I live in a terraced house built circa 1898. The house had been redeveloped before we moved in in summer 2013 (cowboy botch jobs on plaster, drainage and maybe more, we'll see, but that's a different story)...
Work appears to have included removing a gas/electricity meter from a hallway cupboard and relocating it up high in the front porch.
Outside the front door, there are some holes. I suspect these (well, at least the round one) are from the above work.
a) I think I should fill them, right? What should be used to fill them?
What are the considerations, ie. condensation, expansion? Use expanding foam, sand and cement? What products?
The other thing is: b) on the internal hall wall between the front holes and the old meter cupboard, there seems to be a couple of long, pipe-shaped bulges (marked in photo) - perhaps where pipes were but have been filled in? I don't know if the external hole stretch all the way through - ie. I don't know how much filling in is to be done.
c) Also, there is an empty cavity where the old meter would have been in the cabinet, stretching under our floorboards. Should I be concerned about this, should I do anything with it?
One reason for all the above is, last autumn, we had a small mouse/rat in this area. And, this year, I suspect we have same, because my cat is keeping close watch on this area inside the front door. I'm curious whether they could have got in through the holes, or whether there is another possibility.
Many thanks.
Work appears to have included removing a gas/electricity meter from a hallway cupboard and relocating it up high in the front porch.
Outside the front door, there are some holes. I suspect these (well, at least the round one) are from the above work.
a) I think I should fill them, right? What should be used to fill them?
What are the considerations, ie. condensation, expansion? Use expanding foam, sand and cement? What products?
The other thing is: b) on the internal hall wall between the front holes and the old meter cupboard, there seems to be a couple of long, pipe-shaped bulges (marked in photo) - perhaps where pipes were but have been filled in? I don't know if the external hole stretch all the way through - ie. I don't know how much filling in is to be done.
c) Also, there is an empty cavity where the old meter would have been in the cabinet, stretching under our floorboards. Should I be concerned about this, should I do anything with it?
One reason for all the above is, last autumn, we had a small mouse/rat in this area. And, this year, I suspect we have same, because my cat is keeping close watch on this area inside the front door. I'm curious whether they could have got in through the holes, or whether there is another possibility.
Many thanks.
