Yes, I learned the hard way that every time before you dig you should call Julie 811 and have them come out and survey the site. It's free and it'll save you a ton of money if you were to do like I did. I hit The main underground electrical service line that went under my driveway and 3/4 away around my house instead of the one quarter way around the house that I thought it was going. And I hit it with the same mini excavator that you guys are using and the sparks flew and when they had to come out and make that repair I spent $1,600 when I could have just made that one phone call.
The previous property owners buried a 220 electrical line right next to a water line in our back yard! We found it when my daughter reached down in the trench we dug with a backhoe and pulled it up with her hands! Thank God the sheathing was still intact. Bet the County and City didn't know about that bit of handiwork. Blessings.
Now the big question. What are you going to do with that old tank ? Scrap yards around here will not take any tank that has had any kind of fuel in it. Back in the mid 70's, I worked installing and removing underground storage tanks for gas stations. Most of those tanks were 10,000 to 20,000 gallons, around 10 feet in diameter and 23 feet long, if my memory is right. We found the best way to remove them was dig out one end and one full side a bit lower, then roll the tank sideways. Wet ground makes them stick or suck to the dirt just like our feet do.
@@squirrelmaster1225 me too, I think it was a great video. Just funny when you think about it. They are a fun crew to watch no matter what they are doing.
Unsolicited Tip: Try to keep vegetation, dark soil, clay, in separate piles for backfilling purposes. Will help with keeping the areas backfilled a bit more stable overtime.
@@kennethmiller2333 yeah cause they also mentioned replacing the main line from the water meter so it's guna be dug up again. It was only 4 inches into the ground and I believe it has to be 18" or more so they'll dig it up again.
Again, I was a propane service technician for 14 years. Connected to the brass cluster valve on top of the tank is a copper line called a pigtail. Cut that copper line, open the valve and see if that tank has any pressure. If not, spin the cluster valve off the tank riser pipe and take the tank to a scrap yard. You’ll get a few bucks for it. You’ll probably need to rent a 3’ pipe wrench Be careful not to turn the tank upside down for there could be very stinky oil in the bottom. Chances are based on how and where it was buried the tank rusted through years ago. Contact me if y’all need any additional advice
My theory is that a previous owner actually owned both lots and had structures on both sides of the property. They supplied utilities to both lots right there at the corner of both lots. That is why the propane and water are divided between the two lots. Somewhere in time ownership changed and the lots went their separate ways. And, if something is buried, you just leave it buried!
I guess those things are very sturdy. I thought it was going to collapse into a pile of rust after being basically submersed 365 days a year for however many years.
@@TJChallstrom916-512 its the rural american way. If you dont live in weird housing authorities and stuff like that. Neighbors are pretty dope no matter where you are. I really think rural America is the last bastion of sanity in the world and we must protect it at all costs. Cities are too far gone.
@@Titantitan001 100%, it's not the Texas way at all if you're in a City. Cities have way too many regulations but they have them in order to slow down change which could harm residential neighborhoods. So that's the double edged sword. Trying to get big residential projects done, even in Texas, in the city, is a pain in the butt. All it takes is one person to complain about noise, trash, etc. and to start calling Code in for small infringements during a project. Texas ain't all people say it is when it comes to being "free." Florida on the other hand seems to be more like what people say, as we all saw during Covid. I live in Texas and have all my life. Same with the "neighbors helping neighbors". Really depends on where you live in the city. Some Districts are decent, and some are full of crime so the property owners avoid each other... for good reason.
Hey guys, little piece of advice with the dirt you dig up. Make separate piles for the dark rich looking top soil, and another for that tan/orange clay/sand stuff (dead soil) nothing will grow in that, or only weeds you dont want will grow in it. So when you put the dirt back down, put the good stuff on top.
Hi guys as always great video full of fun and entertainment - for the next few weeks I think you ought to temparary change the name to MUD PACK - Keep up the great work and good luck with the build - Pete (UK)
Three things... 1. Buried tanks like that were for butane, not propane. In the olden days people used butane instead of propane. It's almost identical, except butane stops vaporizing at 31 degrees F, which is its boiling point. Because of that, above ground tanks wouldn't provide gas for you to use if the temps got below freezing. The butane would just sit in the tank as a liquid, so they had to bury them to keep them above freezing. Propane's boiling point is around -43 degrees F, so the tanks can stay above ground and still be usable in the extreme cold. It also makes installation and maintenance of the tanks easier since they don't have to be buried. 2. My dad told me when I was a kid that those sharpshooter shovels were called "Sharpshooters" or "Bill Dookies". Though I have never heard anyone else call them "Bill Dookies". He may have been jerking my chain, but I still call my skinny shovel a Bill Dookie. Update: I googled it and apparently it's a thing. Old-timer plumbers called them Bill Dookies. I grew up in Texas and that's apparently where the name originated. I'm still not sure of the etymology. 3. If you put that blade on the excavator down tight against the ground, it will stabilize it and prevent the excavator from shaking when you dig with the bucket. It's also easier on the tracks and chassis that way.
I was 30 years old before I heard the term sharpshooter for that shovel. It was bildookie to me. That is probably because of my dad's farm roots in north Texas area.😂
Look up French drain man on UA-cam. He’s very knowledgeable when it comes to handling saturated ground. You definitely need some drain tile throughout that property
that excavator cant be running right.. sounds like its only running on idle :O activate the auto throttle button and see if it gets better :) it should have no problem lifting itself with the bucket... great job as always guys! if you are renting another machine sometime try to get one with wider belts if available :) we have a lot of crappy soil here in norway aswell and wider belts and undercarriage really helps :)
Yeah I used to work at a rental yard that rented those things out, and from what I can hear in the video it definitely doesn't sound like the throttle is cranked up. If you guys crank up the throttle, you'll find it has so much more power.
