I learned that the hard way, too. I’d also echo what you said about pulling a spare string—makes life so much easier when you inevitably want to swap out or add another cable down the line.
Honestly, I get the idea behind using weed barrier fabric, but I’ve never bothered with it and haven’t had any root issues yet. Seems like an extra cost that doesn’t really pay off unless you’ve got super aggressive roots. For me, just sand and careful backfill did the trick. Sometimes simpler is better, especially if you’re watching the budget.
I hear you on the weed barrier—honestly, I tried it once and ended up cursing at the stuff more than anything else. Roots haven’t been a problem for me either, and digging through that fabric later was just a pain. Sand and patience seem to work just fine, at least in my yard. Maybe if I had some wild tree roots going after my ethernet, I’d reconsider... but for now, less hassle is better. Funny how sometimes the "fancy" solution just makes things trickier.
No More Dead Zones: How I Got Wifi In My Backyard Shed
I get where you're coming from on the weed barrier stuff—used it once and swore I’d never mess with it again. Couldn’t agree more about “fancy” solutions making things harder than they need to be. When I ran ethernet out to my shed, I just dug a shallow trench, skipped the fabric, and backfilled with sand. Never had root issues either, but I guess if you’re in a spot with aggressive roots, maybe it’s worth the hassle? Otherwise, simple usually wins in my book. Ever have any trouble with critters chewing on your cable though? That’s been a bigger headache for me than roots.
Critters are the real wild card, aren’t they? I tried running a basic Cat6 cable out to my workshop last year—nothing fancy, just buried it a few inches under some mulch. Worked great for about six months, then I started getting weird dropouts. Dug it up and found little chew marks all along the line. Turns out, squirrels or maybe even rabbits had been at it.
If you’re looking to keep costs down but want to avoid that hassle, I’ve had decent luck with flexible conduit (the cheap gray stuff from the hardware store). It’s not bulletproof, but it seems to discourage most of the gnawers. Some folks swear by running a second, decoy cable alongside the real one, but that feels a bit overengineered for my taste.
Honestly, sometimes the simplest solution is just checking on the line every spring and patching as needed. Not perfect, but it keeps things affordable and manageable.
I hear you on the critter problem—had raccoons rip up my landscape lighting once, so I don’t trust anything unprotected underground. Personally, I’d go with direct burial armored cable if you want a set-it-and-forget-it solution. It’s pricier, but in the long run, not having to dig up and patch every year is worth it. Flexible conduit’s okay, but I’ve seen determined squirrels chew through that too. If you’re already running power out there, maybe look into a mesh WiFi system instead? Less hassle, and you keep everything above ground.
