Yeah, I’ve seen way too many folks hit pipes or cables when they go deep—never fun dealing with a surprise leak or worse. I usually recommend sticking to surface fixes unless you know exactly what’s under there. Sometimes slow and steady really is the way to go, even if it’s not flashy. Had to patch up a neighbor’s yard once after he tried double digging and ended up with a geyser... not worth the headache.
I get what you’re saying, but sometimes surface fixes just don’t cut it if there’s a real drainage issue under the lawn. I’ve had to do a bit of exploratory digging before—marking out utilities first, obviously—just to see what’s actually going on. Here’s how I usually approach it: check the slope, see if the gutters are dumping water in the wrong spot, and only then consider anything that involves digging deeper. Ever tried installing a French drain without hitting anything important? Curious if anyone’s found a way to do that safely without calling in pros...
Marking out utilities is definitely the right move—nothing like a surprise cable line to ruin your day. I’ve done a DIY French drain before, and honestly, it’s not as scary as it sounds if you take it slow. I always use a hand auger for the first few feet just to feel things out, then switch to a shovel. It’s tedious, but better safe than sorry. If you’re careful and double-check those utility maps, you can usually avoid any disasters. Just takes patience... and maybe a little luck.
Ever run into tree roots while digging? I swear, half my time was spent hacking through roots instead of actually making progress on the drain. Did you have to reroute your trench at all, or just muscle through? I’m always worried I’ll mess up the slope if I have to change direction mid-way.
WHEN YOUR LAWN TURNS INTO A SWAMP AFTER EVERY RAINSTORM
Tree roots are the bane of my existence when it comes to digging trenches. Last summer, I tried putting in a French drain along the side of my house, and I swear, every two feet I’d hit another root. Some were small enough to just chop through with a shovel, but a couple were thick enough that I had to go grab a saw. Did you ever get worried about damaging the tree itself? I kept second-guessing whether cutting through those big roots was going to kill my old maple, but I couldn’t see any way around it.
About rerouting—how do you even keep the slope right if you have to zigzag? I tried to muscle through most of the time, but once I hit a root that was basically the size of my arm, I gave up and curved the trench around it. I used a long level and some string to check the slope, but honestly, I’m not sure how accurate I was. Does it really mess up the drainage if the trench isn’t perfectly straight? Or is a little curve here and there fine as long as the water still flows downhill?
I’ve also wondered if there’s a trick to spotting where the worst roots are before you start digging. I tried poking around with a metal rod, but it didn’t help much. Do you just accept that you’re going to run into roots and deal with them as you go, or is there some secret method I’m missing? Sometimes I think hiring someone with a trencher would save me a ton of time, but then again, I’m stubborn and like doing things myself... even if it takes three times as long.
Curious how others handle this. Is hacking through roots just part of the deal, or am I making it harder than it needs to be?
