11 years ago I star drilled a hole through 8 inches of concrete in my
basement wall to put telephone line completely underground as it was
part of my home security system (which calls out to police if alarm
activated) as telephone was underground up to outside of house wall. I
thought it was dumb to have the phone line exposed as all a
knowledgeable thief had to do was cut the exposed line to prevent alarm
system from calling police.

I'd sealed the hole with calk sealing compound around wire as suggested
by my local hardware store from outside & inside before filling the hole
(about 3 feet deep in clay soil---tough to dig and not damage
underground phone wire).

It has remained dry for 11 years. Now, 11 years later a small leak has
developed (only in severe prolonged heavy rain) around the wire, small
drip but over time enough to wet the wall and floor.

Our soil is high clay content and likely holds the water for longer
retention. Slope is away from our house, and leak subsides with a day
if rain stops.

What can I do to seal the hole/wire where it comes into basement and do
all this from the basement side?

Not happy I made the decision to bury the wire entry hole so deep (about
3 feet) 11 years ago, but too late now.

Morenuf
--
lid

I would try first ; Pack hydraulic cement in hole sround the wire. It
expands and seals hole.
Jack

I recommend a fix on the outside.

wrote:
I recommend a fix on the outside.


Right-o. anything he does on the inside will fail because nothing
provides a hermetic seal. The only sure fix is to eliminate the water
pressure on the outside of the wall.

Dig down to the site of the penetration and put is some gravel fill
around the hole. This will divert any water that would otherwise build
up in the area.

"Tim Killian" wrote in message
...
wrote:
I recommend a fix on the outside.


Right-o. anything he does on the inside will fail because nothing
provides a hermetic seal. The only sure fix is to eliminate the water
pressure on the outside of the wall.

Dig down to the site of the penetration and put is some gravel fill
around the hole. This will divert any water that would otherwise build
up in the area.

A pocket of gravel in the hole would provide a pool to hold water so it can
infiltrate. I would pack solid heavy clay against the area after sealing it.
This would provide a dam to block the water. A gravel filled channel leading
water away from the clay dam would help to remove the water.

"morenuf" wrote in message
...
11 years ago I star drilled a hole through 8 inches of concrete in my
basement wall to put telephone line completely underground as it was
part of my home security system (which calls out to police if alarm
activated) as telephone was underground up to outside of house wall. I
thought it was dumb to have the phone line exposed as all a
knowledgeable thief had to do was cut the exposed line to prevent alarm
system from calling police.

I'd sealed the hole with calk sealing compound around wire as suggested
by my local hardware store from outside & inside before filling the hole
(about 3 feet deep in clay soil---tough to dig and not damage
underground phone wire).

It has remained dry for 11 years. Now, 11 years later a small leak has
developed (only in severe prolonged heavy rain) around the wire, small
drip but over time enough to wet the wall and floor.

Our soil is high clay content and likely holds the water for longer
retention. Slope is away from our house, and leak subsides with a day
if rain stops.

What can I do to seal the hole/wire where it comes into basement and do
all this from the basement side?

Not happy I made the decision to bury the wire entry hole so deep (about
3 feet) 11 years ago, but too late now.

Morenuf
--
lid

If the hole is big enough to fit the nozzle of a can of expanding foam in
next to the wire I might try that stuff. (the kind that dries hard not the
newer fluffy stuff that hardly expands). Use a poker of some sort to clear
out the hole as much as possible. You may be able to use water to backflush
the hole to clean it out proir to resealing (got a water pic).

He said he wanted to work from -Basement side.. So sealing from that
side is what he ask for. "This Old House " had a view on this kind of
leak recently on PBS TV. Some on hand common sense may also apply
here as whether to work from inside or outside.
Jack