Entry from outside to the shack.

[N9FIK]

I have permission from the wife to put a hole in the foundation of the house into my new shack.

I picked a spot about 6" from the top of the foundation, which would be about 8" above the ground.

Drilling the access point is not a big deal but I could use some advice regarding weather proofing the point of access.  Do you guys use hoods like the dryer vent?

Initially it will be only for a twin lead to a ladder line antenna.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

[N3ZKP]

A piece of PVC through the wall with a dryer vent for a cover will work. So will a 45 degree elbow pointed down. The hole must be stuffed with something like fiberglass insulation to keep the critters out.

A 3" diameter will let you run a LOT of cable through it.

Now this will probably get me flamed, but It is my opinion ...

I think it is pretty sad when someone has to have a wife's permission to do something simple to their own home like running feedlines through the foundation - unless the wife is making at least 50 percent the house payments and paying at least 50 percent the bills. There are a lot of hen-pecked husbands in amateur radio.

Lon

[N9FIK]

Lon,

Thanks for the advice.  

What my be simple to you and me is an overly complex endevour to the wife.  Giving her the heads up was more of a courtesy, the shack is in my destiny

[N3ZKP]

<< What my be simple to you and me is an overly complex endevour to the wife. Giving her the heads up was more of a courtesy, the shack is in my destiny     >>

Destiny is wonderful. Tell her you're drilling to insert anti-termite compound into the foundation. <gg>

You can use smaller than 3", but remember it's easier to put a too-big hole in now that go back and add another one when the first one fills up.

Good luck with the drilling.

Lon

[K8AC]

I'm sure there are lots of different opinions on this, but if I were you I wouldn't put the hole in the foundation wall.  I assume we're talking about a cinder block wall, perhaps with a brick facing outside.  I'd put the hole in the rim joist that sits on the plate on top of the foundation wall.  A dryer vent would work just fine in that case and is easily secured to the house siding.  An alternative I've used: if you have basement windows, replace one of the window panes with a sheet of clear plastic (lexan, etc.) and simply run the lines through that.  You could drill a hole large enough to accept a PVC pipe fitting which can be glued to the plastic window and that makes it a bit easier to weatherproof the hole by caulking or using putty.

[N9FIK]

I have about 10" if exposed basement (poured concrete) above the dirtline before the first shingles start (cedar shingles).

I would rather punch a hole in the concrete with a drill than tear up the shingles.  I have the ability to patch the concrete if need be.  It would be too difficult for me to replace the shingles and paint to match.

[NA4FM]

You might mix steel wool with the fiberglass or whatever you stuff in the hole.  The steel wool will prevent mice from eating their way into the house through the hole.

Good luck.

Buck

[NA4IT]

I used a 2" PVC electrical conduit "LB" with a short conduit stubb to go through the wall. I drilled a couple of holes in the LB internally to screw it to the way, and ran a good bead of caulk all the way around.

[W1NCH]

Why go through the trouble of drilling through the foundation?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't most homes are built with the floor joists sitting on top of the foundation? In my home, these joists are 2x10 and butt against another set of 2x10s along two sides of the house. The dryer and gas furnace vents are drilled through and secured here.

In my case, I just drilled a 2-1/2" hole (starting from the outside - I used the dryer vent as a reference point) through the siding into this joist; then put a 90-degree PVC elbow on facing down as a weather head and caulked around it just to be safe. Doesn't leak, works well and only took about 1/2 hour to do.

Sure beats trying to drill through concrete and then weather-proof that!