the big day has arrived
- Thread starter kawfytawk
- Start date
Not much difference in your rock there and my packed red clay here! May need a "bigger" digger!
Probably. We bought some shrubbery when we first moved here not realizing what we would find under the first 3 inches of topsoil. Needless to say, I had to take the shrubs back to the nursery after a full weekend trying to dig one hole with a shovel and iron bar. We decided if we ever moved and were looking at homes we would bring a shovel with us to see if we could dig a hole in the backyard...of course the sellers would have a fit 
The electrician wanted an extra 400.00 to dig a 50 ft trench. I asked the kid digging the hole if he would cut out a path for me for 100.00 cash...of course he did 
Then he took out the lateral line on my sprinkler system....
With my luck it will cost 300.00 to repair that along with the other one ripped out on the other side.
So I guess it could have been worse....I could have paid the 400.00 to have the electrician tear up my sprinkler system AND pay for repairs on it. :|
Then he took out the lateral line on my sprinkler system....
With my luck it will cost 300.00 to repair that along with the other one ripped out on the other side. So I guess it could have been worse....I could have paid the 400.00 to have the electrician tear up my sprinkler system AND pay for repairs on it. :|
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Don't feel bad about the sprinkler. My electric company broke mine in 4 places when they moved the line that was going through the middle of my pool. Then the backhoe broke my phone line because it was off from where they marked.
At least I didn't hit rock tho!
At least I didn't hit rock tho!
I'm figuring that's why the previous owners built our pool into the hill. Only the very small shallow end is dug out. Retaining wall at deep end, 12 ft drop off, just collapsed last week. But there's plenty of support for the pool. What suffers the most is the concrete decking. There was already a big crack in the decking when we moved in so I built up retaining wall with railroad ties. This time I'm going with a concrete bag retaining wall. (We can't get any heavy equipment back here.) At least the dogs are having fun in their new dirt "box". The bed was filled with very nice, organic soils, and no rocks. It's mostly down the hill now helped along by the dogs. 
Sure wish I could teach them to dig on command.
In 88 I planted a tree that needed a 3' X 3' hole. It took me days to dig it. I loaded up on wine coolers and dug much of the hole, sitting on the edge, with a coffee can after using the iron bar, over and over again. What you take out stacks into a pile several times larger than the hole. The lawn crew, who have planted several things for me, over the years, say that we are about 95% rock and 5% soil.
When my sister put her pool in, in Ky they blasted the hole out. It was really close to the house too. She was a wreck the whole time.
gg=alice
Sure wish I could teach them to dig on command.In 88 I planted a tree that needed a 3' X 3' hole. It took me days to dig it. I loaded up on wine coolers and dug much of the hole, sitting on the edge, with a coffee can after using the iron bar, over and over again. What you take out stacks into a pile several times larger than the hole. The lawn crew, who have planted several things for me, over the years, say that we are about 95% rock and 5% soil.
When my sister put her pool in, in Ky they blasted the hole out. It was really close to the house too. She was a wreck the whole time.
gg=alice
Shoot geekgranny, I would have been a nervous wreck too if they blasted mine. My neighbors would have stroked out as well.
My dogs are all out of sorts...especially my malinois. He is wondering what happened to his game of fetch with the yard all tore up. That guy has a purpose and goes bonkers if he can't do his "job"..I mean practically "rain man" nutso
My dogs are all out of sorts...especially my malinois. He is wondering what happened to his game of fetch with the yard all tore up. That guy has a purpose and goes bonkers if he can't do his "job"..I mean practically "rain man" nutso
kawfytawk said:
Boy I hear you. Mals are one serious working dog. Although we have acres for the dogs I'm wondering how the Blue Heeler girls, 5.5 mo, are going to do without cattle to herd. They are farm bred, from working cattle dogs. I used to have goats that my Rotties herded but I'm too lazy for that now. My Doodles, mother a working hunting Lab, don't do well if I keep them up for a day. They get a lot of stimulation from the birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Jake Mastiff is easy. As long as he can do a few warning barks, at anything, he's doing his job. When I took him to Nashville (tiny fenced yard) a couple of months ago, he did get really stir crazy though. Walkies, aren't really enough exercise and stimulation for country raised dogs.