Damn Jordan you are getting good on that machine... Even allowing for the dirt bath she took (which happens to even the best operators in those soil conditions so don't beat yourself up over it) at 19:28
Ok now that I've seen your soil deep down in this many areas of your yards I have a suggestion for you and it's a simple but effective one. Morringa trees aka the national tree of the Philipines, anyways they'll grow in that no problem with no care whatsoever. Their tap roots run super deep and are known for their ability to create drainage in soils even like that. The tree doesn't get very big, the leaves are tiny and don't shade out your lawn, and the whole tree has no issues with major pruning. You won't have to have them forever but for a few years having some planted would fix a lot of the issues your having. Bonus tip the leaves are super healthy for you in steeped in teas or added to soups or stews.
You should go down to the city and get survey maps for your property to verify where the property lines are . There's always a survey Mark at the nearest Street Corner that you can measure from and if you get the information from the city you can measure from the nearest survey marker to verify that the fences are on the right spot. I bought a house six years ago and had a similar situation where some of the utilities supplies and shut offs we're on the neighbors side of the fence. I went and got survey maps from the city and verified where nearest survey marker was and measured down the street from that to where my house was and found out the fence was 10ft off from where it was supposed to be on one side of my property. Come to find out the utilities shut offs and supply lines were actually on my property but a neighbor years ago put the fence up in the wrong spot.
We recently built a house on similar soil. We dug out 5ft and placed tons of rock in the first three feet. We also placed a sump pump all the way to the bottom of the rock. We pump out 1000 gallons a week on a continuous basis. The design has created a very solid foundation. Good luck.
FYI, raise the safety lever on the left side of the mini-ex when people are working near the machine. It locks out the controls and keeps you from sending someone to the hospital if you bump a lever.
Very true, I was thinking they could up their safety a wee bit. Never fully trust the machine while working close to it. One wrong move or a bumped lever and it could crush someone.
Shared propane tank, water meter on neighbors property, DIY shallow pex and of course the house with the literal water closet...I guess the building codes have gotten a bit more strict since these properties were built. Perhaps this was a single landowner at one time who subdivided. That soil is soup, good luck with the foundation. I hope the engineer knows what he is doing! I know you got this!
Definitely going to want to have some sort of drainage solution to help get that water into the storm system, if allowed. Some sort of perimeter french drain-sump basin combo off the top of my head.
I was thinking the same thing. Sheesh! Never really realized how good we have it in southern Illinois. Would you just put plywood down to drive on? Sheesh.
If it don't stop raining they aint gonna build shit.... I got 8 slabs just north of them waiting on plumbing and dirt work and nobody can get to them jobs.. It's gonna be March before anything gets done dirt wise. Thats much ground water probably gonna have to go with piers and sonic tubes
You guys are staying pretty optimistic. I think you’re gonna have some serious troubles, digging your foundation and building this house with all the water you better start ordering shit loads of stone.
i couldn't imagine a yard like that, like swampy soup over 2 feet deep, lol. you'd need to treat it like an nfl field by digging it up, pouring concrete and laying turf over it. bonus is your yard would be maintenance free
I swear, Stud Pack videos are just about the only videos I’ll watch without fast forwarding. I always look forward to new videos! Stay safe and keep up the good work!
Loved hearing Paul's nerd references to Avengers & Hunt for Red October. Remembering the name of Thor's Hammer and the Dallas gives Paul some decent nerd cred.
Foundation preparation is no joke! It's a lot of work to compensate for soft soil, various tanks, water/gas lines buried in the ground, and any other oddities you may encounter. I do like these videos of the Stud Pack house series because they are showing, real world, all the problems a person may encounter when building a home from scratch. It's a huge learning opportunity for all viewers of your channel who are interested. I think that the video also shows that you can be a novice equipment operator (small scale machines) and using care, safety, and careful observation capably use a machine to help speed your project along. I'm definitely anxious to see more of this project all the way to completion.
One safety tip for all. At 14.16 he jumps into the hole with no shoring or support. Never jump in a hole that's deeper than your waist as there's a good chance the sides cave in. Also with the excess saturation of soils, it will make the sides very unstable
Using plywood would be the move. There are specialized pads that people use for working on swampy terrain, I think they are called swamp mats/digger mats, but those are for way bigger machines and they are hella expensive.
I’m 64 years old. I will never build a house or remodel a bathroom. But, I found your channel. I lived in the New Orleans area for 17 years. I was in the real estate business for many years, and contracted on homes in most states, so I am familiar with the unique soil conditions in some parts of Texas. Good luck with your Stud Pack house. You guys are so entertaining and I have learned a thing or two. . .or ten.
Wow...I'm speechless... Breaks my heart to see the soil conditions...I hate to say it, but backfilling the hole was the worst thing you could do. You really need to get some bankrun gravel to fill any holes, that spot will never drain/dry out, and being as it's at the fence, it will be unusable to planting or as you see, just walking on it. As far as the soil layers, the clay layer under the topsoil, is NOT suitable for foundations. It is highly susceptible to any moisture and your footers will heave and crack and move around. Please don't think I'm trying to shoot down your project, but I do know what I'm talking about. I would definitely show these videos to the soil engineer before doing any further progress. Again...best of luck gentlemen.
Watching you guys digging that propane tank is giving me back pains. I am glad you guys had the machine to save your back. Because I like your videos UA-cam do do tell me went you drop a video. Thanks again
Couple tips if you see this.. #1.. When in a stationary position with the excavator, lower the front scrapper. It will stabilize it much more. You can see how much the excavator bounces when you're using it. It will make precise movements much easier to control. #2.. I hate to be "that guy" but you guys got lucky with the excavation.. Even at one point you stopped what you were saying cause the side starting caving in while your dad was talking. When rad was in the hole and the top was at his shoulders that is a bad situation, ESPECIALLY with how much water went into it over night and how close your spoil pile was. In the future.. Instead of digging straight down, dig "outwards" like an upside down triangle, if that makes sense. It's called sloping. Benching is a good option too. 1 cubic yard of that clay weighs as much as a car. If that trench caves in, it doesn't need to cover you completely to cause life altering damage. Also, make your spoil pile at least 2ft from the edge. I'd hate to see one of you guys get hurt! Nice work otherwise!
