How to Repair a Basement Rod Hole

Rod holes are round openings in concrete surfaces that designate the former location of steel rods or rebar. Builders insert the rods while the concrete is still wet to reinforce it. After removing the rods, holes remain in the concrete. If a rod hole is located in a basement wall, it provides an access point for groundwater. Repairing the rod holes requires only that you plug them up. However, there often are many holes, so the process requires a bit of time.

Screwdriver
Hammer (optional)
Swell plug or cork
Socket driver (optional)
Hydraulic cement
Putty knife or drywall knife

Instructions

- 1
  Inert a screwdriver shaft into one of the rod holes, and gently scrape out any loosened concrete that is in the center of it. Don’t try to expand the hole; simply remove the already loose debris. If old hydraulic cement is over the hole, tap it gently with a hammer to loosen it from the wall.
- 2
  Open a package of swell plugs, which are foam plugs with a metal shaft on one end. Insert the foam end of the plug into the rod hole as far as possible. Push it the remainder of the way into the hole using the screwdriver shaft. Some plugs have a hex head, which you tighten using a socket driver. If you want, you can insert a cork into the hole instead of the store-bought plug.
- 3
  Repair all remaining rod holes in the basement wall using the same method.
- 4
  Open a tub of premixed hydraulic cement, and scoop up ¼ cup of the cement using a putty knife or a drywall knife. Spread the cement over the surface of the rod hole until it is filled. Apply an additional 1/4-inch layer of cement over the repair site to disguise it completely.
- 5
  Apply additional hydraulic cement over all remaining rod hole openings in the same manner.

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