The pool helps a lot, too, even if they only take a dip to cool off. It keeps them running more as they can cool off when they get hot. BTW... I don't use Borax, other than for an adjustment, here and there, because they do use the pool as a big water bowl. There's still debate on using large amounts of borates but I just don't want to take any chances. My water is just fine without the borates but I do use it for "feel" in the spa.
gg=alice
Can anyone tell me what a slurry back fill is and why it would be appropriate? My "soil" is 90% limestone rock and 10% clay. I'm concerned about the backfill
slurry backfill or base is a cement and sand based stabilizer, similiar to concrete except much less cement content. It is commonly used in Texas given your soil conditions. Most if not all your highways have a slurry base under them. Given the torrential rains you can get and soil properties it helps keep the base from washing away. I can't tell you if its appropriate for a pool for base, (can't see why not) but we use it all the time in the construction projects we do in Texas. Also limestone in Texas depending where you are can be very porous with clay seams, this will get crumbly over time with rain and the heat.
I just saw that you were in Waco, the limestone in this area is very spotting and not very good quality, it has a lot of clay seams in it, this propably explains why they want a stabil base. Though I'm not a PB.
I just saw that you were in Waco, the limestone in this area is very spotting and not very good quality, it has a lot of clay seams in it, this propably explains why they want a stabil base. Though I'm not a PB.
yep, that's typical for your area, the darker shaded line is clay and it looks like you would see that if you dug another two feet, that clay really does effect the stability of the ground and how the water flows
CLR
That is EXACTLY what I have.
Brit,
Ok, thanks for the info...all these new terms, I just wasn't sure what it was and how it benefits me.
That is EXACTLY what I have.
Brit,
Ok, thanks for the info...all these new terms, I just wasn't sure what it was and how it benefits me.
Titus
0
Good luck with the build.... I know how excited I was when the digging began.
When I was a kid, I lived in Fresno, CA for a few years. I don't know what the soil consisted of, but I recall the landscaper's process of planing a tree.... Drill a 3-4' deep hole in the ground, light fuse of an M-1000, drop into the hole, stand back for boom, then dig the hole for the tree.
When I was a kid, I lived in Fresno, CA for a few years. I don't know what the soil consisted of, but I recall the landscaper's process of planing a tree.... Drill a 3-4' deep hole in the ground, light fuse of an M-1000, drop into the hole, stand back for boom, then dig the hole for the tree.
titus,
isn't that the truth! I told the pool guy straight out I lived on top of a rock...he said no problem. Well now it's a problem. they just went to get a bigger digger.
isn't that the truth! I told the pool guy straight out I lived on top of a rock...he said no problem. Well now it's a problem. they just went to get a bigger digger.
rrc1962
0
When we were considering an in-ground, none of the contractors wanted to admit that there was a possibility of hitting ledge. Of course, if they've dug a hole in Nashville before, they would know that there is a lot more than a possibility. They just said that it won't be a problem. Won't be a problem as in it won't slow them down or won't be a problem as in we'll get a jackhammer and dynamite and adjust the bill accordingly? When interrogated intensely, one of them finally did admit that ledge 2 feet down could double the cost. Turns out they don't like to admit that up front. After the job is started, you're sort of committed. He said many people shy away from the in-ground when they find out up front what it could really cost. The pool stores advertised installed price assumes soil the consistency of potting soil.
bingo! I learned that the hard way....and here I thought learning BBB was gonna be tough.... I'm gonna need the savings I get from BBB to soften the blow
A few years back in the back yard of the neighbor, whose back yard is across from my front fenced yard, with part of my drive between, an electric pole was cracked and needed replacing. They started digging with a "smaller" hole digger which immediately broke, so they had to bring in the "big guy". They had to wait a couple of days because the "big guy" is loaned out to different areas. First hour of digging with it broke. As I remember they had to do most of it manually.
They had to take out two sections of his wood fence and one post, which happened to be a post I had run into with my truck and cracked. He got a new pole and two fence sections out of the deal and he never found out I had damaged his post. :lol:
The moment they appeared with the smaller equipment we started nudging each other and giggling.
There are a lot of foundation problems out here due to the rock and "soil". The older houses don't have as many issues as the newer houses. I'm on the side of the hill. Water poured at the far end of house (open plan) will run 60 ft all the way out the back door in dining area. It's come in handy a few times when we've had floods. I maintain that the steel pier and beam structure of the deck is holding the house from sliding down the hill.
gg=alice
They had to take out two sections of his wood fence and one post, which happened to be a post I had run into with my truck and cracked. He got a new pole and two fence sections out of the deal and he never found out I had damaged his post. :lol:
The moment they appeared with the smaller equipment we started nudging each other and giggling.
There are a lot of foundation problems out here due to the rock and "soil". The older houses don't have as many issues as the newer houses. I'm on the side of the hill. Water poured at the far end of house (open plan) will run 60 ft all the way out the back door in dining area. It's come in handy a few times when we've had floods. I maintain that the steel pier and beam structure of the deck is holding the house from sliding down the hill.
gg=alice