Can this be installed in rocky soil?Updated 2 months ago
Rocky Soil
Our Freestanding Cat Fence system can be installed in rocky/gravely soil, but it may require a couple of additional steps. Our customers with rocky or difficult soil will often find that some parts of their yard are worse than others, so special installation may not be required on the entire length of fencing that is installed. I would recommend using a soil probe to test the soil in the areas where you plan to put posts.
This tool will help you determine whether driving our ground sleeves into the ground in those locations will be possible. If you push the probe in and find that the probe will only go in a few inches, try another location close by to see if simply moving the exact post location will help you avoid the rock. Ground sleeves should be driven into the ground between 16-22".
You may also find that waiting to install after heavy rain or soaking the ground with a garden hose in the potential post locations may be helpful for probing to the appropriate depth (and for driving ground sleeves as well!). In more difficult or rocky areas, you may find that you will need to "pre-drill" holes so that the ground sleeves can be driven into the ground. The most economical way to do this would be to use a yard auger that can attach to a power drill. This will help loosen up the rocky soil and allow the ground sleeve to get down into the ground. You want to ensure the diameter of the auger is slightly smaller than the diameter of the ground sleeve.
If you find that you can only probe a few inches into the ground around the entire yard, like if you have large boulders or rock slabs just under the surface, then some heavier-duty options may be necessary to install the Freestanding Posts in the ground.
Rock Slabs/Boulders
If you have large rock slabs or boulders that sit just below the ground surface, then you may want to check the entire fence line/yard before installing the sleeves to determine which areas will be most difficult. Ground sleeves should be driven into the ground between 16-22".
I would recommend using a soil probe to test the soil in the areas where you plan to put posts. If you check all along the proposed fence line, you may find that there are only some areas that are problematic, and you may be able to reconfigure the fence line to work around those areas.
If this is not the case, and the entire area has shallow soil above a rock slab or boulder(s), then a different approach may be required to set the ground sleeves. One option would be to use a rotary hammer drill at each post location to actually drill into the rock or boulder before setting the sleeve. This is not a very common household tool, but you can often rent one from a local hardware store.
Ground Sleeve Mushrooming
Usually dry, clay-rich soil is the main culprit for this type of problem. Installing our Freestanding System in hard/compacted soil can require some additional steps due to the nature of the ground. Our customers with compacted or difficult soil often find that some parts of their yard are worse than others, so special installation may not be required for the entire length of the fencing that is installed.
It is often the final few inches of ground that is the hardest, and can cause the top of the ground sleeve to "mushroom." You can leave the ground sleeves up to 8 inches out of the ground, as long as the post feels "solid" when inserted into the sleeve (not easily wobbled back and forth). If you do choose to leave them higher out of the ground, I would recommend setting all sleeves the same so the final post height is similar. If the silver color of the sleeve is bothersome, it can be spray painted black with an exterior paint. Or, you could use a metal sawzall blade (or hacksaw) and cut off the top of the ground sleeve if you do not want the sleeve to show. Please note that 1.5-2" of the sleeve SHOULD still remain above ground, and the arm mounting collar should go no higher than 6' 8" up from the ground surface.
If the driving cap ever gets stuck in the top of the ground sleeve throughout this process, you can loosen it by tapping it side to side with the sledgehammer to remove it.
You may also find that waiting to install after heavy rain or soaking the ground with a garden hose in the post locations may help soften the ground so the sleeves can more easily be hammered to the appropriate depth. This is particularly helpful for dry, compacted soil. You could also use a garden auger to loosen the soil before hammering in the ground sleeve.
If you suspect rocks are stopping the ground sleeves from being driven, then another option is to use a soil probe to test the areas where you need to place posts. This tool will help you determine whether driving our ground stakes into the ground in those locations will be possible. If you push the probe in and find that the probe will only go in a few inches, try another location close by to see if simply moving the exact post location will help you avoid the rock.
Lastly, one other option that some customers have had success with is using an automatic post-driving tool like the Titan Driver - you may be able to rent one of these from a hardware store or equipment rental place.