🚨Foundation Penetrations: A Critical Weak Point Too Often Overlooked

🚧When a cable or gas pipe passes through a foundation wall, every installation detail becomes crucial to preserving the integrity of the building envelope. A poorly positioned or poorly sealed puncture instantly transforms the foundation into a prime entry point for water.

☣️No opening should be made less than 150 mm (6 inches) above the top level of the foundation wall. This minimum distance allows for exclusion of the foundation flashing area. Drilling below this limit directly exposes the structure to infiltration.

Additionally, the pipe or cable must be installed with an outward slope. An inward-sloping passage acts as a channel, bringing water directly into the building instead of away.

💧The consequences of such a defect can be serious:

• Water infiltration by capillarity or runoff

• Advanced rotting of the wooden materials of the lower rail

• Degradation of insulation and loss of energy performance

• Health risks linked to the proliferation of mold

✅Simply following the basic rules—minimum height, correct slope, and adequate sealing—could avoid thousands of dollars in repairs and preserve the durability of the foundation. In a field where every detail counts, neglecting this point amounts to giving water direct access to the structure.

Percement du solin de fondation

Voie pour les infiltrations d'eau

Infiltrations et dommages à la structure