# Screwdriver test successfully opened up a can of worms



## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

I've been dreading this job, and now I know for a good reason. I have discovered a huge amount of rocks. The heat has wreaked havoc on this area, trying to kill the grass. I grabbed the mail and decided I would pull up some grass and check it out. Woof. The photos on the left of the dug hole are somewhat what the grass looked like before I dug. Almost dead! I'm almost a foot down and still rocks, how far down do I have to dig, and do I have to completely remove all rocks? My big trash can is probably 300 lbs!


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

DR_GREENTHUMB said:


> I've been dreading this job, and now I know for a good reason. I have discovered a huge amount of rocks. The heat has wreaked havoc on this area, trying to kill the grass. I grabbed the mail and decided I would pull up some grass and check it out. Woof. The photos on the left of the dug hole are somewhat what the grass looked like before I dug. Almost dead! I'm almost a foot down and still rocks, how far down do I have to dig, and do I have to completely remove all rocks? My big trash can is probably 300 lbs!


Well that should fix that!


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## SwBermuda (Jun 9, 2019)

I just went through this. You need to dig down as deep as your area's frostline. A quick google puts your area at around 10 inches. So....have fun with that


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

Just finished up one of these excavation projects tonight. The builder left a 3-4" layer of gravel on my lawn before sodding it.


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

adgattoni said:


> Just finished up one of these excavation projects tonight. The builder left a 3-4" layer of gravel on my lawn before sodding it.


Man that sucks but good work on your part!


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

It is probably a pile of leftover gravel from construction when they were building your house or mailbox.

I dig it all up just as a matter of principle, and you never know what you might find left over by the people who were there.

I dug up my flowerbeds at one of my houses in the past and found all kind of construction debris, metal, and "artifacts" in the soil. I also found a rain gutter crimping tool, a full box of framing nails, an Estwing framing hammer (rusted but restorable), and a brand new set of sheet metal shears, sitting on top of the furnace, all in the basement. Five o'clock fever strikes again!


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

adgattoni said:


> Just finished up one of these excavation projects tonight. The builder left a 3-4" layer of gravel on my lawn before sodding it.


@adgattoni

Way to man up and fix that "leave it behind for the homeowner to fix" dumping by subcontractors. That is how you do it!!

My definition of subcontractor: "A guy who has to work for a living, but doesn't want to." Especially during hunting season!

:lol: :nod:


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

Lotsa junk. 10 bags topsoil 1 sand so far. Oof.


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

I think I might have to raise HOC for temps upwards of 100. Only because I see other areas that might have similar aspects, What you guys think? Not being lazy, but other than that I might as well start from the beginning and do it right. #mikeholmes LOL


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Tamp it good...it'll settle otherwise


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## Keepin It Reel (Feb 20, 2019)

Is it recommended to backfill the hole with native soil or would bags of top soil be ok in an area surrounded by red clay?


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## Darrell_KC (Mar 20, 2019)

Generally speaking, most will tell you that especially if you are worried about color uniformity, its always best to use the native soil whenever possible. Top soil will contain different nutrients so your grass may have a darker color or lighter color in that spot versus the rest of the lawn. For me, you have to work with what you have available


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## Kballen11 (Mar 26, 2018)

@DR_GREENTHUMB nice work. Your hard work shows in the yard! My neighborhood has spots like this everywhere right now with the heat we have been having. I am ashamed to admit but one is in my yard. I just keep watering it with a can.... yes, I am lazy lol.


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## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Guess I need to digup half of my back yard to check for debris!


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

jayhawk said:


> Tamp it good...it'll settle otherwise


Yea, I am sure it will settle badly. I am prepared to level this section for a good while.


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

MeanDean said:


> Is it recommended to backfill the hole with native soil or would bags of top soil be ok in an area surrounded by red clay?


Rocks or top soil, the rocks were not doing the job. I didn't even think about the different minerals or aspects of the soil being different. I will let you know when it fills in.


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

Kballen11 said:


> @DR_GREENTHUMB nice work. Your hard work shows in the yard! My neighborhood has spots like this everywhere right now with the heat we have been having. I am ashamed to admit but one is in my yard. I just keep watering it with a can.... yes, I am lazy lol.


Well, it wasn't a fun job. That area was very bad, I assume I have more of this, but they aren't as prevalent when they rear their head.


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## SwBermuda (Jun 9, 2019)

Jordan90 said:


> Guess I need to digup half of my back yard to check for debris!


What I think I'm going to have to do as well. I've done a little test section to see if it greens up and grows before I start wreak g havoc.