That had to be an exercise in frustration. It fought you every inch of the way. You did get 2 breaks, the neighbor volunteering the option to take out the fence, and the abandoned PVC. Of course, you not only did the neighborly, but also professional, thing by replacing the sod (close to level), replacing the fence, and making a trip to bet mulch to finish things up (maybe even better than it was before you started on his side). Gestures like that make for great neighbors in the future. Keep the great videos coming.
I'm totally impressed with the level of skill Jordan has developed with the excavator in such a short period of time. Houston soil is nasty, unpredictable gumbo, so no doubt there will be additional surprises.
LOL always wondered what was under one of thoes lids,many yrs ago i had bought a house and was cleaning some dirt off and seen that half moon cover and i9 wasnt worried about anything except the cost of removing it so i reburied it and never thought any more about it... the old saying out of sight out of mind
First thing that you need to get are some mats to keep from sinking into the dirt. Reach out with the bucket and use it to pull yourself along when it starts slipping.
Watching you dig makes me appreciate my silty sand soil. It drains super well and is a breeze to dig in. Also while it made my well expensive, I also like that my water table is over 100 feet below the surface.
Brings back so many memories from when I started clearing my property. I rented the largest backhoe I could find for a weekend and proceeded to sink it down to mid tire level. I spent most of that Saturday pulling it out. Luckily I had some long logging chains and some trees near by to pull on to finally get myself un-stuck. Sometimes educating yourself on heavy equipment comes with unanticipated costs and consequences. I kept the chains, plywood and some heavy timbers close by until I finally completed my project. Good luck to you guys. I’m really enjoying your adventures.
Our house is built on clay with a raised foundation. I am nervous for you guys building slab on grade without running caissons down to solid earth. The expansion and contraction that clay brings to a foundation will stress it quite a bit if the soils have a cyclical wet and dry period. If your foundation AND pad are monolithic, perhaps it will be less of an issue - some homes in California take that approach for seismic reasons, where the foundation is also the concrete floor, and all the concrete is placed at one time. I will look forward to see how this develops.
Care to try building on Bay of Biscay soil? Adelaide is renowned for highly reactive clay soils. The best that has been told to me is to bind 2 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch gravel together under the foundations. Build a 12 to 15 inch raft, not strip, foundation and you should be good to go! This was done on a house at Burnside in the 1940's. This house survived the 1953 earthquake without a crack! Only house in the area to do so!
Great job. Very impressed by how well Jordan did with the machine. Getting stuck is just part of the learning curve. Digging around existing utilities is one of the hardest things to do. Great work!
Since you have the excavator it would be worth digging a trench along the lowest side of the property and out towards a curbside storm drain. This will allow the water to drain into it, then you can come back later and install a french drain in the trench. You are going to continually be getting stuck in mud if you don't address the drainage issue.
I read the comments below that advised you to put in pilings. Good idea. Your yard is about the same "mushiness " that Miami Beach is built on. Dredged up sand and rock and a lot of pilings. Remember the condo that collapsed when the underpinnings shifted . Also, scary business unearthing gas tanks.
Great video. Jordan did a good job with the excavator. Don't feel bad the best of operators have gotten their machines stuck at one point or another. Trick is to use the bucket to get yourself unstuck, which you did. Good job. can't wait till the next video and everyone after. This is a great project.
I live in the Hill Country, and in my yard, when they put in a propane tank, they dug down about 18 inches, and then started hammering. Some places in the neighborhood bedrock starts at ground level. I prefer it to that sticky mud, which we had in east Texas, where I grew up.
Someone else said it , 1”1/4 stone and try not to disturb your virgin base where your slab is going to be poured or you are going to be in for a can of worms , looks good everyone is workin hard , that’s what we like to see !
Amazing I love all of your energy very insightful I can see you guys with your own tv show it’s wonderful to see father and son my son is 2 years old and I would love my kid to be with dad like you guys are learning and teaching and you can just see how your son looks up to you for everything it’s amazing great kid and great father I appreciate you guys so much and your videos much love from Los Angeles
Simply love your channel guys. I hope Rad comes on more after this project. Or maybe cameos in the future! Paul, Jordan thanks for sharing with us your personal quest. It’s such a privilege to be here to watch!!!
Regarding the clay that you are going to build the house on. Clay moves. It changes volume depending on how wet it is. This is a big issue for houses in the Houston area. The house we built in Houston in the late 90's used a post-tension foundation. Have you looked into that? It is a really cool technique and would make for a great video.
I’m glad you’re not contracting this out. It’s not easy but how else could you learn except trying it out and learning from the experience. Lots of comments on here that don’t understand that. I just dug my own small foundation for a second small home on my property and it was a steep learning curve but I learned and got advice and research and I did it!! Even in a swamp like yours….YOU GOT THIS GANG!! keep learning. Keep trying, keep sharing and we will ALWAYS keep liking. Love this channel and cool you are trying new things and this awesome project!!! Keep taping your engineer and soils guy for advice about drainage and prep. Can’t wait to see how you get this done. With you all the way 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻!
If that tank isn't too rusted it would make a fantastic BBQ. It would be a trophy for the work done, an homage to the history of the property, and a damn good smoker to boot. Welcome to Texas, y'all.
What a show: Drama! Suspense! Victory! Disaster & Recovery! We discover our hero's (well, one of our three heroes) Achilles' heel; & then see him unhoist himself from his own petard. You could not have scripted this sequence better.
Wet clay is one of if not the heaviest shovel lifts that you'll make. Plus, that wet clay acts like a vacuum seal around anything. There was no getting around exposing most of that tank. Kudos guys for getting her unstuck. And she was stuck!
I'll tell you one thing, you guys are going to be in for it when you build those footings for the house and garage. I'll make sure to say a prayer for you fine gentlemen. Good luck boys !!!
