HowTo fix crawlspace vent with wire through it?

[meanwhile]

We are working at a house and the owner asked us to repair the crawl space vents that were missing. One is a normal size we can just buy a replacement for but the other is a vent hole that the heat/AC people ran wires though and under the house.

We thought it would be OK to just cut a piece of solid foam insulation and then calk or great-stuff it in place?

I did not want to cut a piece of wire since I worry the wire might cut into the electrical wires and there is also a cable wire too.

Any other ideas or will the solid piece of foam plus calk work? Thank you.

[Sawmill Jim]

They make a flexible conduit that is already split you could put around the wires first then the screen . Some auto parts stores have it looks good too.

[Harry Chickpea]

Cheeze, why didn't they just use a 30-30 to make a hole?

I doubt you can do anything to code, but my first thought is to notch out a spot for the wires and maybe protect the cables with the flex that Sawmill Jim suggests. Something tells me we aren't talking Trump's place here.

[meanwhile]

No, definately not Trump place. And they did not want us to spend much time nor money on it but we have to get the hole closed up to keep rats out from under there.

So? Will cutting a piece of solid foam insulation the size of the hole work? And then we would cut a hole where the wires poke through it and calk around that?

Does calk or great-stuff hurt heat/ac wires? And there is cable wire going through it too.

Thanks.

[Allen W]

foam insulation wont keep rats out. Split a short piece of black plastic pipe and work it over the wires. Use a piece of plywood to fill in the hole.

[Sawmill Jim]

If they can't afford $9.95 for that conduit they may need to trap them rats .They may come in handy this winter

[carasel]

Foam insulation will not last outside. Buy an exterior plastic conduit coupling. slot this to slip over the wires. notch the new vent to fit. caulk the coupling in, clean up, get paid and go home..

[meanwhile]

OK - sounds like the calk and great-stuff won't work. We will let the homeowner know and ask to buy the conduit. The hole is only about 10 inches wide by 5 inches tall. Very small. There was a screen thing over it that looked like a homemade thing that used regular screen - like from a window. But, of course, animals had eaten the screen.

Thank you everyone.

[wharton]

Originally Posted by Allen W

foam insulation wont keep rats out. Split a short piece of black plastic pipe and work it over the wires. Use a piece of plywood to fill in the hole.

Foam is a poor choice for a few reasons. As stated it takes a minute for a rat to chew through. Another reason is that it is not fire rated in the least, so it can act as a nice "Wick" to get the house going, in the event of a small grass or leaf fire at the edge of the foundation. Foam is quite tasty in the opinion of various vermin like carpenter ants and termites. Finally, most foam has zero UV resistance, and slowly degrades when exposed to sunlight. Don't waste time disturbing the wires for any conduit sleeve, it will accomplish nothing, except creating a path for air and critters. Cut a nice snug fitting piece of 1/2" plywood, caulk it cleanly and paint it.

[Bat Farm]

You can put steel wool in place of the screen, the good thick kind will be harder for the critters to eat

[meanwhile]

Bat Farm: Steel wool? Just like the kitchen type? The opening is very small. It is only about 10 inches - maybe 12 by about 4 or 5 inches. Very small. We could easily place steel wool in the opening but how would we attach it in place?

The plywood idea sounds best. The openings is behind the heat/ac unit pump things outside. So, we could just cut a small piece of plywood, calk around it? And cut a hole where the wires go?

The steel wool would be easier though. How to hold it in place?

[meanwhile]

Oh my! I totally did NOT put that ad in the top post and it will not let me remove it! Sorry - but that is NOT my ad up there!