Section 2: Top Floor

Creating pilot holes in concrete floor

Tools needed:

Now that you have marked the 6 spots on your floor for drilling, we need to drill in the pilot holes. This module is for drilling pilot holes into concrete flooring or subflooring. If you did not have a concrete floor or subfloor please proceed to Lesson 3-1: Drilling Pilot Holes into Hardwood.

If you are not sure what type of subfloor you have, it is best to assume you have concrete. This way your special drill bit will go through your subfloor whether it is concrete or hardwood.

• 1 Prepare Your HAVEN
  

  At this point, you should have marked the four drill holes from the install template on your floor. Or, you have made holes in your carpet where the pilot holes will go. If you have not, go back to the Advanced Level 2 Lessons and select your floor type and work through the appropriate lesson.

  Take your HAVEN and unscrew the gate. You do this by unscrewing the four screws on the front of the gate as seen here.

  Once you have removed the gate cover, place the HAVEN unit down on the floor so that is matches up each one of the four holes. If it doesn’t match. STOP. Go back to the template and make sure you correctly marked the floor. All 6 marks should align with the four holes in HAVEN. Once they align, you can proceed.

  Double check to make sure everything seems right. Will HAVEN be low enough for the door to clear it when it is unlocked. Will HAVEN be high enough so that at least .25 inches of HAVEN will be touching the bottom of the door. This is gut check time. Be comfortable with HAVEN where it is right now since once you start drilling, there is not really any going back.
• 2 Create Pilot Holes in Floor

  Now it is time to drill the pilot holes into your concrete floor or subfloor. Get your power drill ready, make sure it is set to Hammering action. If you do not have a power drill with a hammer function, you will need one to complete this module.

  Install your 5/32" Masonry Drill Bit into your drill. Line up your drill with the pilot holes marks on your floor or the holes you made in your carpet.

  Start to drill the hole at a very slow speed with the hammer function on. Slow and steady wins the race. Then gradually increase the speed of the drill. The drill will not cut through the concrete like butter. It will take time.

  You need to go in two inches into the floor with at least one inch into the subfloor. Make sure to mark your drill bit at the two inch mark so you will know.

  Keep in mind there will be dust as you drill the hole in concrete. You are pulverising the concrete and they will turn up a lot of dust. Wear a mask and safety goggles at all time.

  Go ahead and slowly drill all 6 pilot holes into your concrete floor or subfloor. When you are down, use a vacuum to get up all the dust particles from the concrete.

  Congrats, you just finished the hardest part. The rest is a cakewalk. Proceed to Lesson 3-4 Installing Anchors into your Concrete Floor or Subfloor.