The locking level (the left stick) make a habit of putting it in the up(locked) position when not in use I'm a heavy equipment operator I live on an excavator 6 days a week in SE Michigan. You're doing great guys. But it's a must to lock out the hydraulics even when the machine is running and you're talking to the guys on the ground or in the ditch. If you're to lean over or reach you could potentially swing the arm or drop the bucket in a moment. Also it sounds like the machine is not revved up sometimes. You'll have the most lifting power with your blade down against the ground raising the machine with it and the long arm almost in the fill up position shorten your strap and have the bucket open pull tension and then curl your bucket I'm sure you could have lifted that tank out much sooner with proper technique and a. It more knowledge of lifting position even in that swamp Texas calls a yard.
I totally agree with "curl your bucket". The guy I bought my tractor (with backhoe) from years ago told me "The power is in the curl". I believe that tank would have come out long before you dug it out if you used the curl of the bucket with that strap. Try it on something else and you'll see the huge difference.
Nice work guys! Don't feel bad, my neighbor, a construction foreman for decades, not only broke his garage wall while digging to waterproof it, he managed to work the treads off the excavator too! That was fun (for him, I didn't get involved). Horrible soil for sure. Jordan's video gaming experience is showing in his control over the bucket, tha's for sure!
You guys really need to think about getting the water under control. Your foundation excavation will be a mess otherwise. You will need to dig a sump or two outside the footprint of your excavation and work area and maybe one inside. You should think about bringing gravel or renting crane mats to help keep traction and avoid sinking. Once your concrete sets you won’t have to keep water off of it and it’s actually stronger when it gets wet. But really think about bringing in that crushed rock to work off of and put under your concrete. I wouldn’t go less than 6 inches here. -Civil engineer here rooting for you guys.
Figuring out a way to drain the water table down some will help a lot, maybe a French drain with a pump if the lot is below any drainage basins. Also get some matts for the excavator.
That groundwater is going to give you fits on the dirt work, if you dont have your clay ready to put right back into the hole and pack, you will never get it dry enough to do that.
I would definitely ask your engineer for drainage ideas/solutions for the yard. Between a good civil and soil engineer they should be able to help give options for drainage improvements to dry that soil up some. Houston gets coastal rain showers but here in central Tx that clay soil will be wet part of the year and a brick the other part. Plays hell on slab on grades from east side of I35 to the coast. The average depth if doing pylons in my area is 14 feet deep. As wet as you are I bet that’s closer to 20+ lol
Use the bucket to help push or pull you as you drive the tracks, like you would with a winch. Of course, that may not work either, but it's always worth a shot
That looks like a half in water line. That house needs a larger line. I did a house in Tucson using one in pex run through two in pvc in case I ever needed to change the pex out. I am from Alaska and you are building in a swamp, you can do it but dig out the mud and backfill wth gravel or sand so what ever you build will float on top.
Always check with local authorities before digging Gang 👊Thanks for watching!
Sir yes sir!
Yes, I learned the hard way that every time before you dig you should call Julie 811 and have them come out and survey the site. It's free and it'll save you a ton of money if you were to do like I did.
I hit The main underground electrical service line that went under my driveway and 3/4 away around my house instead of the one quarter way around the house that I thought it was going.
And I hit it with the same mini excavator that you guys are using and the sparks flew and when they had to come out and make that repair I spent $1,600 when I could have just made that one phone call.
The previous property owners buried a 220 electrical line right next to a water line in our back yard! We found it when my daughter reached down in the trench we dug with a backhoe and pulled it up with her hands! Thank God the sheathing was still intact. Bet the County and City didn't know about that bit of handiwork. Blessings.
Old sheets plywood will keep it from sinking or planks of old wood. Lay it down like a carpet and stay of the soggy ground.
Now the big question. What are you going to do with that old tank ? Scrap yards around here will not take any tank that has had any kind of fuel in it. Back in the mid 70's, I worked installing and removing underground storage tanks for gas stations. Most of those tanks were 10,000 to 20,000 gallons, around 10 feet in diameter and 23 feet long, if my memory is right. We found the best way to remove them was dig out one end and one full side a bit lower, then roll the tank sideways. Wet ground makes them stick or suck to the dirt just like our feet do.
You know you've got a good UA-cam channel when you got thousands of people exited to watch you dig a hole!
ahhh, good point, i was pretty jacked when i saw a new video pop up.
@@squirrelmaster1225 me too, I think it was a great video. Just funny when you think about it. They are a fun crew to watch no matter what they are doing.
Ha! When I got my backhoe I stupidly thought I’d never need another shovel again. Was I ever wrong and this video proves the point.
LOL! This is true.
This was the best video they've made
Unsolicited Tip: Try to keep vegetation, dark soil, clay, in separate piles for backfilling purposes. Will help with keeping the areas backfilled a bit more stable overtime.
Good idea
They're mostly likely guna dig it up with the main house build
Neighbors all laughed as I dug my pond, sorting the dirt by color into piles.
100%, sort your dirt. apply it in the same layer order you found it.
@@MannyAguilarJr I hope so - if they're not consolidating the clay, it's going to lead to nightmares in the future.
@@kennethmiller2333 yeah cause they also mentioned replacing the main line from the water meter so it's guna be dug up again. It was only 4 inches into the ground and I believe it has to be 18" or more so they'll dig it up again.
Again, I was a propane service technician for 14 years. Connected to the brass cluster valve on top of the tank is a copper line called a pigtail. Cut that copper line, open the valve and see if that tank has any pressure. If not, spin the cluster valve off the tank riser pipe and take the tank to a scrap yard. You’ll get a few bucks for it. You’ll probably need to rent a 3’ pipe wrench Be careful not to turn the tank upside down for there could be very stinky oil in the bottom. Chances are based on how and where it was buried the tank rusted through years ago. Contact me if y’all need any additional advice
My theory is that a previous owner actually owned both lots and had structures on both sides of the property. They supplied utilities to both lots right there at the corner of both lots. That is why the propane and water are divided between the two lots. Somewhere in time ownership changed and the lots went their separate ways. And, if something is buried, you just leave it buried!
