FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Restoration
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In

Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum

filler for concrete hole below grade

MarkH | Posted in General Discussion on April 10, 2006 09:07am

This reminds me of a Jeopardy question.

Silicone sealant?

Reply
  • X
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • pinterest
  • email
  • add to favorites Log in or Sign up to save your favorite articles

Replies

  1. User avater
    MarkH | Apr 10, 2006 10:54pm | #1

    I would think any type silicone caulk would work.  100% silicone caulk, not something containing silicone.



    Edited 4/10/2006 3:55 pm ET by MarkH

  2. philarenewal | Apr 10, 2006 11:18pm | #2

    Anything wrong with using hydraulic cement, let it cure and coat the whole area with foundation sealant?

    Silicone is OK but if (when) its bond fails, it will leak.  Polyurethane might mork better.  Stays a little sticky and flexible for a longer period.

    I'd go with the hydraulic cement and foundation sealant.  Made for the purpose.

     

    "Let's get crack-a-lackin"  --- Adam Carolla

    1. User avater
      MarkH | Apr 10, 2006 11:22pm | #3

      I don't see how you could get hydraulic cement between the pipes.  Polyurethane might be a better choice.  I've had good luck with silicone myself.

      1. philarenewal | Apr 10, 2006 11:32pm | #4

        >>"I don't see how you could get hydraulic cement between the pipes.

        You have a point there.  I think (thought) the OP is talking about sealing between the concrete hole to the pipe sleeve.  I think he mentioned an 1 1/2" to 2" hole for a 1" pipe, so I read it that way.

        Maybe some hyro cement for the hole and some polyurethane caulk for the joint?  Still think I'd go with the foundation sealer over all of it.  Likely similar stuff to caulk, but it's made for the purpose, so . . . . 

        "Let's get crack-a-lackin"  --- Adam Carolla

      2. DanH | Apr 11, 2006 03:23am | #10

        You want something with a little give anyway, to avoid fracturing the pipe.

        If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison

  3. STAINLESS | Apr 10, 2006 11:40pm | #5

    For what it may be worth, I haven't seen my silicone rubber sealant beads actually break down after even a number of years of  outside exposure. However, I have had almost every exposed bead lose its adhesion to whatever substrate I've tried to stick it on. (Concrete, glass, wood, various plastics) sometimes in only months ! This even after some pretty scrupulous cleaning beforehand in some cases.

    For the past few years I've started using a polyurethane sealant made by Lepages called Bulldog Grip. It costs more but seems to be both tougher and better adhered than Silicone when I've tried to pull it out of some sawcuts in a concrete pad I poured 3 years ago.

    Surprisingly my  best adhered beads were only about 1/4" deep. It may seem strange but I would be inclined to fill the bulk of the gap with expanding polyurethane foam and capping it with a shallow bead of the Lepages stuff (or some other's polurethane caulking/sealant) once the foam had cured.

    It seems to me that you would want something flexible rather than rigid so I would stay away from anything like hydraulic cement, or rigid curing epoxy.

    Hope this helps.

  4. STAINLESS | Apr 11, 2006 12:09am | #6

    Apologies for this double post, but after thinking about your situation a bit more a few thoughts came up.

    1) Both the poly foam and the poly sealant I use are both 1-part products that are moisture cured, that is, a bit of dampness is actually  good for curing the stuff, probably a good thing for underground work!

    2) Polyfoam always seems to get on some part of me whenever I don't use those flimsy vinyl gloves that comes under the cap of the can and sticks to me like nobody's business. Even scrubbing with strong solvents won't take the stuff off after it has cured. I've just remembered a pair of work pants I still wear that got some foam on them years ago that have been through the laundry dozens of times and still bear witness to how tenacious the bond is. The stuff won't come off.

    3) I had a leak in my concrete block wall 4 years ago where my  plastic (polyethylene) well pipe came through into my basement pump room. It had been "sealed" with what seemed to be cement or mortar (hydraulic cement perhaps?) and was leaking around the pipe. I broke out the mortar and filled that sucker with a generous shot of high expanding polyurethane foam, and jammed a piece of plywood over the surface to force the stuff to expand into the block. A week later the wall began leaking about 10' from my repair and I've had to dig up the outside of the wall since to do a lasting fix to a failed weeping system. For 2 wet seasons however, that poly foam never so much as oozed a drop through it!

