post hole digging - in winter

[Old_Hickory]

He could put him in the freezer and wait until warm weather. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[keeney]

<font color="blue"> I live where you have to burry water pipes 6' deep to prevent freezing, and due to a lack of insulating snow that is being tested this year....
</font>

I thought that the code in many parts of MN, is 8' deep for water lines.

I just talked to an excavating contractor about digging some footings for a garage. He jokingly told me it would take less time to just wait for spring.

- Rick

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> As the guy was ringing
it up I started bending the flag back and forth until it
broke off. Cashier just stared at me while I was doing it and
finally yelled out "YOU CAN'T RETURN THAT!!!!" My friend was
falling down laughing... </font>

If my family were to bury my ashes in a mailbox, I would ask them to leave the flag up(ready for pickup). /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But seriously, a mailbox would make a good casket for a small pet. Good idea. And the electric jackhammer might just do it for a pet sized hole. When we have heavy snow, the ground here is only frozen a few inches down.

 

[zuiko]

I've put in footings and they had to be 4 1/2' deep (twin cities area). Do pipes need to go deeper than footings? I'm going to have some put in this spring and don't want them to freeze.

I've used the PHD in winter with the ground frozen solid, but only inside buildings. My outbuildings have bone dry dirt so while its cold enough to freeze there is so little water in the soil it doesn't.

 

[rambler]

Yes, digging dry frozen dirt is possible. Freestall barn stantions???? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

In my part of Minnesota I hear pipes need to be 5' deep but 6' deep under driveways & other heavy compation areas (this assumes heavy compaction & clearing the insulating snow allows the frost to go deeper) so the standard is 6' deep minimum. Someone above said 8', that would be news to me in south central MN, but other areas might need it or codes may have changed.

On the other hand, septic laterals can be a max of 1' deep here. Jee I wonder why folks have problems?????

--->Paul

 

[timb]

Rick,

Don't know if your friend has dealt with his dog yet - but I'm not that far south of you in PA. We buried my city-dweller sister's pup (big retriever mix who also suffered from cancer) on my place a few weeks ago on a north facing hillside. The ground was only really frozen down about six inches. Some work with a pick to break through and the shoveling wasn't all that bad.

Tim

 

[rhonda]

Is it very hard to use a one man auger and dig a hole in 45 degree weather when it has only been 45 degrees for one day. I live in Ohio. I have about 15 fence posts to set.

 

[5030tinkerer]

It will need to be above freezing way more than just one day to do any significant thawing. Fifteen holes with a one man PHD now would be nearly impossible I'd bet.

 

[radioman]

HEH . this is a first. I only can guess here - is the soil you drilling into is claylike, it gotta be like frozen putty at this point. If the soil is rocky - good luck, you probably will end up getting it jammed alot due to frostline holding the rocks in place. Otherwise any other soil type is game. good luck and dlet us know if you did try it.

 

[Zick]

I just drilled 3 24" holes about 5' deep a couple weeks ago. We used a Bobcat and starting out with the 24" bit it was not going anywhere fast. We ended up using a smaller drill bit as a pilot hole and then went back with the bigger bit.
There was only about a foot of frost too!
Yes I would agree, 15 holes using a one man auger will be dam near impossible if there is any frost.