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[Shop-talk] Tunneling drain pipe down a hill?

Subject: [Shop-talk] Tunneling drain pipe down a hill?
From: strovato at optonline.net (Steven Trovato)
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:50:02 -0400
References: <4E5DBECB.3090108@earthlink.net> <4E615173.30600@comcast.net> <003901cc69c8$5bd5dda0$138198e0$@rr.com> <4E61790A.80605@comcast.net> <CA+7Nz3os-zsQ4+p1n5Y56BLNm0KuRGbdmxSPtDmdk1EQBuksUg@mail.gmail.com> <4E6255E8.30308@earthlink.net>
Brian,

How about hiring a couple of day laborers to dig?  When I put an 
addition on our house, the guy with the excavator didn't show 
up.  Mason showed up with a bunch of guys with shovels.  They did the 
whole thing by hand and probably cost less than the guy with the 
machine.  I know that doesn't answer your concerns about disturbing 
the ground cover, but you can always plant more.  I'm all for clever 
solutions, but don't underestimate a couple of strong guys with shovels.

-Steve Trovato
strovato at optonline.net

At 12:29 PM 9/3/2011, Brian Kemp wrote:
>Thanks to all that have replied.  Having a house with an 
>unobstructable view comes with certain challenges.
>
>I'd love to have something like the Ditch Witch come in, but it 
>would either have to climb a significant slope or be carried down 32 
>inch wide stairs.  This same slope eliminates a powered trencher as 
>the lower portion is too steep to walk.
>
>The current drainage for the property puts the flow of water at 
>about the same place I want to run the drain line.  This is a corner 
>of the house that has a settling problem, so I'm after a permanent 
>solution to help move the water out of the area.
>
>This area is the only safe access from the front of the house to the 
>back, so it has to be underground so it is kid safe.  It is also 
>only 6 feet between the house and top of the hill section, so there 
>isn't significant distance to redirect the water to another area.
>
>I was thinking that if I could 'hole saw' through the dry dirt with 
>a cutter slightly bigger than the pipe, friction might be manageable.
>
>I've used water as a drill in the past, so if dry doesn't work, I'll 
>put a power nozzle on the end of 3/4 inch pvc and run that down the 
>center of the 4 inch drain pipe and see if I get further.
>
>My goal will to get as far a possible by drilling so I minimize 
>disturbing the top of the hill.   10 feet means I don't mess with 
>the top lip of the hill or ground cover, so I have minimal erosion 
>problems with the Los Angeles rainy season.  If I can make it 20 
>feet, even better.
>
>For anyone doing this type of work by hand, a trenching shovel is a 
>great investment.  It is about half the with of a standard shovel, 
>so you only move half the dirt.  It is also longer, so you can go 
>deeper while keeping the trench narrow.
>
>Brian in Los Angeles

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