    1. philarenewal | Apr 11, 2006 12:18am | #7

      Awe, comeon, you're not being fair to the hydro cement.  A good cement repair can last centuries -- much longer than the pipe.

      I'm not saying poly foam won't do the same job, but it hasn't been around long enough to prove it.

      In your case, a couple of years isn't a test.  How long had the cement been around that pipe without leaking?  ;-) 

      "Let's get crack-a-lackin"  --- Adam Carolla

      1. STAINLESS | Apr 11, 2006 02:20am | #9

        Phil, you make an excellent point, ie: why go with new and improved when old & reliable is proven.

        If  I was patching an empty hole in block or concrete I would not hesitate to use Hydro  Cement. And a few  short years is hardly a test of anything I would want to call Fine Homebuilding either. 

        Firstly, poly-ANYthing plastic has not been around anywhere near as long as concrete, I doubt you or I could point to a long history of successfully sealing a poly pipe with Hydraulic cement since the poly has only been around a relatively short time, not the hundreds of years I like to see a product tested for either.

        Poly's strength comes from the fact that it gives, concrete's strength from the fact that it doesn't. Imagine a concrete pipe filled with water & frozen, now the poly filled the same way & also frozen, which one is still usable when thawed out? Now imagine a floor made out of poly compared to one made out of concrete, which one would you like to install an accurate machine tool upon? Each material has different strengths and weaknesses, the problem comes from us trying to put them together.

        How long will the marriage between the two materials in the wall last? I can't predict it .  However if it failed once for me it is likely to fail again, just a matter of when.

        The poly moves, the cement doesn't. It seems to me that to keep a sealed joint between the two you must supply something flexible between them.

        Hundreds of years ago my ancestors did not bring water into their houses with little pipes in the basement. We are on somewhat unproven ground here, no?

        As has been previously posted, poly is the devil to get anything to stick to. Perhaps the best solution would be a compressible, long lasting material, trapped between the dissimilar materials and compressed into place so that it can expand and contract and still maintain contact with all surfaces. Depending on the pressure of the water from the hill above trying to get in, you might need to use pretty high compressive forces to maintain that contact.

        Unfortunately I can't think of anything with an established track record of doing such a job well over an extended period of time.  Expanding Polyurethane foam was my best guess at something cheap & available & it seems to be better than Silicone or anything rigid in my humble opinion. (At least it didn't fail immediately!)

        Thank you for keeping me thinking.

  5. junkhound | Apr 11, 2006 12:24am | #8

    Fibered roof patch will hold up for decades in the below ground environment. Smear it inside the hole and all over the pipe BEFORE you pull the last 8" of pipe thru the holes.

    But, since almost nothing sticks to poly but melted poly, on own house transistioned to steel fitting and galv pipe thru the walls, grouted (grout is simply cement and water paste) in place. Has not leaked for 35 years.

    You could do a trial run with a hot glue gun with poly sticks with warmed empty pipe, bet that would work also.  Hot glue gun and preheated case is about the only thing that will successfully seal up a cracked poly lead acid battery case.

    FWIW, recall that before the 1974 first oil crunch, could buy a 100 ft roll of USP 1-1/4" poly pipe for under $4!,  keg of tar was only 73 cents, 7 cents/gal for gas on the farm.

  6. DanH | Apr 11, 2006 03:24am | #11

    If there's water pressure, nothing will hold. Water will get through the concrete somewhere, even if not through those holes.

    If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
  7. User avater
    IMERC | Apr 11, 2006 04:08am | #12

    backer rod to limit the dept of the seal (1/2" or so) and Polyurethane calk would be a better choice than sillycone...

    3M marine sealent would be a better choice still.. get it at HD...

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!

    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!



