Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - "Not-so-handy" female

I would like to hang outdoor planters on front of home, which is brick. What do I need in the way of tools to do this? Own a Craftsman cordless drill, but don't know if I can use it on masonry??? I am inclined to think I may need a special drill bit.

nanny49,

A masonary bit is needed to drill brick but you should also use a hammer drill.
When drilling brick or concrete with a masonary bit in a regular drill, the point cannot penetrate the small bits of stone by just rotating and the tip will then overheat.
If you have the holes pre-marked you could rent a hammer drill and then only need about 15 minutes to drill a couple of holes.

You also would need to make sure that the anchors you select can support the weight of what you want to hang.

you dont need a hammer drill to drill concrete , I drill lots of concrete with non hammer drill and watch lots of others on jobsites doing the same

hammer drill is nice , might save a few seconds on drilling the hole but your craftsman will do just fine

you are correct you do need a masonry bit , you can use tapcon , self tapping masonry screws and elminate the need for anchors they have kits with a bit and 20 or 25 screws or so for less than 10 as I recall .

the package and diaplay will tell you what size to use to support your items

link to tapcon (http://www.confast.com/products/tapcon-concretescrew.asp)

I think I would drill into the mortar ,not the brick,which is pretty easy to drill with a cheap masonry bit or a more expensive tapcon. Whichever way you go don't drill the bricks

really not trying to be contrary today :D

but I would drill into the brick rather than the mortor , the brick offers a better surface for the fastner , the mortor dosnt realy have the strenght .

you might want to post in this forum for the brick vs mortor hole issue

http://forum.doityourself.com/forumdisplay.php?f=3

If a hole is drilled into the brick, the brick may split when the bolt is tightened . Besides, if you ever wanted to remove the bolt, it is a lot easier to fill a mortar hole than a hole in brick . Joneq has been know to have some weird thoughts. This is just what I would do. Drilling into the brick is obviously another option. Not the one I would choose though. Obviously the mortar joint would have to be relatively flush with the face of the brick. The mortar and the bolt just has to support the downward force. It is not at all like the force would be if you tried to pull the bolt straight out. The bottom of the planter is against the wall. I always think ahead to fixing what I am doing. Mortar=easy, brick=harder

This answer is in two parts: where to drill and what fastener to use.
1. Where to drill - in the mortar between two bricks, neither above nor below a vertical mortar joint.
2. What to use - lead anchors with a screw that expands it to hold it firmly.

Plants come and plants go. You will probably remove or relocate these plants over time. That's why I don't suggest an adhesive approach. These anchors are removable.

still dont agree that the mortor would give you the holding power, so I would drill the brick

tapcon would give you the same holding power {or better } than the lead anchor with a much smaller hole to fill later

I used to think tapcons where expensive to , untill I started using them

"a cheap masonry bit or a more expensive tapcon"

Not expensive. More expensive than a cheap masonry bit.

final reply

"a cheap masonry bit or a more expensive tapcon"

Not expensive. More expensive than a cheap masonry bit.

final reply

final word eh ? (we need a saulting smilie)
:D :D