The garden tap is a long way from the veg patch (and more) that needs watering. At the moment, during the spring, summer and autumn at any rate, the hose runs from the tap, along the bottom of the hedge and up'n'over the hedge archway above the garden gate. It's useful but unsightly.

I'd like to route it under the path to the front door by digging under from both sides but I'm quickly seeing that 1900's construction is still as solid as ever. I've now revealed on one side the foundation for the path - I have a sinking feeling that this is likely to be solid concrete all the way under
It doesn't look like breezeblock and I don't know whether it was used at that time.

My hunch is the best solution would be to hire something macho and blast through from each side, trying to drill under the concrete plinth which is probably irregular at its base rather than nice and flat.....

Any experts at this please?


Edit: looking at again in the pic it looks like sandstone which is used extensively for the construction of all these buildings, and is notoriously tough

Ok, I've found out that one can hire a core drill to which you can add extensions of 9" a time. The core itself is about 7". The path is 5' wide so I'd be looking at tackling it from each side and hoping the 2" bores lined up! And this is through sandstone/concrete........Hmm.

Another option is a "mole", more expensive but tunnels down and along through earth.

If you can't get under why not cut a chase either side of that crack in the foot way and install a small duct

In no particular order:

Do a better job of disguising the hose.

Couple of Watering Cans. The exercise will be beneficial.

Water butt. Close to the veggies and fill with hose when needed.

Split the hose at the path and add a couple of connectors and join it when you need it.

Stop digging holes. Though you have probably expended more energy digging those trenches than you will get in a life time of carrying water cans.

Plant Veg in the trenches

^^ talking of digging holes


Don't wish to disappoint all the useful suggestions but I've just found a firm locally that does core-cutting and they're coming to look at it in an hour

For a garden hose!!

More money than.....

My water company kindly came and bored a new hole under my concrete driveway when their pipe split a few years ago. Took a couple of hours to dig up the each end. New pipe was pushed in by machine pretty effortlessly.

I'm just glad that they fixed it, and more importantly didn't charge me £3k for the amount of water that was leaking (over the course of a year!)

You just need one these special drills but they are quite pricey

Right, so the guy's been and he agrees, this ^^ looks like the good option as he can saw cut the damaged tiles out. It's almost half the price and I've discovered half a dozen spare tiles which will replace the line of cracked ones

Come on tell us the real price of watering vegetables

My vegetables are priceless.

Tatties and rocket, Strathearn specials, on the menu tonight

Very Expensive ones now.

Erm - no! Sandstone is notoriously tough for building with because it is so soft and fragile, maybe you were thinking of granite?

erm it depends on the sandstone,

Indeed - @Azzura I would have thought exactly the same seeing some of the lintels and crumbling facades around. But from experience this particular block has incredibly tough stuff that the builders had a nightnare getting through several years ago when inserting a window where a flue had been.

I should have qualified my OP with "in this vicinity".

What a boring topic...

I thought it just rain 24/7 up there. Or is that just Scotch Mist?

It's already been decided it won't be boring

Now pipe down lad

Silly me, I just skimmed through the thread. A night on the tiles is indeed far from boring.

And a drain on one's energy.







Could we tempt you to a leg of the long w/e tour next June?

Long w/e tour? Sorry not really been around for a while, what have I missed?

You could probably start at page 4

Progress


2 neat core cuts, 1.5" plastic pipe threaded through and concreted in


ready for replacement tiles when dry.

Hose completely out of sight