Why Summer is Perfect for Piling Work – Part 1: Ground Conditions and Weather
When you are planning any sort of foundation work, whether it is for a house extension or a commercial project, timing matters more than most people realise. After 12 years in the piling game and seeing projects in all sorts of weather, we have learned that Summer really is the sweet spot for getting piling work done well.
The Ground Makes All the Difference
Anyone who’s worked outdoors in Britain knows our weather can be a real pain. But here is the thing about Summer by the time June rolls around, the ground has had months to dry out from all that Spring rain. This might not sound important, but it makes a massive difference when you are trying to get heavy machinery onto a site and drive piles into the ground.
We use Cobra D500 rigs and our trusty Grundomat moles for most jobs, and these bits of kit work best when they are not fighting through waterlogged soil. Wet ground does not just make the job harder, it makes it messier, slower and more expensive. Nobody wants their garden or building site turned into a mud bath, and frankly, it is not much fun for our lads either.
Drier ground also means we get a better understanding of what we are dealing with below the surface. When the soil conditions are more stable, we can predict how the piling will go and spot any potential issues before they become problems. This is especially important when we are working on underpinning jobs or extensions where every millimetre matters.
Longer Days Mean More Gets Done
British Summers might not be the longest in the world, but those extra hours of daylight make a real difference. When you can start work early and keep going until eight or nine in the evening (safely, of course), you are getting nearly twice the productive time compared to a December day.
For homeowners, this is brilliant news. Nobody wants building work dragging on for weeks, especially when you are trying to live normally whilst we are drilling piles outside your kitchen window. The longer days mean we can crack on and get your foundations sorted quickly, so you can move on to the next phase of your project.
We have had jobs that would normally take a week in winter done in three or four days during Summer, simply because we have the daylight hours to work with. That is less disruption for you, less time that your garden is a building site, and often less cost overall.
Weather You Can Actually Rely On
Let us be honest about the British weather, it is unpredictable at the best of times. But Summer gives us the closest thing to reliability we are going to get. Those long spells of decent weather mean we can plan a job and actually stick to the schedule.
We have all seen what happens to building projects when Autumn arrives, one week of solid rain and suddenly everything has delayed. Tools get waterlogged, access roads turn into swamps and health and safety becomes a nightmare. During Summer, you might get the odd shower, but it is nothing like the biblical downpours we get the rest of the year.
This reliability matters more than people think. When we quote you a timeframe for completion, we want to stick to it. Summer weather means we can make promises we can actually keep. And if you are coordinating our piling work with other trades like bricklayers, electricians or plumbers, having a reliable schedule makes everyone’s life easier.
Getting Equipment Where It Needs to Go
Modern piling equipment is clever, but it is also heavy. Getting our rigs into position, especially for domestic jobs where space is tight, can be tricky enough without having to worry about getting stuck in soft ground.
Summer’s firm ground conditions mean we can get our equipment right where it needs to be without tearing up your driveway or lawn. We have done jobs where the difference between Summer and Winter access meant the difference between completing the work from your garden or having to bring equipment through your house. Trust us, neither of us wants that hassle.
This is particularly crucial for those awkward jobs, the ones where we need to squeeze between buildings or work in a back garden that is only accessible through a narrow side passage. Firm, dry ground gives us options that simply are not there when everything is sodden.
Next week, we will cover why Summer timing works so well for planning your broader construction project, the safety benefits and how to make the most of the season for your piling needs.
