How To Build A Well In The Country

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

"Underwater" stones in the construction of a well, and how to get around them

I have already told on the pages of the magazine about wells: what they are, how and where to dig them. And, if you settled on a specific option, it remains to solve the "selfish" (that is, financial) issue. Namely: compare the costs of building a well with the involvement of outside forces and with your own hands.

We will not talk about the specific price of rings, the cost of their loading, delivery to the site, and unloading. If only for the reason that their price fluctuates greatly even within the same city. However, so is the cost of services.

If you intend to build a well with the help of hired labor, then I strongly advise you not only to read carefully, but also to try to at least to some extent comprehend this material. The practical advice outlined in it will help you avoid not only possible troubles, but also, I dare to hope, will save some money, which is never superfluous on the farm. If you are going to build a well on your own (honor and praise to you!), Also do not be lazy and look at this material. It is not at all excluded: something useful can be learned from it.

First of all, I strongly advise you to pay attention to the seeming, at first glance, trifle, which, however, can cost you a tidy sum. Whether you are dealing with shabashniki or with an organization professionally engaged in digging wells, be sure to ask: from which rooted-in ring they start to increase the price coefficient. Let me explain what it is.

Since we live in a market economy (well business is no exception), we have complete anarchy in determining the cost of work. Therefore, firms and other organizations contracted to dig wells, break prices for their services at their own discretion and understanding. Guided by a single consideration: to rob the client as much as possible. And this is how it happens (I will give one of the countless options) …

Often, a certain number of rings are dug in at a predetermined price. Then, starting, for example, from the tenth (most often) buried ring, for each subsequent price for digging increases by 10-50 percent. The amount of this percentage depends on the specific performers. And it so happens that after the twentieth rooted ring, the cost of work does double, or even more.

Such a situation also happens … If you bought out of ignorance or slipped (unfortunately, this happens) non-standard rings with a height of, say, 0.8 meters. After driving, for example, eight rings, their number in comparison with the standard ones (their height is 0.9 meters) automatically increases by one.

And although the depth of 6.4 meters was passed (eight rings with a height of 0.8 meters), and if the standard rings were installed, the well would go to a depth of 7.2 meters, the price of the work will be the same. Since the payment is calculated not by meters of depth, but by the number of dug rings. And, to put it simply, the depth is different, but the cost of the work is the same.

All these well nuances must be taken into account in advance and preferably included in the contract. Even if he has ready-made standard questions and points. In these cases, you can draw up an additional agreement or an annex to the agreement. In addition, in no case let it go by itself and do not rely on the "mercy" of the builders, but try (I would even advise: demand!) To include in the contract a clause on the minimum water level (not less than 70 centimeters) in the dug well.

I witnessed the case when the well masters declared the digging completed, although the water level in the well was only thirty centimeters. At the same time, the "firms" referred to the fact that the water level allegedly would rise significantly over time. And when I asked: “And if the water level does not rise, but, on the contrary, will go down. What then?"

The answer was very eloquent:

- You understand a lot! We know better !?

Draw your own conclusions …

And one more thing: follow the recommendation, which has been repeatedly tested by practice - solve all problems during the construction of a well immediately on the spot. Here the saying goes well: "Strike the iron while it is hot." In no case, under any pretext, do not postpone them until later. This is especially true for imperfections. Trust neither the words nor the promises of the builders. Always remember the validity of the aphorism: "Words (I will add from myself - as well as promises) can not be sewn to the deed." And there is nothing to be delicate and shy about.

This is in the era of "developed socialism", with a general deficit of everything, and all Soviet people have always been a supplicant. In the current conditions - an abundance of goods and services should not be asked for, but demanded. It is precisely to demand the provision of high quality services (in our case, we are talking about digging wells). Always remember that you are laying out your hard-earned money. And considerable. And therefore, for your money, only you have the right to decide what is done well and what is bad.

Consider one thing: as soon as the builders leave your site, then no force, no persuasion and pleading will force them to return. Even if you didn't pay them some amount. Other performers, with rare exceptions (though I have never met such at all), will not undertake to eliminate other people's imperfections. And even if they do, they will surely require a mind-boggling payment. After all, it is not for nothing that popular wisdom says that it is easier to do it again than to redo the old one.

Moreover, even in this case, there is no certainty that the work will be done as it should. Because the quality of the work is actually not controlled by anyone. If you want to get the well of your dreams - follow each stage of construction, delve into all the subtleties.

If you intend to entrust the shabashniks with digging a well, then you must take into account at least two points. On the one hand, the cost of digging and equipping is likely to be significantly less than in specialized offices. On the other hand, if a serious obstacle is encountered during digging: a boulder, too stony ground, quicksand, then amateur diggers are unlikely to continue digging. Most likely, they will simply quit their jobs. That is, everything depends on the conscientiousness and decency of these people. In a word, how lucky is it, because in the current conditions these qualities are in great deficit …

And yet I am firmly convinced: no one can build a well better than the owner himself - with his own hands. Of course, with one indispensable condition: this work must be done with knowledge of the matter, and even putting your soul into it. And then success is assured.

Recently, firms engaged in digging and arranging wells have been offering this service. With a fairly large amount of work on digging a well, they offer to build a well "house" free of charge from the remains and waste of building materials left after the construction of the well. And not only. In a word, from everything that is “at hand”. But that's what really confuses me here.

To the question: what is the criterion for the concept of "a sufficiently large amount of work"? none of the three surveyed organizations could give a clear, unambiguous answer. All explanations boiled down to one thing: the amount of work is determined purely visually. But, according to the builders, the "house" can be built from almost any material.

For example, from scraps of logs, from poles, timber, from all possible sizes and thicknesses of boards, tiles and even … bricks. At the same time, as the builders convince, allegedly "four birds with one stone" are killed: there is no need to buy materials, deliver them to the site, pay for the work and, most importantly, they say, a single architectural style with the house and other buildings on the site is preserved.

One can argue with the last statement … After all, what was once used, for example, for the construction of a house and buildings, may not be available at the moment. Or the materials that were used to build the well turned out to be little or nothing at all.

In addition, it turned out that if something is not enough for the construction of the "house", then it is proposed to "bribe" the necessary materials. To the natural question: “And how many of them will have to be“bribed”, there was again an evasive answer:“How many will be needed”.

It turns out, as in the Russian folk tale: "As a soldier cooked cabbage soup from an ax." Remember how it was there: this and this should be put in the cabbage soup, it would be nice to add something else. Then another. Can this be the case with the well "house", I can not judge. I believe that everyone who is offered such a service should think carefully about everything and only then make an informed choice. Although I must say: freebies are usually always attractive.