Drilling Through Aluminum Siding

The siding is fire resistant providing a high level of protection for a home.

Drilling through aluminum siding.

If maintaining hole size finish and hole roundness are the goals using a straight flute through coolant drill is advantageous. Https amzn to 2vnnzuy milwaukee hawg bits. Step 6 reverse the direction of the drill motor after making the hole and slowly work it through the vinyl siding while pulsing the drill as you pull it outward. Check out a demo of housecall pro here.

More powerful drills for heavier applications have a larger 1 2 inch chuck. The chuck on a hand drill or drill press secures a drill bit to the tool along the bit s shank. To 3 16 in you can drill through most metals at 3 000 rpm. However since aluminum is so soft drilling operations using the aforementioned geometry tend to present difficulties in maintaining proper hole diameter and sidewall surface finish.

Hardieplank is available as ready to paint or with a color layer. Hard metals like steel and larger drill bits require even slower speeds. Drill presses also have larger chucks 1 2 inch or 5 8 inch for example. Most drill bits are not designed to punch through such material which means that they will either start to get dull rather quickly or they will chew through the stuff and wind up ruining your project.

So with that in mind. Use a carbide or masonry bit if the siding is a composite or. However even though aluminum is relatively easy to work with you still have to be careful about drilling through it. Cement fiber siding can be drilled while installed on a house or.

However drilling through cement fiber siding goes better if you use a carbide drill bit as opposed to a regular steel drill bit. If you are drilling a large diameter hole with a hole saw take care to avoid the hole saw from catching and causing irreparable damage to the siding. Release the siding when the drill bit is through it and apply pressure to the drill to continue drilling through the surface behind the siding. Although the siding does not require drilling pilot holes you may need to run wire or cable through the siding necessitating drilling a hole.

With a small twist bit 1 16 in. Minimizing the amount of pressure that you exert on the drill bit will prevent the siding from denting and reduce the chances of the drill bit catching on the thin aluminum that comprises the siding. A smaller drill for work around the house typically has a 3 8 inch chuck.