How to Drill a Dryer Vent Through a Cinder Block

Ducts carry warm, moist air from your dryer to the outside.

A clothes dryer operates by tumbling clothes inside a drum while blowing hot air over them, thus removing the moisture. The air inside the dryer is expelled from the dryer located on the back of the unit. The vent is attached to a duct which carries the warm, damp air outside your home. When you're installing a dryer in a new location, you'll need to install a vent pipe as well. If the dryer is against an exterior wall, you may have to drill through cinder block to install the vent.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer drill
• Masonry drill bit
• Tape measure
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Duct
• Tin snips
• Duct
• Vent cap
• Clear silicone adhesive

Instructions

1. Drill a pilot hole through the wall where you're installing the dryer vent using a hammer drill with a masonry drill bit.

2. Find a common reference point that is visible from both inside and outside the house, such as a door or window. Measure the distance between the pilot hole and the reference point, then go outside.

3. Look for the pilot hole, measuring from the reference point to where you drilled the hole. Draw a 4 1/2-inch wide circle around the pilot hole.

4. Drill small holes into the cinder block along the edge of the circle.

5. Remove the cinder block inside the circle with a hammer and chisel.

6. Create a hole in the cinder block inside your home, using the same process.

7. Cut a piece of the duct for the vent with tin snips long enough to fit through the wall. Use gloves to protect your hands from the sharp edges of the duct.

8. Return outside and place the vent cap over the hole in the wall. Drill holes into the wall through the screw holes in the vent cap.

9. Apply a thick bead of clear silicone adhesive to the back of the vent cap. Attach the vent cap to the end of the duct.

10. Insert the end of the duct through the hole, and run a thick bead of silicone adhesive around the edge of the duct, covering the space between the duct and the hole.

11. Push the vent cap tightly against the wall, and screw it to the wall with the provided screws. Cover the screws with the silicone adhesive.

References

• The Home Depot: Installing a Dryer Vent