Honestly, I’d take “weird-looking” over chewed wires any day. Wired is always more dependable in the long run, especially with all the interference you get from trees and weather.
- Totally get this. I tried a wireless bridge to my shed last summer, mostly because I didn’t want to dig a trench or mess with conduit. Worked fine for a couple months, but then leaves filled in and suddenly my “full bars” dropped to “why isn’t this page loading?” every time it rained.
- Ended up running direct-burial Cat6 in conduit anyway. I was nervous about how much it’d stand out against the fence, but after painting it (used leftover trim paint—probably should’ve gone with exterior-grade like you mentioned), it’s barely noticeable unless you’re looking for it.
- One thing I ran into: squirrels. Didn’t think they’d care about PVC, but apparently they just love to chew on anything new in their territory. After a couple bite marks, I wrapped the exposed bits in that pepper-infused tape—no problems since.
- Wired has been way more reliable, especially during storms. Haven’t had a single dropout since. Only thing is, now I’m wondering if I should’ve just buried everything deeper... was worried about hitting roots or pipes, so it’s only about 8 inches down. Anyone else go deeper? Not sure if frost heave is a real issue here (zone 6).
- Painting the conduit really does help it disappear. I didn’t bother priming—just roughed up the surface with sandpaper first. Still holding up after one winter, though I guess time will tell.
- Wireless is tempting for the convenience but man, nothing beats plugging in and knowing it’ll just work every time.
Maybe overkill for a shed, but hey, no regrets now that everything streams smooth out there—even with the mower running right next to the wall.
Only thing is, now I’m wondering if I should’ve just buried everything deeper... was worried about hitting roots or pipes, so it’s only about 8 inches down. Anyone else go deeper? Not sure if frost heave is a real issue here (zone 6).
I had the same debate when I ran cable to my garage. Ended up at about 10-12 inches because I hit a bunch of rocks and didn’t want to risk the gas line. From what I read, code usually says 18” for conduit, but honestly, unless you’re driving stakes or digging a lot in that area, 8” should be fine for low voltage stuff. Frost heave can shift things a bit in zone 6, but PVC has some give. If you notice any issues after a winter or two, maybe just check the exposed ends for stress cracks.
Honestly, I’d be a little more cautious about going that shallow, especially if you’re thinking long-term. When I did my pool house ethernet run, I thought 8-10 inches would be fine too—until a landscaper’s edging tool nicked the conduit a year later. Ended up having to redo the whole thing, which was a pain.
I get not wanting to mess with roots or pipes (been there), but if you can map out where utilities are and maybe snake around the worst spots, it’s worth getting closer to code depth. Frost heave isn’t always dramatic in zone 6, but it can still move things enough to stress connections over time. Plus, if you ever sell, inspectors might flag it.
If you’re already done, just keep an eye on it like you said. But if you’re still able to go deeper in spots—especially where there’s traffic or future digging—it might save some headaches down the road.
Yeah, I hear you on the depth thing, but honestly, sometimes you just gotta work with what you’ve got. I mean, digging deeper is ideal, but when you hit a mess of roots or old pipes, it’s not always practical—or cheap.
“If you’re already done, just keep an eye on it like you said.”
That’s where I’m at too. Did a shallow run last year (about 10 inches), and so far it’s held up fine. Not saying it’s perfect, but for the price and hassle saved, I’ll take my chances. Just gotta remember where everything’s buried if I ever go digging again...
“Just gotta remember where everything’s buried if I ever go digging again...”
- Yeah, that’s the big one. Marking out where you ran the cable saves a ton of headaches later—ask me how I know...
- Shallow runs are honestly fine for low-voltage stuff like ethernet, especially if you’re not in a high-traffic area.
- If you ever do need to go deeper, renting a trenching tool can help with roots, but then you’re dealing with the “old pipes” lottery. Not fun.
- I usually throw some cheap PVC conduit over the cable even at 10-12 inches. Not perfect, but better than nothing if someone gets shovel-happy down the line.
Honestly, sometimes “good enough” is the right call if it means you actually get wifi in the shed without tearing up half the yard.
