Make a catch basin to use when drilling masonry

When you are core drilling through masonry or concrete above a tile ceiling, gravity will pull the spraying water down toward the tile. The ceiling tiles can become compromised if they get too wet.

Aug. 1, 1998

2 min read

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Mike Davies,

American Computer Services

Problem

When you are core drilling through masonry or concrete above a tile ceiling, gravity will pull the spraying water down toward the tile. The ceiling tiles can become compromised if they get too wet.

Solution

Using a few household items, you can easily make a catch basin for the water, thereby protecting the ceiling tiles.

Procedure

1) To make the catch basin, you will need a roll of duct tape, a bucket, a hose, and a dustpan.

2) Tape the wide end of the dustpan to the wall a few inches beneath the spot where you will drill. The dustpan`s handle should face downward.

3) Now wrap one end of the hose around the dustpan`s handle, so that the handle becomes a channel from the wide end of the dustpan into the hose.

4) Place the bucket on top of the step ladder you are using to gain access above the ceiling, and put the other end of the hose into the bucket.

5) When you begin drilling into the wall, the spraying water should fall into the dustpan and then run down through the hose and into the bucket.

If you do not have all the materials to make this type of catch basin, you can simply tape a plastic garbage bag to the wall a few inches beneath the spot where you will be drilling.

Click here to enlarge image

In a few minutes, you can turn some household items into a catch basin to use during masonry drilling.

Mike Davies is site chief with American Computer Services in Okinawa, Japan. He installs local area networks for the U.S. Department of Defense schools in the Asia-Pacific region.