Do I really need to put 4 inches of gravel under my new sidewalk?
by
Shuganne
+2
Also, what do I do with the 220 underground wire that had apparently been buried under the old sidewalk? I really can't afford an electrician, that's partly why it's DIY. The electric company said it wasn't their original install, so, 'good luck and dig by hand.' What kind of stone do i order for the base of the sidewalk? Finally, I am planning to do a quikrete form that uses an 80 lb sack. Can I do one each day, so I don't aggravate my arthritis if I cover and dampen the previous ones? I tried submitting photos but HT gave error messages.
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Here's a good guideline to follow for a new sidewalk install-http://homeguides.sfgate.com/determine-much-gravel-concrete-walkway-88000.html
Thank you for sharing this, but it really doesn't resolve all my concerns. The link is from San Francisco; I live south of Chicago. The thaw and freeze of winter has an impact. I live among corn fields. The weather in the rural areas is even worse than in the suburbs. Im hoping to hear from someone with similar or more northern conditions.
I'd still like to hear from someone with more experience re: the buried electric line. Anyone??
Shoshana, thanks for the general reference-Google picked up my location and gave me ads for nearby Chicago. I found some leads there. SF was in CA 😁 where the ground never freezes. The thawing and freezing buckled up the old one, which was layed on bare dirt. I'm still going with 4".i can figure out the cubic yards from the SF site. Thanks bunches!
Do you know for sure if it is 220 wire? If it is and has been run under the sidewalk it may be feeding a post light but that guage wire is usually 110. Be on the safe and call an electrician.
There is no lamppost or other electrical need except the garage and I know it's a 220 feed. It's got one of those triangle plugs.
My biggest concern is that where it comes up near the house is still 6-10 feet from the house. There are plants and a tree that need to go, but I can't dig into a wire, obviously. I've already tried pulling the tree out with the tractor, but it won't budge. I've been trying to kill it for the last five years, but it keeps regrowing. It's just an elm, for goodness sake.