Time to install a fresh air vent, but in this case in a stone wall that is about 400mm thick.
I've never drilled into a stone wall, so I would like to hear if there's anything special I should consider. What I'm particularly worried about is the stability of the wall.
It's an old house from the turn of the century, around the year 1890-1910.
Is it concrete block or lightweight concrete?
It sounds strange if it would be 40 cm of concrete...
If it is lightweight concrete, you can use a hole saw and knock away from the hole at regular intervals.
If it is concrete block or concrete, it is easiest to rent a core drill.
The alternative is to drill many smaller holes around the outer diameter with a 6 or 8mm bit and then chisel out the hole.
If you use a sound insulating vent, it is made of foam rubber and easier to get through an uneven (=chiseled) hole.
A tip might be to call around and request quotes from companies that can drill for you.
Renting machines and such to drill such a hole can cost quite a bit, and then you would have to do the work yourself. If you hire a company, it might not necessarily cost much more and it could be worth it.
But if you want to do it yourself, I would try drilling a smaller hole first to see how the wall is for drilling. It might be very easy, or it might not work at all...
If the wall collapses? Well, I don't think so. It's quite possible that your wall is brick with an air gap and plaster on the outside.
It sounds like you received a steep quote, so I understand why you didn't go for it.
An acquaintance of mine has hired a hole drilling company on two occasions. One time, he drilled holes in the ceiling to pass a duct for the fan and also took the opportunity to drill holes in the ceiling to install 4 spotlights. The total cost for drilling holes in the 10 cm thick concrete was 2000 SEK, with wear and tear being the most expensive part.
The second time the company was supposed to help him, he needed to drill two holes about 30-40 cm in diameter in the foundation to be able to crawl under the house. The thickness of the concrete was about 40 cm. That job cost 3700 SEK, and once again, wear and tear was the major expense.
It sounds like you received a hefty quote so I understand you didn't go for it.
An acquaintance of mine has hired a drilling company on two occasions.
One time he drilled a hole in the ceiling to get a kitchen fan duct through and also took the opportunity to drill holes in the ceiling to install 4 spotlights. In total, the drill holes in the 10 cm thick concrete cost 2000 SEK, of which the wear and tear was the most expensive part.
The second time the company was to help him, he needed to drill two holes approximately 30-40 cm in diameter in the foundation to be able to crawl under the house. The thickness of the concrete was then about 40 cm. That "party" cost 3700 SEK, and again the wear and tear was the major expense.
I don't know where in the country you are, but that sounds veeery cheap.
I know that anders07 lives in the same city as me.
I occasionally bring in a drilling company at work, and the average price is usually 5000/hole.
Of course, it becomes cheaper with multiple holes at the same time.
But 5000/hole/visit is a reasonable target price in Stockholm.
Since it's such an old house, I guess it is made of brick and not concrete or aerated concrete.
If you rent a machine and core drill, you should rent the accompanying stand, I wouldn't want to hand-drill through almost half a meter of granite..
My acquaintance and I live in Helsingborg, and it was one of the better-known companies that did the drilling. It wasn't lightweight concrete either, but really hard concrete, and the holes were drilled with a rig and water.
With the price I knew from my acquaintance, I hadn't even considered doing the drilling myself, but now when I hear your prices in Stockholm, it might definitely be worth doing it myself by renting machines
My friend and I live in Helsingborg, and it was one of the more well-known companies that did the drilling. It wasn't lightweight concrete either, but really hard concrete, and the holes were drilled with a stand and water.
With the price I knew from my friend, I hadn't even thought about drilling myself, but now that I hear your prices in Stockholm, it might clearly be worth doing it yourself by renting machines
It almost sounds worth paying for the taxi ride for these guys next time it's time for drilling.
I am a concrete cutter from Småland and it sounded like a horrible price. That company must have had too much work already.
On the other hand, I know how it is to work in downtown Stockholm. It's insanely much more complicated, with everything around, than it is in the countryside.
Can only confirm TuXy.s price. Took 2 holes for ventilation and two 50 mm for the brain hoses to the heat pump in Skåne and it ended up at about 3500. Done by an established hole-cutting company.
And the second time according to this and then chiseling out:
If I had to make another hole I would go with method #2 again but if it's 40 cm thick it might be difficult to access and chisel out the hole, I think.
If you rent a machine, make sure to drill from the outside and cover the floor inside with plastic and tape a double garbage bag over where you come through inside!
There will be quite a bit of water!
Drill a 6 or 8 mm hole from the inside out first, so you know where to drill from the outside.
Since it is such an old house, I guess it is built with stone masonry and not concrete or lightweight concrete.
If you rent a machine and core drill, you should rent the accompanying stand, I wouldn't want to hand-drill through nearly half a meter of granite..
Exactly my thought, I think many missed reading that part of the post. And standing there holding a machine up, either the machine above the head, or on a ladder, he'll tire out within 15cm.
After reading through the comments, I decided to try drilling. I bought a hole saw from Harald Nyborg and got started. The walls are made of masonry, but at some point in time, an outer panel has been installed. The reason I'm writing this is because I was surprised when I started drilling into brick. It turns out they had sealed an old ventilation system and I happened to hit right in the middle. It turned out to be much less work than expected!
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