The problem: I have a metal(I think) crawl space door thats broken the heads of the nails used to secure it to the concrete off, thus leaving the door on the ground. I can't seem to get the broken nails out of the foundation so, my other option is to drill new holes into the door and the foundation. How do I do this?1. Are crawlspace doors typically metal? (I have a crawlspace door and I'm assuming it's metal)2. What kind of drillbit do I need to drill into it?3. Does anyone have any other ideas?
Drill the metal door with a metal drill bit. Drill the concrete foundation with a roto hammer. A hammer drill will take forever. Good luck.
The reason the metal is sliding around is that the drill bit is too small to keep the hole saw stationary. There are several solutions; A- Buy an appropriate size knockout punch at an electric supply store. B- Clamp the piece you are trying to cut the hole in, to a scrap piece of metal or a piece of 3/4 plywood underneath. That will provide a center hole for the drill bit. If you can't clamp it, stick it down to the plywood with double sided tape. C- Put a wheel collar on the bit. I think that will work. The existing hole is about the same size as a 1/4 wheel collar.
Not sure if such doors are metal, but if it is rusty at all, it is steel. Most stuff put in around poured concrete foundations are steel -- which is sort of too bad. For drilling steel, you can use a regular drill bit made for metal. Not a brad point wood bit. You will want a drill that plugs in -- your battery model may not have enough muscle. To drill into the concrete, use a masonry bit. These basically gnaw the hole into the concrete. Not difficult, I've done it plenty. Before drilling the holes, pick out your new hardware, which should include items that get pushed into the new concrete holes, and the screws go into those inserts. Made of either plastic or lead, usually. The size of what you pick out dictates the size of the hole you need to drill.
