Sealing around pipes in concrete foundation

[Alex]

Hi..

I'm trying to find a good way to seal around the pipes that enter our house= behind the toilets and sinks because we're having a problem with ants comi= ng through the gaps between the pipes. From what I remember the hot, cold,= and drain pipes come in through the same hole, their just wrapped together= with concrete right up to the wrap. I'd like to find something I could sq= ueeze into these gaps that wouldn't crush the pipes yet something the ants = won't find tasty. I thought about the Great Stuff Gaps and Cracks but my f= ear is the ants will just start moving into the foam making a new home.

This will probably involve opening the wall under each sink, which if I hav= e to do I'll just add a plumbing access panel so I can get back in whenever= needed.

As for treating the ants, we've tried Termidor (which is supposedly the bes= t), plus we've baited outside to no avail. These pesky fire ants just won'= t let up, so short of doing a costly whole-house treatment of Termidor unde= r the foundation my thought now is to just seal their access into the house= .

Thanks for any advise ...

Sam

[Sjouke Burry]

behind the toilets and sinks because we're having a problem with ants coming through the gaps between the pipes. From what I remember the hot, cold, and drain pipes come in through the same hole, their just wrapped together with concrete right up to the wrap. I'd like to find something I could squeeze into these gaps that wouldn't crush the pipes yet something the ants won't find tasty. I thought about the Great Stuff Gaps and Cracks but my fear is the ants will just start moving into the foam making a new home.

to do I'll just add a plumbing access panel so I can get back in whenever needed.

plus we've baited outside to no avail. These pesky fire ants just won't let up, so short of doing a costly whole-house treatment of Termidor under the foundation my thought now is to just seal their access into the house.

Ideal problem for silicone paste. No ant will dig through it, and because it is quite elastic, it will give you no problems over temperature. Try and clean out the first 1 or two inch around the pipes, make sure everything is dry(maybe use a hot air heater). Then fill things up with silicone, as deep as it will go.

[Fat Dumb & Happy]

Plastic bags, like from walmart, you can use a screw driver and stuff them in as tight as you like. Filling in cracks is best use I've found for them yet.

[willshak]

Alex wrote the following:

behind the toilets and sinks because we're having a problem with ants coming through the gaps between the pipes. From what I remember the hot, cold, and drain pipes come in through the same hole, their just wrapped together with concrete right up to the wrap. I'd like to find something I could squeeze into these gaps that wouldn't crush the pipes yet something the ants won't find tasty. I thought about the Great Stuff Gaps and Cracks but my fear is the ants will just start moving into the foam making a new home.

to do I'll just add a plumbing access panel so I can get back in whenever needed.

plus we've baited outside to no avail. These pesky fire ants just won't let up, so short of doing a costly whole-house treatment of Termidor under the foundation my thought now is to just seal their access into the house.

I had a hole punched into the concrete basement wall for the well pipe when the house was first built. It wasn't long before I found water seeping through the hole around the pipe after a heavy rain. I used UGL's Dryloc Fast Plug to seal around the pipe. That was 36 years ago. It hasn't leaked yet. If it can stop water, it can stop ants.

[tommycottreau]

Or another brand of hydraulic cement. This stuff works.

[Hank]

I agree, Hydrolic cement is the only way to fix it for good.

Hank