Garden / Ground too hard to place deep stakes into - best way to solve?

[Parmageddon]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking to purchase some 'Stop Nets' like the ones pictured below. They're 12ft tall or so and designed to help stop the ball going over next door (or in my case into the cherry laurels and sycamores) every time my kids (or me!) hoof a soccer ball with less than ideal levels of accuracy.

 

Link :- https://www.networldsports.co.uk/stop-that-ball-socketed.html

 

They do come with a socket system for structural soundness. In which the 'Sockets" screw into the floor, they're about 40mm in diameter and 450mm in length, so pretty long. As a test earlier at the foot of the garden I tried to see how far I could sink some thin steel rods into the floor and barely got past 150mm or so before it hits something hard.  

 

I'm not sure what it's ben backfilled with, but where I wanted to sink the sockets is pretty close to the egde of the lawn, at the edge of that there's some block pave edging then it drops off a good 200-250mm to where all the trees shrubs are. Photo at end (red dots are where I planned to have the floor sockets)

 

Apologies if an incredibly stupid question, but what's the best method to solve this? simply drilling with a masonry bit down into the ground for some reason felt silly. So wanted to ask some experienced folks first!

 

 

 

thanks so much!

 

P

[markocosic]

Drill unless you have reason to believe there's something special there.

 

One metre drill bit:

 

https://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/drill-bits/cat12140001?productlength=1000_mm&ptashanktype=sds_plus_shank

 

That's how dad usedto plant daffodils in pembrokeshire clay / sandstone...

[Temp]

Beware you might need Planning Permission for a "fence" that tall. Only likely to be a problem if a neighbour complains but you know what some people are like.

 

 

[Temp]

1 hour ago, markocosic said:

Drill unless you have reason to believe there's something special there.

 

One metre drill bit:

 

https://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/drill-bits/cat12140001?productlength=1000_mm&ptashanktype=sds_plus_shank

 

That's how dad usedto plant daffodils in pembrokeshire clay / sandstone...

 

 

You can also get 40mm augers intended for planting. Not used one myself though..

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/planting-42cm-Spiral-Planter-Bedding-Saplings/dp/B089LGD853/ref=asc_df_B089LGD853/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=499390094390&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1136716066730688426&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006818&hvtargid=pla-1222345633576&psc=1

 

 

[Parmageddon]

1 hour ago, Temp said:

Beware you might need Planning Permission for a "fence" that tall. Only likely to be a problem if a neighbour complains but you know what some people are like.

 

 

Semi permanent structures can be upto 4M tall so long as they're within 2M of the garden boundary. Fortunately the shrubs and hedges go on for another 20metres or so past the lawn, we're very lucky to have such a lovely space.

 

 

[Parmageddon]

1 hour ago, Temp said:

 

 

You can also get 40mm augers intended for planting. Not used one myself though..

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/planting-42cm-Spiral-Planter-Bedding-Saplings/dp/B089LGD853/ref=asc_df_B089LGD853/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=499390094390&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1136716066730688426&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006818&hvtargid=pla-1222345633576&psc=1

 

 

Saw them before, they look incredibly cheap and weak. Can't see those cutting through a brick-back-filled sub layer if thats what's down there!

[Parmageddon]

3 hours ago, markocosic said:

Drill unless you have reason to believe there's something special there.

 

One metre drill bit:

 

https://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/drill-bits/cat12140001?productlength=1000_mm&ptashanktype=sds_plus_shank

 

That's how dad usedto plant daffodils in pembrokeshire clay / sandstone...

I presume its backfilled bricks and cement.

Question - if the Stakes that go into the ground are 50mm diameter. And i'm using much narrower drillbits. Is there a certain way of drilling multiple smaller holes that will break the sub layer away enough to get the larger stakes in easily? 

my concern is if I drill a hole too big the stakes will just be too loose when I try to sink them in. Want to avoid using cement etc. 

[Russdl]

This has made short work of our very hard chalk and flint ground.

 

[markocosic]

Depends on backfill. I'd use ~22 mm drill bit on hammer mode; hoping that it displaces or smashes up whatever the backfill is; then whack your 40-50 mm posts in using something to protect the tops of them from burring over. They will move the lumps out of the way

 

You will feel it if you're "drilling through a rock" instead of smashing the rock/ moving the rock.

 

If they still won't go in then find something bigger/heavier (e.g. scaff pole) and a close fit, REALLY bash that in with a sledgehammer, then cut the mullered top of it off and slide your fence post down the centre of it.