How to drill through a thick wall for TV / Network cable

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Drilling through a masonry wall is like drilling any hole in a wall for fixing a picture or a decoration with some differences however:
  1. The need for a more powerful drill
  2. The use of a longer drill bit
  3. Making sure a slow drilling speed is selected on the drill
  4. Making sure to hold well the drill for safety issues
DISCLAIMER:
Our pictorials are of informative nature and do illustrate works carried out by ourselves at our own premises for our own use and satisfaction.
Readers who envisage to carry out similar works inspired by the below method shall do this at their own risks and liability.

Selecting the right place for passing the cable through the wall

A TV set is to be added on this balcony. It needs to be connected to the SAT cable.
Since the wall will be drilled from side to side, an Ethernet outlet will be fitted in an outlet box for two functions at a time:
  • Hiding the hole once done
  • Providing a network outlet for plugging in a laptop or the TV set

A drill bit of 16mm dia and enough length to cross the wall from side to side has been fitted to a household power drill. Note well however that the drill has to be 700W or more with an electronic speed limiter in order to be able to select a slow drilling speed. As a general rule, the larger the drill bit (in terms of dia) and the slower the drilling speed.
The hole will be done just above the plinth (see why further below) after making sure where it shall appear on the other side of the wall.
As stated above, with the drill bit of the right length and the power drill set at hammer mode and a slow speed, it will take a matter of 2 to 3 minutes to drill through a 30 cm (12 inch) thick wall.

It is advised to wear ear and eye protection gear.
Do not underestimate the exposure to the drilling noise during two consecutive minutes!

How to hide the holes on both sides of the wall

When finished, the hole is vacuumed from both sides until eliminating all loose dust.
Cables can now easily pass through this hole.
The Ethernet outlet box hides the hole on the external side of the wall (middle, right) while a mini wire trunking has been fitted on top of the plinth in a manner not to be much visible and to hide the hole from the other side of the wall (left).

See also...

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