A concrete driveway is one of the most frequently encountered problems that Michigan homeowners encounter when they install an underground dog fence. Without question, your system can operate across a driveway. The answer, good news, is that it can most certainly be used across a driveway. The way you make it there – though – is what sets the difference between a solid crossing and a repair mish-mash the following two winters.
In this guide, you’ll learn every practical way to install a dog fence to run underground in a concrete driveway, how Michigan’s freeze-thaw climate 48/16 will impact your fence selection and what options you should avoid if you want a system that lasts.
Why Driveways Are the Hardest Part of Any Underground Fence Installation
If the wire is in an open lawn, it is simple: plant the wire at 3-6” depth, and proceed. There are three distinct ways in which a driveway crossing is different:
- It is not possible to plant wire directly under concrete without cutting or cutting drilling through it
- Michigan freeze thaws over time, causing unprotected wire to be broken by the expansion and contraction of concrete slabs
- The weight of a vehicle alone continually exerts a pressure on any unprotected wire crossing
If you get the driveway crossing incorrect, you’ll have a wire break to repair that is frustrating, hard to do and expensive – as you’ll have to cut into concrete or asphalt again.
Method 1: Directional Boring Under the Driveway (Best Option)
In Michigan, underground fence driveway crossing installations are best accomplished with directional boring, which is also known as horizontal boring. The small boring tool is used to create a path beneath the driveway slab that does not damage the top of the slab.
Why It’s the Best Choice for Michigan
- Wire below frost line, protected from movement of slab caused by freeze-thaw conditions
- No surface cuts – no access for water or road salt
- Neat, tidy and no damage to driveway
- You may be able to bore a sleeve through at the same time providing you with a permanent protected channel
What to Expect
The labor for boring runs $150 to $400 and will vary according to the width of the driveway and access. Give away every dollar is worth on wide Michigan driveways (sitting 20 feet or larger). Boring is a driveway crossing common for many professional pet containment system driveway Michigan installers to come with in their quote for your driveway crossing.
During the boring process the wire is placed in a PVC conduit sleeve so it does not need further digging or drilling if the need arises to replace the wire in the future.
Method 2: Conduit Sleeve Through a Saw Cut (Most Common DIY Method)
The next option is to either saw through a fairly narrow strip or drain through the base of the driveway, or to take a fairly narrow channel and install a conduit sleeve. Both concrete and asphalt can be used with this method.
How It Works
- Use a concrete saw or angle grinder with diamond blade to cut out a narrow groove (about ½ inch wide) across the driveway.
- Place a ¾” PVC duct sleeve in the channel cut-out
- Run the boundary wire through the conduit
- Cover the channel with a burnering, Michigan freeze-thaw grade, sealer of either a sealant type polyurethane or epoxy
Critical Michigan Detail
Never strictly grout or use standard concrete patch for the channel. The freeze-thaw cycles of the soil in Michigan easily break the integrity of rigid fills, and consequently allow infiltration of water that changes the metal in the conduit and wire. Expandable joint sealant that is temperature resistant and designed to be used outside.
Conduit Is Non-Negotiable
Do not run a wire through an opened hole in the saw without a conduit. A protected sleeve is required for the wire to withstand the passage of vehicles and slab movement. The one and only most important material in this install step is underground fence wire driveway sleeve conduit.
Method 3: Running Wire Above Grade at the Driveway Edge
If a driveway has a definite edge gap (between the concrete slab and a garage threshold, or between the asphalt pavement and lawn border), wire may be wrapped around the driveway instead of beneath it at times.
When This Works
- Skinny driveway shoulders up to 18″ with soft material on both sides
- Ahead of containment boundary width restrictions these driveways must be constructed to insert the driveway assembly
- Transitional setups in anticipation of permanent boring/cut installation
Michigan Warning
Areas around the edge of driveways and streets are particularly susceptible to wire breaks caused by snow plows – which is one of the most common wire breakage causes during Michigan winters. The method used, be sure to place the wire in a staked-in, non-expandable case or rigid conduit and tag with a brightly colored flag before the first snow, so it can be easily seen.
This is temporary and not a “solution” to Michigan conditions.
Method 4: Wire Through an Existing Expansion Joint
Most concrete driveways have a gap or gaps between the slabs intended to allow for expansion. Wire can be threaded into the conduit, without cutting, if your boundary line lies within the vicinity of one of these joints.
Not planned to this point, but useful to watch so far as saw cutting is concerned. The wire could be taken through a conduit sleeve even if it passes through expansion joints, which will open and close due to temperature and will eventually shear unprotected wire.
Concrete vs. Asphalt: Does It Matter in Michigan?
The general method of both approaches – conduit, sealing clean, and freeze-thaw shielding – is the same, but with asphalt cuts are easier to make and re-seal properly.
The entire installation of a poured-asphalt crossing can be completed in an afternoon.An asphalt cross can be sawcut, fitted with conduit and sealed with a flexible asphalt crack filler in just one afternoon. The seal is practically unnoticeable on the surface.
A lot more precision in concrete cutting, sealant quality and attention given to the seal joint are needed for concrete crossings since it can be more readily seen when the seal joint doesn’t flex properly with the fill material.
Asphalt makes the driveway the simpler surface to work with for cross Michigan installations with electric dog fences. The material is concrete, which is a suitable material for management, but benefits from professional handling.
