# Hole in Basement Wall to Outside - How Can I Fill It In/Cover it?



## HTFreak (Mar 24, 2014)

As per the photos below I have a hole in my basement wall that used to be a "vent hole" for a Clothes Dryer that used to be in the room which has since moved to a different location far away.

As you can see on the inside of the house that pink insulation is currently there filling the hole from the previous owner.

One time I took the pink insulation out and there was a mouse nest living in it! I cleaned out the mouse nest and put the pink insulation back in. The hole is filled with 100% pink insulation and nothing else right now.

How can I fill this in permanently to keep insects and mice out?

I was told NOT to use the Expanding Foam for the entire hole because mice can eat through expanding foam.

Should I fill it with expanding foam and then cover both the outside and the inside part of the hole with with cement?

Again, I was told not to use expanding foam because mice and eat through the expanding foam.

Thanks!


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

Concrete is a good option, you can get a bag of concrete mix at any big box store. Alternatively you could use mortar (no aggregate), a little easier to work with.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Buy a 10 pound bag of mortar mix, find a scrap board and a few rocks. Attach the board to the inside wall and use the mortar to secure the rocks inside the hole from the outside. Do a final stucco coat of mortar to the outside and inside once the initial layup has set but is still green.


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## HTFreak (Mar 24, 2014)

Thanks guys!

Do I need to be concerned with the concrete shrinking or expanding in the winter months when it gets below freezing when using mortar or concrete?


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Only 1 thread on a subject/topic please.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

It will expand and contract at the same rate as the surrounding concrete.

I left one step out, mist the existing concrete with water before the mortar job and again before the final coat. This keeps the mortar from drying too quickly.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

The shrinkage I would worry about is the drying shrinkage of the mortor or cement. It is enough to leave a water penetrable gap (particularly water under pressure) at the interface of the existing wall/patch.
I would use hydraulic cement if I wanted the patch to be water tight.


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