Or the neighbor decided to get some free heat and water
I mean, in that soup, the dirt definitely needed the structure of that tank 🤣
That makes sense.
That's pretty common. I even have a few properties I'm looking at right now with similar situations.
I guess those things are very sturdy. I thought it was going to collapse into a pile of rust after being basically submersed 365 days a year for however many years.
Great that you have neighbors willing to let you get things done. Good progress guys!
Neighbors always help neighbors! Rule of ‘Neighbors’
@@TJChallstrom916-512 its the rural american way. If you dont live in weird housing authorities and stuff like that. Neighbors are pretty dope no matter where you are. I really think rural America is the last bastion of sanity in the world and we must protect it at all costs. Cities are too far gone.
@@Titantitan001 100%, it's not the Texas way at all if you're in a City. Cities have way too many regulations but they have them in order to slow down change which could harm residential neighborhoods. So that's the double edged sword. Trying to get big residential projects done, even in Texas, in the city, is a pain in the butt. All it takes is one person to complain about noise, trash, etc. and to start calling Code in for small infringements during a project. Texas ain't all people say it is when it comes to being "free." Florida on the other hand seems to be more like what people say, as we all saw during Covid. I live in Texas and have all my life. Same with the "neighbors helping neighbors". Really depends on where you live in the city. Some Districts are decent, and some are full of crime so the property owners avoid each other... for good reason.
@@Titantitan001 yeah neighbors are usually great fellas in the USA rural areas of course there are a few exceptions tho.
Hey guys, little piece of advice with the dirt you dig up. Make separate piles for the dark rich looking top soil, and another for that tan/orange clay/sand stuff (dead soil) nothing will grow in that, or only weeds you dont want will grow in it. So when you put the dirt back down, put the good stuff on top.
Hi guys as always great video full of fun and entertainment - for the next few weeks I think you ought to temparary change the name to MUD PACK - Keep up the great work and good luck with the build - Pete (UK)
Three things...
1. Buried tanks like that were for butane, not propane. In the olden days people used butane instead of propane. It's almost identical, except butane stops vaporizing at 31 degrees F, which is its boiling point. Because of that, above ground tanks wouldn't provide gas for you to use if the temps got below freezing. The butane would just sit in the tank as a liquid, so they had to bury them to keep them above freezing. Propane's boiling point is around -43 degrees F, so the tanks can stay above ground and still be usable in the extreme cold. It also makes installation and maintenance of the tanks easier since they don't have to be buried.
2. My dad told me when I was a kid that those sharpshooter shovels were called "Sharpshooters" or "Bill Dookies". Though I have never heard anyone else call them "Bill Dookies". He may have been jerking my chain, but I still call my skinny shovel a Bill Dookie. Update: I googled it and apparently it's a thing. Old-timer plumbers called them Bill Dookies. I grew up in Texas and that's apparently where the name originated. I'm still not sure of the etymology.
3. If you put that blade on the excavator down tight against the ground, it will stabilize it and prevent the excavator from shaking when you dig with the bucket. It's also easier on the tracks and chassis that way.
Very educational insight!
I was 30 years old before I heard the term sharpshooter for that shovel. It was bildookie to me. That is probably because of my dad's farm roots in north Texas area.😂
Look up French drain man on UA-cam. He’s very knowledgeable when it comes to handling saturated ground. You definitely need some drain tile throughout that property
My favorite part is the part where I didn't have to do any of the digging. 🤣
Great job guys. Keep up the good work.
that excavator cant be running right.. sounds like its only running on idle :O activate the auto throttle button and see if it gets better :) it should have no problem lifting itself with the bucket... great job as always guys! if you are renting another machine sometime try to get one with wider belts if available :) we have a lot of crappy soil here in norway aswell and wider belts and undercarriage really helps :)
Yeah more RPMs needed
Yeah I used to work at a rental yard that rented those things out, and from what I can hear in the video it definitely doesn't sound like the throttle is cranked up. If you guys crank up the throttle, you'll find it has so much more power.
Damn Jordan you are getting good on that machine... Even allowing for the dirt bath she took (which happens to even the best operators in those soil conditions so don't beat yourself up over it) at 19:28
Yeah it is.
Ok now that I've seen your soil deep down in this many areas of your yards I have a suggestion for you and it's a simple but effective one. Morringa trees aka the national tree of the Philipines, anyways they'll grow in that no problem with no care whatsoever. Their tap roots run super deep and are known for their ability to create drainage in soils even like that. The tree doesn't get very big, the leaves are tiny and don't shade out your lawn, and the whole tree has no issues with major pruning. You won't have to have them forever but for a few years having some planted would fix a lot of the issues your having. Bonus tip the leaves are super healthy for you in steeped in teas or added to soups or stews.
You should go down to the city and get survey maps for your property to verify where the property lines are . There's always a survey Mark at the nearest Street Corner that you can measure from and if you get the information from the city you can measure from the nearest survey marker to verify that the fences are on the right spot. I bought a house six years ago and had a similar situation where some of the utilities supplies and shut offs we're on the neighbors side of the fence. I went and got survey maps from the city and verified where nearest survey marker was and measured down the street from that to where my house was and found out the fence was 10ft off from where it was supposed to be on one side of my property. Come to find out the utilities shut offs and supply lines were actually on my property but a neighbor years ago put the fence up in the wrong spot.
We recently built a house on similar soil. We dug out 5ft and placed tons of rock in the first three feet. We also placed a sump pump all the way to the bottom of the rock. We pump out 1000 gallons a week on a continuous basis. The design has created a very solid foundation. Good luck.
that is so clever.
You are blessed with a neighbor that will let you dig in his yard. 👏
FYI, raise the safety lever on the left side of the mini-ex when people are working near the machine. It locks out the controls and keeps you from sending someone to the hospital if you bump a lever.
