From Concrete to Curb Box: Water Line Replacement in Newark Ohio

Double B Excavations & Grade LLC

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Ever wonder what's really involved in replacing a water line?

Most folks just see the dirt pile in their yard and hope for the best.

But there's a whole lot more going on underground than meets the eye.

Today, I want to walk you through a water line replacement we're tackling in Newark, showing you exactly what it takes to do this job right.

When another contractor brought us in to handle the excavation part of this project, we knew we'd need to navigate some tricky spots.

There's concrete to cut, a porch to work around, and other utilities to watch out for.

But that's exactly the kind of challenge we love - it's about solving puzzles while keeping your water flowing.

Let me walk you through exactly how we tackle a job like this.

First up is the concrete work.

We're not just breaking things up randomly - we're making precise cuts in specific spots to create a clean access point. Think of it like creating a puzzle piece we can put back later. We need enough room to work but not so much that we compromise the porch structure.

Once we get past the concrete, that's when the real detective work starts.

Take the gas line we found today - it's made of yellow poly material. But here's something most folks don't know: not all gas lines look the same. Some are metal, some are metal wrapped in poly, and newer ones are all poly.

That's why you can't just assume you know what you're looking at underground.

Then there's the curb box - that's the spot where you can shut off water flow to the house.

Think of it as the master switch for your water supply. It's a crucial piece of the puzzle that connects your home to the city water system.

Here's something we take really seriously: depth.

We're digging this line down 42 inches, and there's a good reason for that.

Here in Ohio, we've got something called a frost line - that's how deep the ground can freeze during our winters.

If you don't get your water line below that frost line, you're asking for trouble. Nobody wants frozen pipes in January!

The job's not done once the pipe goes in, though.

We fill the trench with stone before adding the rest of the backfill.

This isn't just about filling a hole - that stone provides crucial drainage and protection for the new line.

It's one of those details that separates a job that lasts from one that'll need fixing again in a few years.