Drill drain hole in concrete planter?
 

I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!

--
x-no-archive: yes

Dave

Airkings wrote:

I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and
a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!



sounds like a bird bath not a planter!!! It would probably crack since you
need to drill a hole in concrete with a hammer drill.

Rich
--
*Remove "nospam" to email
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

"EvoDawg" wrote in message

sounds like a bird bath not a planter!!! It would probably crack since
you
need to drill a hole in concrete with a hammer drill.


Did the change the laws? I've drilled many a hole in concrete using a
regular drill and a carbide tipped masonry bit. I've made them to hold
electrical boxes, hose reels, deck post supports, planter hangers, etc.
Hammer drills are faster, but not needed.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:


"EvoDawg" wrote in message

sounds like a bird bath not a planter!!! It would probably crack since
you
need to drill a hole in concrete with a hammer drill.


Did the change the laws? I've drilled many a hole in concrete using a
regular drill and a carbide tipped masonry bit. I've made them to hold
electrical boxes, hose reels, deck post supports, planter hangers, etc.
Hammer drills are faster, but not needed.


Well I sure would not want to stand over a birdbath and drill a 7" long hole
with a regular drill and masonry bit. Youre talking about drilling a 1"
maybe a 2" at most with "regular drill and masonry bit. Wonder how long
that bit would last going thru 7 inches of cement?
--
*Remove "nospam" to email
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

"Airkings" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and
a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!

It might.

The concrete used in the planters high PSI and very small or no rocks. You
might not need "hammer mode". I have added drainage holes to others before
but not to the style you have.

If the stem is 4" around or more, you work slow on a padded surface and no
more than a 1/2" hole you most likely will be able to do it.

As an alternative you might consider drilling a couple of 1/4" holes from
the base of the bowl to the outside going sideways and down. Of course this
will only work if one side of the planter isn't high visibility. This option
is safer IMO.

Colbyt

"EvoDawg" wrote in message

Well I sure would not want to stand over a birdbath and drill a 7" long
hole
with a regular drill and masonry bit. Youre talking about drilling a 1"
maybe a 2" at most with "regular drill and masonry bit. Wonder how long
that bit would last going thru 7 inches of cement?

The good part is, you don't have to. That is the job of the OP. May take
some time, but it is possible. I'm not so sure the OP has to either. Not
all planters have drain holes. You put a couple of inches of stone in the
bottom though. Best to consult with someone that knows hot to plant in one
though.

"Airkings" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and
a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!

--
x-no-archive: yes

Dave

Possible yes, difficult probably.

7 inches is a long way to go. My suggestion is to get a 1/4 masonary bit and
turn the urn over and start in drilling, without a hammer drill. See how
it goes. This will be a slow process. Once you have reached the end of the
bit it will be time to look for a longer one. You will probably need to
find a real supply store as the box stores may not have bits as long as you
need. You might try Harbor Freight. I would not put much bigger than 1/4 in
in the urn.

May be a whole lot easier to drill through the side near the bottom.


"SQLit" wrote in message
...

"Airkings" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and
a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!

--
x-no-archive: yes

Dave

Possible yes, difficult probably.

7 inches is a long way to go. My suggestion is to get a 1/4 masonary bit
and
turn the urn over and start in drilling, without a hammer drill. See how
it goes. This will be a slow process. Once you have reached the end of
the
bit it will be time to look for a longer one. You will probably need to
find a real supply store as the box stores may not have bits as long as
you
need. You might try Harbor Freight. I would not put much bigger than 1/4
in
in the urn.

Airkings wrote:
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!


If you insist on keeping the planter exposed, there may be a couple of
ways around the problem. Replant the plants after putting a layer of
stone in bottom of planter. Fill the planter so the soil is mounded and
the plant at the same depth at soil surface. Pack well. Put on some
shredded cypress mulch. In heavy rain, water might run off rather than
collecting and flooding the planter. You could also - if feasible -
just lay the planter on it's side for an hour after a heavy rain. Or
put a clay pot inside so's you can lift out the plant and remove water.

On Mon, 6 Jun 2005 06:58:02 -0700, "SQLit" wrote:


"Airkings" wrote in message
link.net...
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!


It would be almost be easier to just cast a new planter, with the
drain-pipe pre-installed. Is this a one-peice thing, or is the
pedestal separate from the bowl?

x-no-archive: yes

It's one solid piece. It's also from our premier garden supply store. I may
see what they recommend. I wish they thought of a drain hole!

Dave

-


"Goedjn" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 6 Jun 2005 06:58:02 -0700, "SQLit" wrote:


"Airkings" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it
crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!


It would be almost be easier to just cast a new planter, with the
drain-pipe pre-installed. Is this a one-peice thing, or is the
pedestal separate from the bowl?

A varible speed hammer drill is the way to go.

I've drilled thru clay pots, glass bottles & concrete planters wth
mine.

A regular drill with a carbide masonry bit will take about 10 to 20x
longer for a comparable hole.

Seven inches is a deep hole but it you're careful it will work.

cheers
Bob

Seven inches through a concrete stem won't be so easy. I have drilled
through terracotta pots using a mason drill chucked in a drill press
and applied several drops of water during the drilling. The speed
was set to about 500 rpm.