What Michigan’s Freeze-Thaw Cycle Does to Driveway Crossings
There are an average of 50-100 freeze-thaw events in a given year in Michigan, depending on the location. The concrete or asphalt slab increases and decreases in size with each cycle. Each unprotected wire crossing over one winter endures:
- Lateral compression due to increase in slab size
- Vertical shear due to frost heave under the slab
- Water and salt moving through any exposed area will continue to permeate.Water and salt entering through any opening will continue to seep in
This is easily endured by a wire within a PVC conduit sleeve, if it has been installed properly. In Michigan, a direct-buried wire in a saw cut does not last more than 1-3 winters.
This is why, with concrete Michigan installations, no matter what, conduit is included for each and every job that is done correctly.
Choosing the Right Wire Gauge for Driveway Crossings
The standard size for underground fence is 20 gauge. To improve crossing for driveway crossings, use 18 gauge or heavier crossing wire. The thicker the wire the less susceptible it is to mechanical stresses, even within conduit, due to which is generated by vehicular traffic and slab movement.
In underground and driveway crossing runs use solid core wire not stranded wire. Lewis’ experience with 2005 drilling cuts indicate that solid core lasts longer than ex-center hose cutting.
Professional vs. DIY: Which Makes Sense for Michigan Driveways?
| Factor | DIY Saw-Cut | Professional Boring |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $50–$150 materials | $150–$400 installed |
| Driveway Damage | Minor saw cut | Zero |
| Michigan Durability | Good with proper sealant | Excellent |
| Future Wire Replacement | Re-thread conduit | Re-thread conduit |
| Skill Required | Moderate | None (hire out) |
| Best For | Asphalt, narrow driveways | Concrete, wide driveways |
If you own a typical concrete driveway, and are located in Michigan, hiring a professional boring services is a worthwhile expenditure. If your asphalt driveway is less than 16 feet wide, a conscientious self-performed saw-cut involves conduit and sealant, and can be a solid choice for your driveway.
Step-by-Step: DIY Driveway Crossing Installation
- Note crossing location – be sure to pick the narrowest width driveway or avoid near expansion joint edges
- Prepare materials – ¾-inch PVC conduit, diamond blade saw, and flexible polyurethane tray sealant and wire connectors
- Slice the channel – (it should be pretty straight about ½ inch wide and 1-1.5 inches deep)
- Install conduit sleeve – cut conduit to length and fully insert conduit into conduit channel with 2-3 inches of conduit over each driveway edge.
- Install boundary wire in conduit leaving extra slack on each end for above ground splices
- Close the channel – apply sealant from the flexible sealant and smooth flush to the ground before vehicle traffic and give sealant its full curing time
- Install wire splice connections that will not be affected by water – at both ends where wire leaves the conduit: install so-called “direct-bury” connectors filled with a gel that prevents water from reaching them.
- Test the system – (perform a complete system boundary diagnostic prior to backfilling of additional wire sections)
Frequently Asked Questions Dog Fence Concrete Driveway Michigan
Can I just run my underground dog fence wire over the driveway surface temporarily?
This is only a very temporary solution. Vehicle traffic will cause damage to surface wire within days of being placed at a driveway crossing. When making a crossing on a driveway, it requires proper protection and burial.
How deep should the conduit be under a concrete driveway in Michigan?
The depth of boring generally ranges from 6″-12″ below the slab. For saw cut, depth will be limited by slab thickness because there is no need to put conduit under slab as the layer is consecutive to the slab and needs to be protected with the use of conduit sleeve.
Will the underground fence signal work through concrete and conduit?
Yes. There is no appreciable signal interference through the fence and through the concrete/PVC conduit. There is no effect on signal strength on the boundary of the crossing.
What conduit size should I use for an underground fence driveway crossing?
Install ¾” SCH40 PVC. It’s sufficiently wide to put in the boundary wire without issue and sufficiently solid to bear the weight of vehicles while in a channel of concrete or asphalt.
How long does a properly installed driveway crossing last in Michigan?
Properly installed underground fence conduit driveway with correct sealant will last 15-20 years, the same life span as the wire in Michigan conditions.
Can I run the wire through an existing gap under my garage door threshold?
Sometimes, yes. Conduit may be wired through the gap under a garage threshold slab. Use a flexible foam backer rod or weather strip around the conduit opening to prevent water intrusion.
My invisible fence installer says they don't cross driveways - is that normal?
However, there are budget installers that opt not to cross driveways due to the additional factors involved. An invisible fence under concrete Michigan installer should provide boring or saw-cut crossing services as an optional standard.
Does road salt damage underground fence wire at driveway crossings?
Salt hastens corrosion of wire insulation and splice connectors. That’s why waterproof connectors with the internal waterproofing provided by a gel seal are required at the end points of any driveway crossing, and conduit seal needs to inhibit intrusion of water and salt.
Can I use electrical conduit instead of PVC for the driveway sleeve?
PVC Schedule 40 is recommended. Metal conduit is prone to rust in Michigan’s conditions of salty salt and moisture. PVC is durable, insulative and proves to be more weather resistant than metal options for freeze-thaw conditions.
What happens if the wire breaks inside the conduit under my driveway?
The bottom line advantage of conduit is you re-thread new wire without slicing the driveway once again. Remove the old wire, connect it to the new wire and pull it. No digging, no saw cutting, no damage to the surface.