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## dpainter68 (Apr 26, 2017)

If it makes any of you feel any better... While trenching for my irrigation system I found this.



It was a good 12 inches thick in some places. The temporary driveway was here during the building process. The area was about 15' x 30'. Still a lot of gravel through the rest of the yard but it is what it is unless I want to haul off 12" of dirt/rock over about a 1000 sqft area.


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## Todd1970 (May 7, 2019)

adgattoni said:


> Just finished up one of these excavation projects tonight. The builder left a 3-4" layer of gravel on my lawn before sodding it.


Leave it, drop your HOC, and call that a sand trap.


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## Wfrobinette (Feb 3, 2019)

DR_GREENTHUMB said:


> I've been dreading this job, and now I know for a good reason. I have discovered a huge amount of rocks. The heat has wreaked havoc on this area, trying to kill the grass. I grabbed the mail and decided I would pull up some grass and check it out. Woof. The photos on the left of the dug hole are somewhat what the grass looked like before I dug. Almost dead! I'm almost a foot down and still rocks, how far down do I have to dig, and do I have to completely remove all rocks? My big trash can is probably 300 lbs!


Don't dig anywhere else. Your gonna find all sorts of junk. Before you're done you will excavate the whole yard.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

Todd1970 said:


> adgattoni said:
> 
> 
> > Just finished up one of these excavation projects tonight. The builder left a 3-4" layer of gravel on my lawn before sodding it.
> ...


I actually thought about that multiple times before I filled it back in, haha. I may build a few sand traps in the back yard.


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## SwBermuda (Jun 9, 2019)

Here is a little area I did a trial run on. I have some areas that are relatively thin so decided to do some digging...literally! I thought it was interesting that I have fairly good root depth and the grass is still thin.


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## Keepin It Reel (Feb 20, 2019)

What's an acceptable probing depth using a screwdriver? I have spots in my lawn where 2 inches in I'm hitting hard spots and just a few inches over I can go down to 8 inches or so. I would think at 6-8'' the roots can still do what they need to do but at 2 inches I should probably dig that area up. That is way to shallow.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

MeanDean said:


> What's an acceptable probing depth using a screwdriver? I have spots in my lawn where 2 inches in I'm hitting hard spots and just a few inches over I can go down to 8 inches or so. I would think at 6-8'' the roots can still do what they need to do but at 2 inches I should probably dig that area up. That is way to shallow.


I'd set the cutoff at 4" - not as great as 6-8 inches but you can make it look nice with 4" roots. If only 2-3" I'd start digging. Make sure you go around a few times though to make sure you're not just hitting a single rock.


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## Cavan806 (May 2, 2017)

I hate that screw driver test! It always opens up that can of worms. I feel your pain boys. Here's some pics of my screw driver test results from last fall.


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

My goodness. I have a spot I'm digging later today, wish me luck.


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

Cavan806 said:


> I hate that screw driver test! It always opens up that can of worms. I feel your pain boys. Here's some pics of my screw driver test results from last fall.


WOW


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Cavan806 said:


> I hate that screw driver test! It always opens up that can of worms. I feel your pain boys. Here's some pics of my screw driver test results from last fall.


Holy s*$&!  I guess if nothing else you got plenty of nice stones to make a border around a planter. Or a headstone for your builder.


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## Cavan806 (May 2, 2017)

Yeah all that came from one very large boulder buried in the ground. I only went about 8-9" down before I called it quits with the jack hammer. You'd never know there was one down there now though.


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

dpainter68 said:


> If it makes any of you feel any better... While trenching for my irrigation system I found this.
> 
> 
> 
> It was a good 12 inches thick in some places. The temporary driveway was here during the building process. The area was about 15' x 30'. Still a lot of gravel through the rest of the yard but it is what it is unless I want to haul off 12" of dirt/rock over about a 1000 sqft area.


Did you take out all of the rocks from that area and refill or did you just leave it?


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## dpainter68 (Apr 26, 2017)

I took out a good 90% of it. I haven't filled it in yet but will have about 8-10"of topsoil over most of that area. There's still a lot of rocks in the area (at least what I consider "a lot"), but I think there will be enough soil now for grass to grow (or am I just convincing myself of this?? Haha). I'll probably get at least some of it up before I fill in and level everything. My buddy has a rock hound and I plan on going over the area with that.


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## dpainter68 (Apr 26, 2017)

Cavan806 said:


> I hate that screw driver test! It always opens up that can of worms. I feel your pain boys. Here's some pics of my screw driver test results from last fall.


At first I didn't realize it was a big boulder you broke up. I was thinking wow, your builder buried all your extra border stones in your yard!?!? :lol:


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