Very true, I was thinking they could up their safety a wee bit. Never fully trust the machine while working close to it. One wrong move or a bumped lever and it could crush someone.
@@workerofwood568 it definitely freaked me out when he walked under the arm while the machine was in motion!
Shared propane tank, water meter on neighbors property, DIY shallow pex and of course the house with the literal water closet...I guess the building codes have gotten a bit more strict since these properties were built. Perhaps this was a single landowner at one time who subdivided. That soil is soup, good luck with the foundation. I hope the engineer knows what he is doing! I know you got this!
They might want to have a survey done if they haven't already. Perhaps that fence is several feet onto their property.
Definitely going to want to have some sort of drainage solution to help get that water into the storm system, if allowed. Some sort of perimeter french drain-sump basin combo off the top of my head.
I had ground like that. You have to add sandy fill. Truckloads of it. Low Country, SC here.
This is the best channel I've found so far this year!
I'm following this with excitement
That’s the worst soil conditions I’ve ever seen. Good luck with the build! Fortunatly we all know you can do it. Love your channel!
I was thinking the same thing. Sheesh! Never really realized how good we have it in southern Illinois. Would you just put plywood down to drive on? Sheesh.
ya that stuff is mush, cant believe how soft it is,
If it don't stop raining they aint gonna build shit.... I got 8 slabs just north of them waiting on plumbing and dirt work and nobody can get to them jobs.. It's gonna be March before anything gets done dirt wise. Thats much ground water probably gonna have to go with piers and sonic tubes
tons and tons of rain lately.
@@jwblount7802 Great comment, JW.
You guys are staying pretty optimistic. I think you’re gonna have some serious troubles, digging your foundation and building this house with all the water you better start ordering shit loads of stone.
Yeah their soil report said they have to add 2 feet worth of material to stabilize. Up where I live usually 6 to 8 inches of base is enough!
i couldn't imagine a yard like that, like swampy soup over 2 feet deep, lol. you'd need to treat it like an nfl field by digging it up, pouring concrete and laying turf over it. bonus is your yard would be maintenance free
I can't believe they paid $199k for the lot.. in the highest crime rate city in texas
@@feelingtardy wait is that what nfl fields are made of??
@@danwake4431 lol, not quite that simple but yeah. it's called fieldturf or synthetic turf
Amazing how one project leads to multiple projects once you start demo! Go Stud Pack!
Hey Paul the submarine that played the USS Dallas is retired and at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry aka OMSI.
These are honestly some of the best stud pack videos ever produced. This project is fantastic.
No give up or give in. Good attitude even when things go wrong. These are the best attributes!
I swear, Stud Pack videos are just about the only videos I’ll watch without fast forwarding. I always look forward to new videos! Stay safe and keep up the good work!
Loved hearing Paul's nerd references to Avengers & Hunt for Red October. Remembering the name of Thor's Hammer and the Dallas gives Paul some decent nerd cred.
Foundation preparation is no joke! It's a lot of work to compensate for soft soil, various tanks, water/gas lines buried in the ground, and any other oddities you may encounter. I do like these videos of the Stud Pack house series because they are showing, real world, all the problems a person may encounter when building a home from scratch. It's a huge learning opportunity for all viewers of your channel who are interested. I think that the video also shows that you can be a novice equipment operator (small scale machines) and using care, safety, and careful observation capably use a machine to help speed your project along. I'm definitely anxious to see more of this project all the way to completion.
One safety tip for all. At 14.16 he jumps into the hole with no shoring or support. Never jump in a hole that's deeper than your waist as there's a good chance the sides cave in. Also with the excess saturation of soils, it will make the sides very unstable
Using plywood would be the move. There are specialized pads that people use for working on swampy terrain, I think they are called swamp mats/digger mats, but those are for way bigger machines and they are hella expensive.
I’m 64 years old. I will never build a house or remodel a bathroom. But, I found your channel. I lived in the New Orleans area for 17 years. I was in the real estate business for many years, and contracted on homes in most states, so I am familiar with the unique soil conditions in some parts of Texas. Good luck with your Stud Pack house. You guys are so entertaining and I have learned a thing or two. . .or ten.
Wow...I'm speechless...
Breaks my heart to see the soil conditions...I hate to say it, but backfilling the hole was the worst thing you could do. You really need to get some bankrun gravel to fill any holes, that spot will never drain/dry out, and being as it's at the fence, it will be unusable to planting or as you see, just walking on it.
As far as the soil layers, the clay layer under the topsoil, is NOT suitable for foundations. It is highly susceptible to any moisture and your footers will heave and crack and move around. Please don't think I'm trying to shoot down your project, but I do know what I'm talking about. I would definitely show these videos to the soil engineer before doing any further progress.
Again...best of luck gentlemen.
All I could think when it went to the next day with all the water was “Sloppy Joe’s, EXTRA SLOPPY!” Hope the site dries out for you guys soon!
Watching you guys digging that propane tank is giving me back pains. I am glad you guys had the machine to save your back. Because I like your videos UA-cam do do tell me went you drop a video. Thanks again
Couple tips if you see this..
#1.. When in a stationary position with the excavator, lower the front scrapper. It will stabilize it much more. You can see how much the excavator bounces when you're using it. It will make precise movements much easier to control.
#2.. I hate to be "that guy" but you guys got lucky with the excavation.. Even at one point you stopped what you were saying cause the side starting caving in while your dad was talking. When rad was in the hole and the top was at his shoulders that is a bad situation, ESPECIALLY with how much water went into it over night and how close your spoil pile was. In the future.. Instead of digging straight down, dig "outwards" like an upside down triangle, if that makes sense. It's called sloping. Benching is a good option too. 1 cubic yard of that clay weighs as much as a car. If that trench caves in, it doesn't need to cover you completely to cause life altering damage. Also, make your spoil pile at least 2ft from the edge. I'd hate to see one of you guys get hurt! Nice work otherwise!
so glad you guys are back posting videos. better than anything on TV. Thank you Stud Pack Crew
That had to be an exercise in frustration. It fought you every inch of the way. You did get 2 breaks, the neighbor volunteering the option to take out the fence, and the abandoned PVC. Of course, you not only did the neighborly, but also professional, thing by replacing the sod (close to level), replacing the fence, and making a trip to bet mulch to finish things up (maybe even better than it was before you started on his side). Gestures like that make for great neighbors in the future. Keep the great videos coming.
