum.doityourself.com/walls-ceilings/197789-how-drill-into-concrete-ceiling.html

These dudes sound like they really know since the person did it and it worked.

Erin
Posted on Jan. 10th, 2010 02:35 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

patrickandraste

Use a hammer drill for the holes. Hilti makes a good one you can rent. Then use expanding anchors and concrete glue. You will have to determine the bolt and anchor size based on your working load and if you will have dead weight, swinging weight or tension or shear loads.
Posted on Jan. 10th, 2010 02:46 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

wanderingfey

*points to above post*

This is how.
Posted on Jan. 10th, 2010 04:22 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

patrickandraste

they want to potentially hang people from the anchors. that is slightly different than hanging bamboo blinds.

Since I had to just do the engineering for something like this in my day job, they would be drilling 1" - 1.125" holes in the concrete for anchors for .75" bolts. Minimum.

now if all she wants to do is anchor the top of her dance pole to the ceiling, 3/8" bolts would be fine.

If it is a concrete ceiling, it is going to be very hard concrete. She will have to find out if it is tension stressed when it was poured (probably not but you still have to find out) before she goes drilling holes.
Posted on Jan. 10th, 2010 04:30 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

cagekitten

Thank you!
Posted on Jan. 10th, 2010 08:19 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply