Is Your Underground Gas Line Becoming Exposed?

As the ground continues to crack and dry out, erosion can hurt more than your property's foundation. It can also start to shift enough soil to reveal your home's electricity and gas lines. Usually, these utilities are buried deeply enough that soil movement isn't enough to be a cause for concern. However, if your property is on a hill with an occasionally severe grade, your lines can start to reach through the topsoil. 

WHAT DOES GAS LINE EXPOSURE LOOK LIKE?

The hard metal pipes buried far into a trench in your property's subsoil are rarely exposed to the surface. Their main vulnerabilities include tree roots and high-pressure soil shifts from droughts and heavy rains. Instead, gas line exposure typically occurs when:

1. The soil around the connection to the house is wearing away.

If your natural gas line extends a few inches from your house and then goes into the ground in a series of hard metal fixtures, that area is the most vulnerable. Soil can pull away from intruding materials (like how dry soil pulls away from sidewalks) and start to blow away. That leaves the gas line vulnerable to heavy rain. That risk exacerbated by water falling in sheets from the eaves of your house if the area isn't protected by gutters.

2. You have a flexible gas line connection that goes a long distance.

In newer constructions, gas lines are becoming flexible. This saves them from a great deal of tree, soil, and rock damage. But it also means they can work themselves into the topsoil after a few years. Because your gas line stretches the length of your property, it can even become a trip hazard or get cut by your lawnmower. If you have a long gas line between your house and the street, it's even more likely to work itself topside.

Contact us if you see more of your gas line than you should. We can help make your property safe.

-A R Engh Team