    Edited 4/10/2006 9:09 pm by IMERC

    1. User avater
      MarkH | Apr 11, 2006 04:20am | #13

      What's your opinion on butyl gutter and foundation caulk?

      1. User avater
        IMERC | Apr 11, 2006 04:31am | #14

        won't take the sustained wet and may not stick well to the PVC...

        go get the 3M... it's rated for under water... sticks to everything and loves wet....Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

        WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->

        Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

        1. User avater
          MarkH | Apr 11, 2006 04:37am | #15

          Someone mentioned "foundation seal".  I used to have to use that stuff, and it would make spiderweb like strings that blew in the wind and always seemed to end up in my hair, plus the smell makes me sick.

          3M marine sealant is super stuff.

          1. User avater
            IMERC | Apr 11, 2006 04:48am | #16

            3M marine sealant is super stuff.

             

            yup...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->

            Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

    2. STAINLESS | Apr 12, 2006 04:29pm | #26

      I'd like to give this 3M stuff a try. The local HD near me doesn't carry the stuff & the associate I spoke with has never heard of it. Could you supply a descriptive number or a material spec on the stuff?

      I did an i'NET search on 3M MARINE SEALANT and came up with 5 or 6 3M marine adhesive/sealants but they all turned out to be 1-Part moisture-cured polurethane sealnts.

      Thanks

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Apr 12, 2006 10:49pm | #27

        Here is a good source. They also have lots of other things for woodworking/construction.Expoxy, SS fasteners.http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search_category.do?categoryName=Epoxy%20and%20Adhesives&categoryId=203&page=GRID&history=

        1. STAINLESS | Apr 13, 2006 04:34am | #31

          SS fasteners, NOW your speaking a language that grabs my interest BIG TIME!

        2. STAINLESS | Apr 13, 2006 04:42am | #32

          Just cruised the Jamestown Website, Turns out that they will ship to Canada, (much to my surprise). This is an unexpected bonus to someone  tired of Window Shopping without being able to actually lay hands on products behind the glass wall.

          Thanks for the heads up.

      2. User avater
        IMERC | Apr 12, 2006 11:39pm | #28

        I couldn't find the partial tube I had left over..

        I must be gettin' neater in my old age and tossed it...

        I will cruise by the store a bit latter and have a look see as to which one it was....Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

        WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->

        Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

      3. User avater
        IMERC | Apr 13, 2006 03:41am | #29

        3M 5200 and this HD does carry it....

        stopped off and visited another hot tub I did... IIRC at least 4 years... maybe as long as 5 years ago... that had a mix of 3M and Goop marine sealent...

        the goop and 3M were sticking to everything I got it on... PVC, CC, redwood, cedar and metal...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

        WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->

        Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

        1. STAINLESS | Apr 13, 2006 04:31am | #30

          Thanks for the info, now I'm starting to like this stuff even more!

          Rhetorical question here but wouldn't it be ideal if we could pay off the mortgage on a house before the thing falls down, or needs a second mortgage to pay for the repairs when short lifetime materials give it up? 

  8. davidmeiland | Apr 11, 2006 06:59am | #17

    Anyone mention Bentonite yet? I've used it in sheet form for waterproofing, not sure if it can be fabbed somehow to waterproof a pipe penetration.

  9. rasconc | Apr 11, 2006 07:11am | #18

    I sealed a supply penetration with the exoxy tube that you cut off what you need and knead it and pack it around the pipe.  It is rated for pool repair under water.  Never saw a drop of water in the three years I lived there.

  10. User avater
    IMERC | Apr 11, 2006 08:06am | #19

    I reserected a very large hot tub... 8-10 bodies...

    ALL the sillycone had failed ...

    ALL the foam exposed to water had seperated and it did absolutely nothing for the leaks but let the water pass thru and be A ROYAL PITA  to clean off of the fittings so I could repair them...

    the 3M was the ticket...

     

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!

    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

  11. User avater
    MarkH | Apr 11, 2006 09:06pm | #20

    I would say the 5200 is the best.

