Drilling basement wall.

[rackmup]

I am for sure installing a furnace this year but I am curious about drilling a 4" hole in my poured basement wall; I plan on using the CB Thermo pex. I also thought about bringing it up the side of the wall and running it through the sill instead.

Any war stories to share?

 

[outbackrider]

Simple...
Either rent a larger size hammer drill with a 1/2' bit and 1 - 1 1/2" spade bit and cheese hole a circle with the bit and then punch it out with the spade bit. Cost about $50 - $60

Or, buy a hammer drill from Northern tool, cost about $100 add in a couple of drill bits at $15 - $40.

I use to borrow, once rented, now own the Northern tool unit, works fine for the occasional use, last week I just used it to blast a 1" hole, 18" deep through my "thin side" stone and concrete foundation. Worked like a charm. Going through a concrete foundation is a piece of cake, hammer drill goes right through, you might hit some rebar, generally the bit will just work around it.... Now when I hit a piece of granite in my foundation, it can take 5minutes to drill a half inch.....I have found that tougher than rebar.

Spend the money, and buy the Northern, you'll probably need to drill another hole for something.

 

[rackmup]

My FIL is a concrete contractor so the drill is no big deal. I am worried about sealing the seam around the pipe. Some guys have told me that hydraulic cement is may be the way to go.

 

[redprospector]

See if you can rent a core drill. I doubt Home Depot carries them though.
Many years ago I worked as a core driller in Dallas, we drilled holes in the foundations of a lot of buildings including #1 Main in down town.
If you have the exterior of the foundation exposed you should be able to seal it back up with a sand mix, and sealant on the outside.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

My FIL is a concrete contractor so the drill is no big deal. I am worried about sealing the seam around the pipe. Some guys have told me that hydraulic cement is may be the way to go.

Woops, some how I missed this post.
Your FIL should be able to tell you the best way to seal it off.

Andy

 

[Guarddog1]

I rented a Hilti and a core drill from home depot took a while to drill through but it worked. Then I cleaned the hole the best I could and sealed it with expandable foam it worked well no problems.

 

[rick2752]

Depends on whats more valuable to you...Time or Money. Just drilled mine with rotary hammer and it took a while. A good hour, or more. I had to drill like 8 to 10 holes(with 1 1/2 bit) and keep them close enough to be able to knock out the connecting piece between them. I own the rotary hammer so no cost to me, but if your father inlaw has the rotary hammer I would borrow it and see about renting the core bit from Home depot or a tool rental shop. It would save a lot of time and aggravation. I think if doing it again I would rent the core bit.

 

[Upidstay]

Make sure you know what's behind/inside the wall!! There can be oil lines, water lines, sewer lines, etc. inside the wall. Terminix spent millions settling a lawsuit after one of their guys hit an oil line while drilling the slab of a house for termite treatment. 500 gallons of fuel oil drained into the ground water, polluted the wells of a dozen or so homes.

 

[Windwalker7]

I used Hydraulic cement.

 

[1harlowr]

I installed my OWF earlier this fall. Rented a core drill with a 5" bit from a tool/machine rental company. Rental fee was $30. Had no problem drilling through my poured wall. That is until my son turned the water faucet off by mistake. He leaned against the spigot and closed the value. Let me tell you a core drill's 5" bit can get so stuck without water you'd think it will never come out. Took an hour of pounding to free it.
When you bring the line through the hole, make sure it is centered and not just laying on the bottom of the 5" hole. Mine weeps slightly because I couldn't get the hydraulic cement under the 4" conduit. Not wet enough to run down the wall, just stays damp.

 

[Jon E]

Best way to do it is to core thru the wall, I sealed mine with spray foam and it's been fine.

 

[603doug]

Careful of rebar, it can screw up a core drill, so do not push the bit, Waterplug at Home Depot works great. I drill thru concrete alot and punch with a hammer bit and works faster than a core bit.

 

[Curlycherry1]

Putting a hole in a concrete foundation is a place for water and stuff to get in. You are better off from a leak point of view to go up and through the rim joists. Water cannot climb up the wall and through the hole to get in.

 

[wkpoor]

If you have a walkout basement then a hole in the wall shouldn't be nearly as big a deal. My walkout doesn't even have a sump pump or sump pit for that matter. Water is always trying to get away from not into my basement. If you have a conventional basement and the pump runs alot then a hole in the wall might no be best. I guess it depends on the location, area and drainage.

 

[Mike PA]

Hydraulic cement is a good way to go, as it is a non-shrinking, permanent fill. Spray foam can work, but, over time, may develop leaks as a result of vibration of the pipe. Depending on how wet the area is, though, the spray foam would be easiest and will work in a lot of circumstances, but the hydraulic cement should work under all circumstances.

 

[RacerX]

For a poured concrete foundation I would not consider anything other then a wet core machine with a 4" diamond bit. Bolt it right to the wall, hook up a garden hose and drill straight through. Any type of hammering drill is almost useless if the wall contains rebar.

 

[Guarddog1]

For a poured concrete foundation I would not consider anything other then a wet core machine with a 4" diamond bit. Bolt it right to the wall, hook up a garden hose and drill straight through. Any type of hammering drill is almost useless if the wall contains rebar.

Correct me if I am wrong but the re-bar traditionally is supported and held by the form tie bars so if you look at were the tie bars are it should give you a very good idea of the positioning of the re-bar. Of course there is always a slight chance of a stray piece being in the way but I would think a stray piece supported by nothing would have went a lot further down than 18" in the wall. Just my 2 cents.