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 22:55:15 GMT, "Airkings"
wrote:

I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!

OP-

How about a hole just through the wall of the planter above the
pedestal?

Just let the water dribble down the "back side"?

cheers
Bob

x-no-archive: yes

That's something I thought of, but then I picture water (mineral) stains
where the water outlets down the side of the planter. It's definitely an
option. Thanks!

Dave

--


"BobK207" wrote in message
oups.com...
OP-

How about a hole just through the wall of the planter above the
pedestal?

Just let the water dribble down the "back side"?

cheers
Bob

I agree, the hole in the side will let the water stain the planter but
the drilling will be so much esier.

Get a hold of a variable speed, mid sized rotary hammer & let us know
how ithe long hole turns out

If you're in SoCal , bring it by & I'll give a try.

cheers
Bob

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"EvoDawg" wrote in message

Well I sure would not want to stand over a birdbath and drill a 7" long
hole
with a regular drill and masonry bit. Youre talking about drilling a 1"
maybe a 2" at most with "regular drill and masonry bit. Wonder how long
that bit would last going thru 7 inches of cement?


The good part is, you don't have to. That is the job of the OP. May take
some time, but it is possible. I'm not so sure the OP has to either. Not
all planters have drain holes. You put a couple of inches of stone in the
bottom though. Best to consult with someone that knows hot to plant in one
though.



Also, if its 7" is it really gonna crack?

--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert

"Airkings" wrote

... but then I picture water (mineral) stains
where the water outlets down the side of the planter.

Just insert an appropriate sized rubber hose from the hole
in the side to the adjacent ground area. Auto parts stores
often stock a wide variety of rubber hose sizes, sold by the
foot. Not likely to leak since little pressure build-up.
Also easy to remove to clean the hose and poke into the hole
to ensure it is not clogged.


--
----------
CWLee
Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas, and
promote for performance, not preferences.

Norminn wrote:


Airkings wrote:


P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted
and a heavy rain just filled the bowl!


If you insist on keeping the planter exposed, there may be a couple of
ways around the problem. Replant the plants after putting a layer of
stone in bottom of planter. Fill the planter so the soil is mounded and
the plant at the same depth at soil surface. Pack well. Put on some
shredded cypress mulch. In heavy rain, water might run off rather than
collecting and flooding the planter. You could also - if feasible -
just lay the planter on it's side for an hour after a heavy rain. Or
put a clay pot inside so's you can lift out the plant and remove water.


The voice of reason. Or just replant in another pot and use that one
for water tolerant planting.

Airkings wrote:
I have a concrete planter (round cup-shaped top, stem, square base.
Urn-like, I guess), that doesn't have a drain hole. Is it possible or
feasible to drill a drain hole from the bottom of the "cup" through the
stem, and out the bottom of the base? It might be 7" or so. Will it crack
the concrete? Any other ideas? Thanks!

P.S. We really need some type of drainage, as the flowers are stunted and a
heavy rain just filled the bowl!


Turn it over. Drill the 7' of concrete (ridiculous idea). By the time
you get the thing drilled, the water will have drained out and probably
need watering again as it will be mid-summer. Oh, and add more potting
soil because half of it will fall out during the process.

"CWLee" wrote in message
...

"Airkings" wrote

... but then I picture water (mineral) stains
where the water outlets down the side of the planter.

Just insert an appropriate sized rubber hose from the hole
in the side to the adjacent ground area. Auto parts stores
often stock a wide variety of rubber hose sizes, sold by the
foot. Not likely to leak since little pressure build-up.
Also easy to remove to clean the hose and poke into the hole
to ensure it is not clogged.


--
----------
CWLee

A round of applause!

The above is the most timely and original suggestion heard to date for
resolving this problem.

Great suggestion CW


Colbyt

"Colbyt" wrote

A round of applause!

The above is the most timely and original suggestion heard
to date for
resolving this problem.

Great suggestion CW

Thanks, Dad! :-)

(Seriously, it is not often that we find positive feedback
on usenet - so often many threads degenerate into name
calling and worse. This response was very refreshing.)

Just an esthetic question...........


how is a rubber hose better looking than drainage dribble / mineral
staining?

I thought we were going for the hidden solution.

I do agree that the hose in the side hole solution is the simpliest but
it would never pass the "Martha test" at my house.

cheers
Bob

"BobK207" wrote

how is a rubber hose better looking than drainage dribble
/ mineral
staining?

Couple of possibilities. For occasions (patio parties?)
when appearance is especially important the hose can be
removed and replaced after the party. One can also get
(non-rubber) hose at car parts places that is clear, and
thus much less obvious.

I thought we were going for the hidden solution.

I think that is the best solution, in which case the
advantage of the hose over the staining is that at some
later time there may be no way to position the container
with a hidden overflow. In that case the stain would be
harder to remove than the hose.

I do agree that the hose in the side hole solution is the
simpliest but
it would never pass the "Martha test" at my house.

My mental image of this container is of it sitting in a
patio or outdoor area, thus beyond, at least where I live,
Martha's area of responsibility. :-)


--
----------
CWLee
Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas, and
promote for performance, not preferences.

There is no place "beyond Martha's area of influence"

you will be assimilated.................................