Is there a way to detect rebar in a wall before I drill into it? I don't want to damage the rebar

Question

Is there a way to detect rebar in a wall before I drill into it? I don't want to damage the rebar

Answer 1

A magnetic 'stud finder' should do it.

Answer 2

Hilti makes a detector that can work, but it is kind of expensive for most do-it-yourself projects. Also, sometimes it has trouble reading the rebar, and if you have multiple mats of rebar, it could be more difficult. You might be able to call a testing company that can bring the instrument out with an engineer to mark a spot for you.

But before you do that, you should ask yourself what are you drilling for and does it really matter if you hit rebar (other then the obvious trouble of getting through rebar with a rotary drill). In most cases you do not weaken the concrete enough for it to matter, unless you are drilling on a pre-stressed member.

Answer 3

You can use a compass to detect the re-bar in concrete.

Answer 4

Yes when drilling in commercial buildings floors must be xrayed

Answer 5

Dont Fear the Rebar or the Reaper.

Answer 6

Where I work (large concrete office bldg) we drill, cut, saw, etc. often.

Not once have I seen anyone x-ray prior to doing the work.

I've seen contractors review the as-built plans to locate pipes and utilities, but that's it.

You won't damage the rebar by hitting it with a drill bit.  The rebar should be 3/4 to 1" into the concrete anyway.

Companies that do concrete coring, routinely cut right through them, I doubt you need to worry about weakening the structure.

Answer 7

I suspect you mean drilling into concrete walls, correct?

I would look to a hardware store or a Home Depot type store and ask them for stud finders with metal sensing capabilities for this purpose. They could guide you to the right product.

Answer 8

As a "Rule of Thumb", unless your opening is larger than 24 inches in the horizontal dimension in a wall, there is no need to be concerned about damaging or cuting rebar within a reinforced wall.

Simply drilling, or even coring, a small hole, into or through, that cuts through rebar is not going to weaken or damage the integriety of a reinforced wall.