Coax cable and driveway (installation, glue, cost, pipe)
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I thought it might be useful to have the cableTV/internet/phone go under the driveway to the house instead of in the air where tree branches fall in ice storms. I see these techniques to go under sidewalk, but they look very difficult to go under a 15' driveway.
Since the cable isn't electric, and it can't really be crushed by car tires, would there be a problem if I simply stapled it on top of the driveway and drove over it?
I believe it is called horizontal drilling. My cable company had to do it to get my cable under my two car wide driveway as we have all underground utilities. I did not pay for it. They hired a company that does this work. I have no idea of he cost but it is quite common.
Since the cable isn't electric, and it can't really be crushed by car tires, would there be a problem if I simply stapled it on top of the driveway and drove over it?
It isn't higher voltage electric, but it is a cable and does carry an electrical signal, driving over it WILL crush it and cause it to stop working in a very, very short time. If you want it across the driveway and not overhead there is only one way to do it and have it last... under the driveway.
Some people have used a concrete saw to cut a narrow slot across the drive, drop cable in, backfill with asphalt filler. Also is done for the pet control wire called Invisible Fence.
My telephone company had to put a wire across my driveway a few years ago. It was done with a machine and they actually contracted a 3rd party contractor to do it.
Is the cable buried until it gets to your house, or is it on poles? If it's on poles, burying the drop isn't going to help much.
I realize that it will only improve the possibility of saving service by a marginal amount. In fact when it has been cut in the past, it has never been at the drop.
Generally speaking, running a conduit underneath a driveway is not a DIY project, but it is necessary if you wish to move the power/cable/sprinkler etc. from one side of the drive to the other.
Likely the cable company will hire a third party to come in which a 'ditch witch' and they will drill under your driveway in no time at all. Likely it is a couple hour project to start the trench, tunnel under the driveway, force the conduit through the hole, and clean up the mess ( minor).
I suggest you do put your cable under the driveway, and have an external contractor do the work. No, it isn't a good idea to leave the cable lying on top of the driveway. Dropping it into a slit in the concrete might work, but why damage your driveway like that when for the same effort you can do it properly?
If you go to the sprinkler section of a Home Improvement store, they usually sell a kit where you glue a nozzle on one end and a hose fitting on the other of a PVC pipe.
Dig a hole on each side and you can actually use the water from the nozzle to blast through under the concrete if your soil is suitable for the technique, then you cut the nozzle and hose connection off and use the conduit.
However, this is usually done on a sidewalk, so I am not sure how well it will work to get all the way across the driveway. You would probably have to dig a bigger hole fore sure and use a much longer pipe of course. I would also recommend doing this in line with an existing joint in the concrete slab as if it weakens the area underneath you want any cracks to be contained to the existing joint.
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