Hole in external wall by the drain .. 31 March 2018 at 1:08PM in In My Home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 11 replies 1.2K views

another_casualty

Howdy !
I noticed somebody strategically placed a large road sign outside my flat ( under the bedroom window ). When I disposed of it into the communal recycling bin I noticed that by the drain on the outside wall, there is a hole the size of about a brick . As the weather has been freezing of late, the shrubs haven't been covering it up.
I have only been in this flat a year , so it must've been there for some time .

Please excuse my naivety, but I was wondeing whether it was made for a reason? The flat is a ground floor of a converted house .
There was a damp issue resolved before purchase . There was some mold which has now gone . That could be due to the humidifier I have

The main reason why I'm asking is because it could potentially be an invitation for mice /rats , although the block I live in is very clean .

I don't know how to post pics .

Your thoughts ?

another_casualty

I took a couple of closer pics, and there are bricks further back in the wall , so I'm probably worrying over nothing .

Grenage

Brick it up.

another_casualty

I should’ve mentioned it’s an exterior render wall. It may have something to do with the sub flooring / ventilation etc . Old building

robin58

You can buy grills that can be put over holes like this. I know someone who had to do it because they were near a site where there was a mouse infestation. Did the trick for them.

another_casualty

Thanks robin . I know the type you mean .

Davesnave

robin58 wrote: »

You can buy grills ..... I know someone who had to do it because they were near a site where there was a mouse infestation.

Mice are everywhere, and it only needs two!

If this is intentional ventilation, and it sounds like it is, don't fill it in, just add the mouse, rat (and insect) - proof grille.

Norman_Castle

I noticed somebody strategically placed a large road sign outside my flat ( under the bedroom window ). When I disposed of it into the communal recycling bin...

Have you checked the restrictions on what can be put in a recycling bin?

DaftyDuck

Photo would help.... if it is near a drain, is it where an old waste pipe ran out of the house? Inside may have been patched, outside behind shrubs forgotten/ignored.

another_casualty

Davesnave wrote: »

Mice are everywhere, and it only needs two!

If this is intentional ventilation, and it sounds like it is, don't fill it in, just add the mouse, rat (and insect) - proof grille.

I was thinking that . As I'm a leaseholder , I could send the managing agents a request to put a rat proof grille over it .

another_casualty

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Photo would help.... if it is near a drain, is it where an old waste pipe ran out of the house? Inside may have been patched, outside behind shrubs forgotten/ignored.

Not sure how to send pic . I have a feeling that what you say is correct. The pipe from the guttering goes into the drain . The shrubs must've covered it up until the bad weather came .