Wheelhouse Construction utilizes the most innovative tools and technology to improve the multi-family renovation process. One critical piece of equipment we use on almost every project is a Core Drill. It is necessary for producing precise cuts in flooring, walls, concrete and other materials to install plumbing pipes, HVAC systems, electrical wiring, cables or ventilation pipes.
Being able to perform our own Core Drilling has saved us significant time because we can core drill on our own schedule, rather than being constrained by the schedule of a subcontracted core driller.
What is a Core Drill?
A core drill is a specialized drill that is used to bore holes in hard surfaces like concrete, brick and masonry. The core drill is made of metal and the drill bits used for it are coated with either diamond or carbide. The bits have a hollow center to be able to extract the material that is being drilled. The drill itself works like any normal drill by pushing and rotating through the surface to make a hole. The main difference between a regular drill and a core drill is that a core drill will produce a core, which is the material that was being drilled. This is called a core sample.
How Does a Core Drill Work?
When utilizing the drill for renovations, we first make sure exacting measurements are taken beforehand to ensure the proper location of the core. The core drill is then connected to a water pump to keep the drill from overheating and to keep the drill bit cool and lubricated. A small vacuum seal goes around the drill site to extract any water and slurry that may come out of the drill site. To begin, the operator slowly rotates the levers on the drill to bring the drill bit in to contact with the drill site. The core drill creates an opening with precision which allows us to create an exact dimension for the hole without leaving extra space around it. This makes the renovation process even more efficient by allowing us to allocate the product needed for the designs we have for the multi-family renovation project.
The size and power of the core drill will vary depending on several factors such as the hardness and thickness of the core site and the size of the hole needed. Wheelhouse Construction owns a Hilti DD 250 core drill. This drill gives us the ability to core from ½” to 18” in diameter. Owning this critical piece of equipment has enabled us to execute faster while we are in the field.
Owning this critical piece of equipment has enabled Wheelhouse Construction to execute faster in the field and compress work schedule relating to core drilling.