Cannot wait to see what else you discover through this project!
I'm totally impressed with the level of skill Jordan has developed with the excavator in such a short period of time. Houston soil is nasty, unpredictable gumbo, so no doubt there will be additional surprises.
LOL always wondered what was under one of thoes lids,many yrs ago i had bought a house and was cleaning some dirt off and seen that half moon cover and i9 wasnt worried about anything except the cost of removing it so i reburied it and never thought any more about it... the old saying out of sight out of mind
First thing that you need to get are some mats to keep from sinking into the dirt. Reach out with the bucket and use it to pull yourself along when it starts slipping.
Watching you dig makes me appreciate my silty sand soil. It drains super well and is a breeze to dig in. Also while it made my well expensive, I also like that my water table is over 100 feet below the surface.
In certain seasons the water table on this property will be up to the porch which in this context could also be spelled pourch.
Glad your neighbor allowed you to pull that fence down. Some neighbors love to be as much of a pain as possible.
Brings back so many memories from when I started clearing my property. I rented the largest backhoe I could find for a weekend and proceeded to sink it down to mid tire level. I spent most of that Saturday pulling it out. Luckily I had some long logging chains and some trees near by to pull on to finally get myself un-stuck. Sometimes educating yourself on heavy equipment comes with unanticipated costs and consequences. I kept the chains, plywood and some heavy timbers close by until I finally completed my project. Good luck to you guys. I’m really enjoying your adventures.
That was a crazy challenge to get unstuck but it was awesome to see you do it. All 3 of you deserve huge kudos.
Our house is built on clay with a raised foundation. I am nervous for you guys building slab on grade without running caissons down to solid earth. The expansion and contraction that clay brings to a foundation will stress it quite a bit if the soils have a cyclical wet and dry period. If your foundation AND pad are monolithic, perhaps it will be less of an issue - some homes in California take that approach for seismic reasons, where the foundation is also the concrete floor, and all the concrete is placed at one time. I will look forward to see how this develops.
Care to try building on Bay of Biscay soil? Adelaide is renowned for highly reactive clay soils. The best that has been told to me is to bind 2 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch gravel together under the foundations. Build a 12 to 15 inch raft, not strip, foundation and you should be good to go! This was done on a house at Burnside in the 1940's. This house survived the 1953 earthquake without a crack! Only house in the area to do so!
Great job. Very impressed by how well Jordan did with the machine. Getting stuck is just part of the learning curve. Digging around existing utilities is one of the hardest things to do. Great work!
I found myself sitting alone and actually screaming when it was pulled free!!!! Great job all of you...Jordan, you have really mastered that monster!😆
Since you have the excavator it would be worth digging a trench along the lowest side of the property and out towards a curbside storm drain. This will allow the water to drain into it, then you can come back later and install a french drain in the trench. You are going to continually be getting stuck in mud if you don't address the drainage issue.
I read the comments below that advised you to put in pilings. Good idea. Your yard is about the
same "mushiness " that Miami Beach is built on. Dredged up sand and rock and a lot of pilings.
Remember the condo that collapsed when the underpinnings shifted .
Also, scary business unearthing gas tanks.
Great video. Jordan did a good job with the excavator. Don't feel bad the best of operators have gotten their machines stuck at one point or another. Trick is to use the bucket to get yourself unstuck, which you did. Good job. can't wait till the next video and everyone after. This is a great project.
The music change for the recon meeting was great! This is high quality filmmaking right here!
I'm thinking that property could benefit from some French drains. Never seen such water logged soil. I thought my lot was bad - I live in swampland.
I live in the Hill Country, and in my yard, when they put in a propane tank, they dug down about 18 inches, and then started hammering. Some places in the neighborhood bedrock starts at ground level. I prefer it to that sticky mud, which we had in east Texas, where I grew up.
Hunt for red October, awesome book and great movie! I bet the kids have no idea what that reference was. Lol
Your videos fill my brain and my heart. Always leaves me with an intelligent smile. 🤔 😀
The 3 of you have such a positive can do attitude even with crazy things like this come up. You are a real inspiration and fun to watch!
Someone else said it , 1”1/4 stone and try not to disturb your virgin base where your slab is going to be poured or you are going to be in for a can of worms , looks good everyone is workin hard , that’s what we like to see !
Amazing I love all of your energy very insightful I can see you guys with your own tv show it’s wonderful to see father and son my son is 2 years old and I would love my kid to be with dad like you guys are learning and teaching and you can just see how your son looks up to you for everything it’s amazing great kid and great father I appreciate you guys so much and your videos much love from Los Angeles
Cool thx Ignacio 👍
Simply love your channel guys. I hope Rad comes on more after this project.
Or maybe cameos in the future!
Paul, Jordan thanks for sharing with us your personal quest. It’s such a privilege to be here to watch!!!
Regarding the clay that you are going to build the house on. Clay moves. It changes volume depending on how wet it is. This is a big issue for houses in the Houston area. The house we built in Houston in the late 90's used a post-tension foundation. Have you looked into that? It is a really cool technique and would make for a great video.
Wow, what a messy challenge. Great job
I’m glad you’re not contracting this out. It’s not easy but how else could you learn except trying it out and learning from the experience. Lots of comments on here that don’t understand that. I just dug my own small foundation for a second small home on my property and it was a steep learning curve but I learned and got advice and research and I did it!! Even in a swamp like yours….YOU GOT THIS GANG!! keep learning. Keep trying, keep sharing and we will ALWAYS keep liking. Love this channel and cool you are trying new things and this awesome project!!! Keep taping your engineer and soils guy for advice about drainage and prep. Can’t wait to see how you get this done. With you all the way 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻!