    Here is the pdf

    http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?6666660Zjcf6lVs6EVs66SY6HCOrrrrQ-

  12. User avater
    IMERC | Apr 11, 2006 10:41pm | #21

    5200...

    that's the stuff....

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!

    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

  13. User avater
    MarkH | Apr 11, 2006 11:47pm | #22

    It will stick to concrete, but it doesn't mention that specifically.  See if you can contact the manufacturer.  There should be contact listed on the website somewhere.

  14. DanH | Apr 12, 2006 12:54am | #23

    Sure -- it's for boats, right? Haven't you ever seen a concrete boat?

    If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
    1. philarenewal | Apr 12, 2006 01:25am | #24

      >>Haven't you ever seen a concrete boat?

      Here's the pride of our fleet

      http://www.stuofdoom.com/concrete.html

      (my dad used to take us all to Cape May when I was a kid -- never forget that concrete ship.  It's still there). 

      "Let's get crack-a-lackin"  --- Adam Carolla

      1. DanH | Apr 12, 2006 01:35am | #25

        There used to be a concrete (more properly "ferro-cement") sailboat that docked at Lake City, MN on Lake Pepin (on the Mississippi River between MN and WS). But that was 25 years ago, and I don't get up that way much anymore.
        If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison

  15. HocombContracting | Apr 13, 2006 08:02am | #33

    gunnite is the ticket

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Video Shorts

Categories

  • Business
  • Code Questions
  • Construction Techniques
  • Energy, Heating & Insulation
  • General Discussion
  • Help/Work Wanted
  • Photo Gallery
  • Reader Classified
  • Tools for Home Building

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

FHB Podcast Segment: Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Building Codes

Could a building code update make your go-to materials obsolete?

Featured Video

Micro-Adjust Deck-Baluster Spacing for an Eye-Deceiving Layout

No math, no measuring—just a simple jig made from an elastic band is all you need to lay out a good-looking deck railing.

Related Stories

  • Podcast Episode 692: Introduction to Trade Work, Embodied Carbon, and Envelope Improvements
  • FHB Podcast Segment: Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Building Codes
  • Old Boots Learn New Tricks
  • Install Denim Insulation Like a Pro

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 332 - July 2025
    • Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools
    • Fight House Fires Through Design
    • Making the Move to Multifamily
  • Issue 331 - June 2025
    • A More Resilient Roof
    • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
    • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work
  • Issue 328 - Dec/Jan 2025
    • How a Pro Replaces Columns
    • Passive House 3.0
    • Tool Test: Compact Line Lasers

Fine Home Building

Newsletter Sign-up

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox.

  • Green Building Advisor

    Building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox.

  • Old House Journal

    Repair, renovation, and restoration tips, plus special offers, in your inbox.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters

Follow

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2025 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

  • Home Group
  • Antique Trader
  • Arts & Crafts Homes
  • Bank Note Reporter
  • Cabin Life
  • Cuisine at Home
  • Fine Gardening
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Green Building Advisor
  • Garden Gate
  • Horticulture
  • Keep Craft Alive
  • Log Home Living
  • Military Trader/Vehicles
  • Numismatic News
  • Numismaster
  • Old Cars Weekly
  • Old House Journal
  • Period Homes
  • Popular Woodworking
  • Script
  • ShopNotes
  • Sports Collectors Digest
  • Threads
  • Timber Home Living
  • Traditional Building
  • Woodsmith
  • World Coin News
  • Writer's Digest
Active Interest Media logo
X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Online Learning

  • Courses
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • X
  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

Enjoy unlimited access to Fine Homebuilding. Join Now

Already a member? Log in

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in

Privacy Policy Update

We use cookies, pixels, script and other tracking technologies to analyze and improve our service, to improve and personalize content, and for advertising to you. We also share information about your use of our site with third-party social media, advertising and analytics partners. You can view our Privacy Policy here and our Terms of Use here.

Cookies

Analytics

These cookies help us track site metrics to improve our sites and provide a better user experience.

Advertising/Social Media

These cookies are used to serve advertisements aligned with your interests.

Essential

These cookies are required to provide basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website.

Delete My Data

Delete all cookies and associated data