Can You Drill Directly Into Drywall?

Drywall has been a common building item since the 20th century. You will mainly install drywall in your home’s interior and may want to add beautifying ornaments to it. So, is it okay to drill into drywall?

You can not drill directly into drywall if you want to hang another item from the wall. However, you can drill the drywall directly if you wish to make a hole to attach something. So the possibility of drilling into drywall depends on the purpose.

Can You Drill Directly Into Drywall?

This article will guide you on what happens when you drill into drywall and how you can go about making a hole in your drywall.

* This article may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

What Happens When You Drill Into Drywall

More than seven types of drywall exist with different dimensions, uses, and properties.

But one property common to all drywall types is the fragility of the supporting materials.

Apart from gypsum, the other material used for drywall is paper.

The paper may come in different thicknesses, sizes, colors, and supports, indicating their types.

But paper cannot withstand certain items.

Therefore, making a hole may be easy – you only have to worry about getting the correct dimensions for the spot.

When drilling to create an opening in the drywall, be careful not to hit the support behind.

If, on the other hand, you want to hang something on a wall, you cannot drill directly into drywall.

How To Drill Into Drywall

Depending on the purpose of your drill, there are three ways to drill into your drywall:

  • Drilling to make a hole
  • Drilling on the wood supports
  • Drilling for a drywall anchor

For each of these drywall drilling processes, you will need the following items:

  • A drill. The cordless ones are the best.
  • Drill bits. The bit type you choose depends on the drilling technique. it can be the drywall or wooden options.
  • Pencils. This tool will help you get the exact location of the hole, increasing your accuracy.
  • Tape. The tape will also help with accuracy.

Let’s take a close look at every of these drywall drilling techniques;

Drilling To Make a Hole

The process is straightforward and swift since all you need is a hole.

You can follow these steps:

  1. Get your drywall bits.
  2. Get the area you want to drill.

After these two steps, all you need to do is drill.

1. Get Your Drywall Bits

This is the most crucial step to take when you want to make a hole.

You only need to choose the right drill for a successful job.

I highly recommend purchasing Teursa Magnetic Positioning Screwdriver Bits. This item can work with a drill or screwdriver, so it does not matter what your tool is.

2. Get the Area You Want To Drill

You can decide to make a hole anywhere you deem fit in your home.

However, ensure the location is safe and will not affect the aesthetics.

Try to avoid making holes close to any electrical area of the drywall as much as you can.

You can only do that when the hole you want to make has an electrical aim.

You can use pencils and measuring tape to ensure you have the perfect location.

Drilling On The Wood Supports

Drywall usually requires wood as its support, especially for homeowners.

In the industrial world, the support may be a metal item.

Using wood is the best choice when you want to hang something that your drywall cannot carry.

Check out the following steps to drill into your drywalls’ wood support:

  1. Find the right wood location.
  2. Get wood bits.

After these steps above, you can continue drilling

1. Finding the Right Wood Location

A drywall installer will place different wood supports at intervals within your wall.

The span of these intervals depends on the load and strength of the wall.

Getting where the wood support is simple, you only need to feel the drywall with your hands.

If you do not find it easily, you can tap the wall occasionally and listen to the sound changes.

2. Buy Wood Bits

You do not need special drill bits for the wood supports of your drywall.

Any quality wood bit will do the job perfectly.

You can check out the BOSCH Daredevil Wood Drill Bits on Amazon. These wood bits will increase your drilling speed by almost 1000%.

Drilling for A Drywall Anchor

Drilling for a drywall anchor follows the same process above; the only difference is the anchor installation.

You can follow these processes:

  1. Drill a little hole in the drywall. Ensure the hole is a little smaller than the size of the anchor.
  2. Get a good wall anchor. You can choose Qualihome Self-Drilling Drywall Plastic Anchors from Amazon. These anchors do not need any little holes to get installed.
  3. Install your anchor and the image or design on it. Ensure your anchor can carry the weight of the invention.

Conclusion

Drywall may have many nicknames and types but follows the same rules.

All you need to do when drilling your drywall is to have the suitable materials and processes.

You can always check back on this article for the proper steps and recommended materials.

Cheers, tools owners!

Hi there! My name is Jack and I write for ToolsOwner. I have a passion for everything related to tools and DIY projects around the house. You often find me in my workshop working on new projects.