Landscaping: What Are These Wires I Found In My Yard?

Landscaping have always been an essential feature of a property outdoor aesthetic design. In short, it involves various activities, such as:

• gardening, as the art of cultivating plants to achieve a pleasing outdoor environment;
• terrain improvement by shaping and enhancing natural landforms; and
• introducing additional elements to modify the visible area.

And even though few would venture into building the Versailles gardens in their backyard, the thrill is still strong!

On the other hand, open space is a key market value of any property. Front and back yards are assets no one would wish to pay for only to “destroy” at a later stage when looking for solutions to extend and enlarge the indoor space. Therefore, people get inventive and often go for underground options as ways to increase their living space without destroying available backyards.

It’s a good plan! But, whether you’re digging under your home or in your yard, you should consider using professional services. The reason is simple. You don’t know what lies under your home or yard, that they can find out for you before you start digging. Professional intervention could save you a lot of money and inconvenience.

If you don’t know what you are digging into then you could find yourself digging into a sewerage pipe.  This can be very messy, smelly and potential costly to fix. But, it is not the worst thing you can do!

It is possible that there are electrical cables running under your home. If you tangle with these, then you can get a nasty or even deadly electric shock.

Other risks include gas pipes or even water pipes.

A professional survey will quickly identify where all the cables and other utilities are in your yard. They will map your boundary lines and note the exact location of the utilities. In addition they will mark out the depth, allowing you to plan properly before you start any digging.

It is also possible to call the utility provider and ask them to confirm where the pipes are. This service is generally free but you’ll need to ring each utility supply individually to ensure you have all the information you need.

It is worth nothing that a utility supplier might not be able to give the exact co-ordinates of your pipes.

A surveyor will give you all the information in one go and you can be certain that you’ve not missed any.

It is useful to note that there are always exceptions to the rule. It’s worth looking over the area you intend to dig in before you start digging. One thing that might not be picked up on a survey is the present of wires for your sprinkler system or even electrical wiring for lighting in your garden.

These may be live when you dig for them but there are several simple precautions you can take when digging in your yard:

Power Off

The first thing to do before you start digging is to turn off any power circuits which feed into the garden or any outbuildings you have. This should include inside circuits that have outside lights plugged into them.

If in doubt simply turn off all the electrics!

Protection

If you are laying cables for lighting or anything else protect it. Whether you run it above ground level or just under the ground, by sliding it inside metal tubing you’ll dramatically reduce the chances of running a spade through it when digging.

Be Vigilant

Finally, you must always be vigilant when digging in your yard. Taking a cautious approach is the most effective way to not finding or damaging any wires under the surface.

Published in: Smart home