Drilling into what?!

[Nicole23]

Hi, been putting up some batons today to support some shelves today when I came across an annoying obstacle.

I drill about 3cm into a plaster board quite easily. I needed to go further when I was stopped by a metallic sounding material. It doesn't seem to be near any potential pipes or wires. I tested the area with a pipe/wire detector and it was fine. I am drilling near the corner of the lounge where it meets a wall to the next room. The weird thing is that when I push with a screwdriver onto the material, it seems to move - a good centimetre or so. It's really frustrating! I have shone a torch into the hole and the surface just looks like the powdery colour of plaster.

Can anyone suggest what I can do?

Thanks!

 

[Belle427]

it sounds like the metal supports used to construct a stud wall,are the 2 walls hollow sounding?

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo and welcome Nicole23



try again and catch the dust and look for metal if its metal ask about plan b

 

[Nicole23]

Hi! And thanks so much for the replies. Well just showered and had packed away everything when I read these. I got a torch and the thinnest screwdriver I could find...shone the torch in while I pushed around with the screwdriver. The material does not look metallic..perhaps I panicked when I heard the change of noise. It looks almost like chipboard though it's not easy to see with a narrow hole and dust in there. I drilled another hole about 10cm closer to the corner and a couple of holes about 40cm heigher and I get the exact same thing! And when I push in one hole, you can see the material (perhaps board?) move through another hole...it definitely seems like board of some sort. Just don't know why the drill doesn't like it and it sounded so strange. Would you recommend I get a thinner drill bit and try drilling through? I was using a big masonary drill bit (8mm) before which perhaps explains why it couldn't get through this material.....

Thanks again!

 

[Belle427]

a smaller metal drill bit will be your best bet

 

[noseall]

if it as a wall junction then it may be a wallstarter like this,http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...s?q=wall+starters&ndsp=20&svnum=10&hl=en&sa=N

 

[Nicole23]

Thanks for the help, using a smaller drill bit got through it. Don't know why it sounds so much like metal...Thanks again!

 

[Daz66]

Nicole

Be carefull electric cables abound in stud wall cavities. Check if there are any sockets below where you are drilling (on both sides of the wall) and if there are DONT try drilling with any kind of bit as it may go BANG.

Although you have tested they may be too deep to be picked up by your detector, look around before proceeding.

 

[Nicole23]

Thanks for the concern Daz There were no sockets around, it was just some kind of chipboard? Went through fine and all ok now.