You should put in a sub grade drainage system that covers most of the yard . Your essentials building in a swamp, PLEASE , PLEASE GETa consult
You’ve now taught me to love our western Wisconsin sandy soil HA!
Nice neighbours! Always a plus! I see what you mean about "no basements"...
The joys of home ownership. When we put on an addition, it rained for months and the bigger dozer (size 4 or 5) even got stuck. No fun at all.
I wish I could come down and help y'all. I've been running heavy equipment all my life and I have to say Jordan is getting really good.
If that tank isn't too rusted it would make a fantastic BBQ. It would be a trophy for the work done, an homage to the history of the property, and a damn good smoker to boot. Welcome to Texas, y'all.
What a show: Drama! Suspense! Victory! Disaster & Recovery! We discover our hero's (well, one of our three heroes) Achilles' heel; & then see him unhoist himself from his own petard. You could not have scripted this sequence better.
Also: note to self: maybe decline services from Jordan's new Yard & Landscaping Service. 🤣
Wet clay is one of if not the heaviest shovel lifts that you'll make. Plus, that wet clay acts like a vacuum seal around anything. There was no getting around exposing most of that tank. Kudos guys for getting her unstuck. And she was stuck!
for short heavy/hard movements, the curl function on any loader/excavator is the strongest hydraulics.
The Hunt for Red October is a great movie!!!!
I'll tell you one thing, you guys are going to be in for it when you build those footings for the house and garage. I'll make sure to say a prayer for you fine gentlemen. Good luck boys !!!
The locking level (the left stick) make a habit of putting it in the up(locked) position when not in use I'm a heavy equipment operator I live on an excavator 6 days a week in SE Michigan. You're doing great guys. But it's a must to lock out the hydraulics even when the machine is running and you're talking to the guys on the ground or in the ditch. If you're to lean over or reach you could potentially swing the arm or drop the bucket in a moment.
Also it sounds like the machine is not revved up sometimes. You'll have the most lifting power with your blade down against the ground raising the machine with it and the long arm almost in the fill up position shorten your strap and have the bucket open pull tension and then curl your bucket I'm sure you could have lifted that tank out much sooner with proper technique and a. It more knowledge of lifting position even in that swamp Texas calls a yard.
I totally agree with "curl your bucket". The guy I bought my tractor (with backhoe) from years ago told me "The power is in the curl". I believe that tank would have come out long before you dug it out if you used the curl of the bucket with that strap. Try it on something else and you'll see the huge difference.
Mentioned Heavy D! Seems like all the channels I watch got some time of connection. Dave Sparks is a dude - his content is great just like you guys.
HEY guys that was a butane tank used before propane became popular. They were buried rather than above ground. Keep up the good work WDR
Great video. I would have cut the water lines and repaired them. But... I'm on the outside of the work looking in. Lol
You guys are the best. Looked like a tough couple days.
Nice work guys! Don't feel bad, my neighbor, a construction foreman for decades, not only broke his garage wall while digging to waterproof it, he managed to work the treads off the excavator too! That was fun (for him, I didn't get involved). Horrible soil for sure. Jordan's video gaming experience is showing in his control over the bucket, tha's for sure!
You guys really need to think about getting the water under control. Your foundation excavation will be a mess otherwise. You will need to dig a sump or two outside the footprint of your excavation and work area and maybe one inside. You should think about bringing gravel or renting crane mats to help keep traction and avoid sinking. Once your concrete sets you won’t have to keep water off of it and it’s actually stronger when it gets wet. But really think about bringing in that crushed rock to work off of and put under your concrete. I wouldn’t go less than 6 inches here.
-Civil engineer here rooting for you guys.
If it's me I'm turning the water off, capping the lines and just ripping that thing out, pex is cheap and easy to replace.
Jordans gotten good on the mini-x for sure. Thanks for sharing y'all's adventure with us
As an electrician apprentice in Houston, I find your videos to be the best. Very well explained. Thank you for what you do.
Thanks 👍
U'ns need about a dozen old tires cabled together to use as a TRACK MAT And yes those old SubTanks are a nightmare to get out of the ground.
I just wanna point out that Rad is a worker! Sounds like you got an awesome neighbor
i think he is Pauls son in law, they helped him in a renovation.
Yea he get's down by the looks of it. Great addition to the team/channel
Jordan definitely has a potential back up career. Great job!
Figuring out a way to drain the water table down some will help a lot, maybe a French drain with a pump if the lot is below any drainage basins. Also get some matts for the excavator.
Now y’all need to build a Texas sized bbq pit with those tanks!!
That groundwater is going to give you fits on the dirt work, if you dont have your clay ready to put right back into the hole and pack, you will never get it dry enough to do that.
Next time do a power turn. Push down with the bucket move tracks in opposite direction and turn the turret. Great vid
Thank you stud pack!
I would definitely ask your engineer for drainage ideas/solutions for the yard. Between a good civil and soil engineer they should be able to help give options for drainage improvements to dry that soil up some. Houston gets coastal rain showers but here in central Tx that clay soil will be wet part of the year and a brick the other part. Plays hell on slab on grades from east side of I35 to the coast. The average depth if doing pylons in my area is 14 feet deep. As wet as you are I bet that’s closer to 20+ lol
Use the bucket to help push or pull you as you drive the tracks, like you would with a winch. Of course, that may not work either, but it's always worth a shot
Way to keep it up when things were rough going. Nice work!
That looks like a half in water line. That house needs a larger line. I did a house in Tucson using one in pex run through two in pvc in case I ever needed to change the pex out. I am from Alaska and you are building in a swamp, you can do it but dig out the mud and backfill wth gravel or sand so what ever you build will float on top.
Nice job on digging out the old tank Guys! Thanks for always sharing with us!💖👍😎JP