Can I drill drainage holes in the bottom of my ceramic pots?

Question

I have several ceramic pots that don't have any drainage holes, and my plants have been dying in them. I figure I can fix the problem by drilling a few holes in them, but I have a few questions:

1. Do I need a special drill bit so that they don't crack?

2. Will a few smaller holes work just as well as a singular large one?

3. If I need a large hole, then I'll have to use a paddle bit, would that crack my pots?

Answer 1

Use a glass grinding bit.

Answer 2

I would suggest several small holes with a masonry bit.

Answer 3

three or four 3/8 inch holes would do the job, use a masonry bit.

Answer 4

yeah. it would be tough to make one big hole now, since the pot is fired and hardened. You should use a glass and tile bit and make a series of holes. A glass and tile bit is shaped sort of spade like at the top and they are not very expensive, any of the big box stores will have them and most local hardware stores should as well.

i enclosed a link to stanelys website so you can see what they look like, its the pic on the right.

Answer 5

I think you can drill holes in them but I think that you will need a certain type of drill bit. You could always call a lumber yard or home improvement store and ask someone in the hardware department.

If you are like me though, I would just try to drill it with a regular drill bit, I would make sure that the post is wet and put tape in the area that you are going to dril. Maybe that will help them from cracking or breaking. Good luck with your project.

gram

Answer 6

Yes, you should use either a masonry bit or a griding bit.  

Grinding would be safest, but if you're careful with a masonry bit (go slow near the end), you should be able to make a hole without shattering the pot, unless the pot is very small or the bit is larger than 1 or 2 times the thickness of the pot bottom.

One hole is sufficient, but more smaller holes would be fine too.