Drilled hole wrong into wall, need to drill new one right next to it...

andre_xs

Dear All,
probably a problem some of us have already encountered. I tried to search but haven't found useful information (maybe wrong search terms?)

I wanted to put up a shelf, drilling 8mm holes into a brick wall, using wall plugs and screws to hold the shelf. While drilling, the drill 'drifted' away (*) and now my hole is a couple of mm too low. Thus, I need to drill a new hole right next to the existing one, which doesn't work, because it's too close. It'd all crumble away and I'd get one big hole. It is so close that the holes may actually merge / overlap.

I'm afraid if I use standard filler to patch the whole, that this would not be strong enough and it would crumble away if I drill the new hole. Is there specific tougher/harder filler which, when properly dried / hardened, I could partly drill into? Let's say that the new hole is half in the old hole and half in the new hole. Or is standard filler / plaster fine?

The shelf is a bit heavy, so that it needs to properly hold.

Best wishes,

Andre

Edit: (*) If someone has tips how one can keep the drill exactly where I want it to be and not somewhat drifting/moving left/right/up/down while drilling would also be appreciated

ThisIsWeird

First check you cannot 'move' - elongate - the hole in the shelf bracket.

There might also be the possibility of increasing the size of the existing hole until it includes the 'correct' position for the plug. Then the plug is bedded in resin, and held in the correct position until it all sets.

How deep have you made the hole? If you increase the length of the securing screw, could the 'correct' hole be drilled deeper than the existing one, so it does most of the holding, and then the larger, upper, double-hole is filled as part of the fixing process?

There certainly are some very strong cement-based fillers, but I'm not sure which is the best to recommend. But almost certainly refilling the existing hole and starting again will also be an option.

FreeBear

One of two options...

Make the hole bigger, hammer in a length of wooden dowel and screw in to that..

Option 2 - As per TiW, make the hole bigger, inject a resin, and then insert the wall plug. Something like this - https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-ker-vsf-380-w-ef-vinylester-resin-fast-curing-380ml/5101j - It is fast setting, so you need to work quick..

In future, drill a pilot hole using a 3mm or 4mm bit, and then open out to the desired size. If the pilot hole wanders off centre, you can fudge it a bit with say a 5mm or 6mm bit. Small bits, high speed.

Le_Kirk

I always put a piece of masking tape or frog tape where I want to start the hole and then use a Tile drill like this as it gives a good grip and is more pointed than a normal mason drill.  If you don't have a tile drill, just start with a small diameter mason bit.  As @ThisIsWeird writes, there are some fillers that will dry hard and are able to be drilled and sanded, search around for one.

mi-key

If its into brick drilling a 9mm hold and hammering in a 10mm wooden dowel is the best option. When you redrill the hole in the correct place, put the plug in and the wood will be strong enough to hold it once it expands when you put the screw in.

Resin stuff is ok, but can tend to pull out in a big lump with the plug as it doesnt stick to the brick very well in my experience.

To get holes accurately, use a centre punch first to put a small dent into the plaster, then a small drill bit to get the position correct, then the full size drill should follow this fine.

ThisIsWeird

Edit: (*) If someone has tips how one can keep the drill exactly where I want it to be and not somewhat drifting/moving left/right/up/down while drilling would also be appreciated

What type of drill are you using? And good quality drill bits?

When it comes to drilling into anything remotely 'masonry' these days, I'll take out my klutzily-heavy SDS drill and use that. The added hassle and awkward weight is always worth it - it will drill in seconds, and the hole will be where I positioned the tip.

SDS. Amazing. 

And as said before, for really precise holes, start with a smaller bit, say 4 or 5mm. 

chris_n

Start with hammer action off especially if drilling through plaster. Even on brick you can get a positive position before you turn on hammer action. 

GDB2222

One way to do this is to drill through the bracket. Hammer the plug and screw through the hole in the bracket, then tighten. 

theoretica

Drills walk at the start of drilling if the point of the drill isn't exactly symmetrical, or an off centre bit of the drill catches on an uneven surface.  marking the place you want to drill with a hand tool (awl or punch depending on what you are drilling into) rather than just a pencil can help a lot.

Newcad

Just bang some wood into the off-centre hole and screw into that.
No need to buy dowels - just use any bit of scrap wood that you can hammer in.
In fact it doesn't need to be hammer tight; the screw will spread it to fit tightly.

Wooden plugs were what were always used before plastic wall plugs came along.
(When more people used to smoke a few matchsticks were often pushed in a drilled hole as a wallplug).

It doesn't matter so much if the hole drilled for a wooden plug is off-centre, you'll still be able to get the screw in tight even if it's right down the side of the wood and against the brick.

Ectophile

Some "plaster" can be hideous stuff that's impossible to drill a straight hole into.

I have never had a problem with stuffing the oversized hole with filler, then pushing the rawlplug in before it's set.

But if they have given you short screws with the brackets, see if you can get longer ones in the same screw size, so that you can go deeper into the wall.