hi, i hope someone can help me with this, i am quite a novice on DIY. i am building a fitted cupboard in to the alcove. when i tried to drill into the side of the chimney breast to attach wooden batten for my frame, after half and inch into drilling i hit something metal. what could it be? can i drill into it? we don't use any of the fireplaces. they all been boarded up by previous owner. Many thanks..
drilling in to a chimney breast and hit something metal??
- Thread starter frznmrtn
- Start date
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elrobbo82
the corners of the walls are classed as a electrical safe zone and my contain cables. also don't drill directly above, below or horizontally from sockets, light switches and other electrical equipment as these are also safe zones and could contain cables. you may well of hit metal capping but this does not offer much protection to drilling and you would probably have drilled through it before you noticed as it is very thin.
if the house is old enough there may be gas pipes to former gas lights.
These gas pipes may still be "live"!
These gas pipes may still be "live"!
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elrobbo82
i think this thread is leading to the same answer.
you will have to investigate further as with out knowing for sure you should not be drilling into it.
you will have to investigate further as with out knowing for sure you should not be drilling into it.
Buried pipes or cable conduits/capping are the most obvious guesses, but it would be unusual for them to be so far below the surface, unless some kind of replastering/boarding has taken place over the years.
Look for any electrical or plumbing/gas fittings nearby.
Is it possible for you to CAREFULLY dig a small section of the wall out to see what the metal is?
Look for any electrical or plumbing/gas fittings nearby.
Is it possible for you to CAREFULLY dig a small section of the wall out to see what the metal is?
it is near the edge of the alcove, i want to believe
that it is a plaster beading. but i think i ll drill a bit further than the egde and see what happens.
it is near the edge of the alcove, i want to believe
A plaster beading would be about an inch or inch and a half from an external corner.
Chip out a test hole.
Send some photos.
What is the age of the house, and has the chimney breast been 'altered' in any way to the best of your knowledge?
Send some photos.
What is the age of the house, and has the chimney breast been 'altered' in any way to the best of your knowledge?
i was gonna use 4x6cm wooden battens to make a frame and hang door on them. but now i have to use someting like 4cm by 8-9cm to reach the brick bit on the wall. other option i can think of is , move the frame about 4cm in to the alcove but that does make the cupboard smaller and it is not gonna look good. if you have any ideas or solutions you can think of, i would be grateful to hear it. Many thanks...
As this is a bedroom, I take it you're trying to make a full height cupboard to cover the existing sheves?
Or something like this?
I used 18mm MDF for the sides, base and top, and attached a 2" x 1 1/2" frame on the front to hang the doors on to.
If you're making a full height cupboard, have you tried drilling holes further up/down the wall to see if this metal goes all the way up the height of the wall?
Or something like this?
I used 18mm MDF for the sides, base and top, and attached a 2" x 1 1/2" frame on the front to hang the doors on to.
If you're making a full height cupboard, have you tried drilling holes further up/down the wall to see if this metal goes all the way up the height of the wall?
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