Blog

Posted on

Installing another Horse arena in Parker Colorado.


Dirt Dogs Excavating excavated and installed another horse arena for an equestrian lover in Parker, Colorado. This equestrian arena is 200 ft by 70 ft and sits up on a high spot and has a wonderful 360 view of Colorado which makes the riders enjoy their ride better and all the neighbors jealous.  This job took about 5 days of work, 250 tons of crusher fines which was overlaid by 150 tons of sand.  Crusher fines is a finely-crushed stone mix that is often the byproduct of gravel operations. This material helps water smoothly drain through the sand and flow out of the sides – instead of puddling up on the surface and washing out the sand.  Finally, we used our famous laser leveling technology to help us smooth out the footing to perfection! A fence company will come in after we’ve finished and installs a fence. We often recommend Straight Arrow Fence company as a go-to fence installer Parker, CO.

The photos show how we’ve laser leveled the riding surface and graded around the outside of arena to facilitate the drainage of any water away from the riding surface.

If you’re wanting to install a horse arena on your property in Parker, Elizabeth, Castle Rock or really anywhere across the front range of Colorado we invite you to give us a call! We’ll come out and give you our expert advice on how we can help and if needed –  the best options and location to place to site your arena too.  Of course, if you have an old arena we can fix that. And if necessary    we can put in an access road or driveway or even landscape other parts of your property while we’re out there so you can get a major upgrade to your property that will make your property more usable and valuable too! Just call: (303) 435-4774 or email us through our Quote form.

Interested in Financing?
We recommend that you contact  a great financing company – Enhancify – if you’re interested in financing your horse arena and/or driveway, road or landscape excavation project.

Click here to learn more about Enhancify.

Posted on

Erosion Control for Horse Arena in Elizabeth, CO

Erosion control matting is a very important step when we excavate and install a new horse arena. We recently installed some erosion control matting at a new horse arena in Elizabeth, CO which you can see in a couple of these photos.

At Dirt Dogs Excavating we specialize in  being perfectionists in erosion control. We don’t just toss out straw and hope it will work – nope – we lay down erosion control matts precisely and carefully to ensure that the rain and runoff from your newly installed horse arena (or landscaping project) will be handled in the best way possible. As you can see in these photos we excavated and contoured the landscape so water would smoothly drain away from the horse arena. (We also put in the access road.) From these photos you can see how the water will drain off gradually and flow down into the valley below.

Erosion matting, also known as erosion control blankets or erosion control mats, are materials used to prevent soil erosion and promote vegetation growth on slopes, embankments, and other areas prone to erosion.

Things we do when we apply  erosion control matting:

  1. Prepare the Site: Clear the area of any debris, rocks, or other obstructions. Grade the surface to ensure proper drainage and smooth out any rough areas.
  2. Select the Right Matting: Choose erosion matting appropriate for your site conditions, such as slope gradient, soil type, and climate. There are different types of erosion matting available, including straw, coconut fiber, synthetic, or biodegradable materials.
  3. Anchor the Matting: Begin by anchoring the erosion matting at the top of the slope or embankment. Use stakes, staples, or other anchoring devices to secure the matting in place. Ensure that the anchoring devices penetrate the soil securely to prevent the matting from shifting or being washed away.
  4. Overlap and Secure Joints: If using multiple rolls of erosion matting, overlap the edges of adjacent rolls to ensure continuous coverage. Secure the overlapping edges with staples or other fasteners to prevent gaps where soil erosion could occur.
  5. Install Additional Stabilization: Depending on the slope gradient and erosion risk, you may need to install additional stabilization measures such as erosion control netting, wire mesh, or rock riprap along with the erosion matting to provide extra support and protection.
  6. Plant Vegetation: If the erosion matting allows for vegetation growth, sow seeds or plant vegetation through the matting according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Ensure proper soil preparation and irrigation to promote healthy plant growth.
  7. Maintenance: If needed, we can come back and inspect the erosion matting for any signs of damage or displacement. Replace any damaged sections and re-anchor loose areas as needed. Monitor vegetation growth and provide additional maintenance such as watering, fertilizing, or weed control as necessary to ensure successful erosion control.

Of course, if you’re need a new horse arena, landscaping excavation or erosion control matting … give Dirt Dogs a call or contact us through our quote form!

Phone: (303) 435-4774

Posted on

Foundation Excavation for a new addition to an existing home in Elizabeth, CO

Dirt Dogs Excavating recently finished foundation excavation for a new addition for an existing home in Elizabeth, Colorado. The home owners needed a little more room and Dirt Dogs was able to carefully come in and excavate the site perfectly using their famous skill and laser-leveling technology. The foundation size was about 45 ft. x 45 ft. which will add some real needed space to this existing home.

Dirt Dogs Excavating is your go-to foundation excavator across the front range of Colorado. From Elizabeth, to Parker, Castle Rock, Kiowa and Larkspur we are your best choice for as expert foundation excavators. Garr Hughes, Dirt Dogs’ boss – not only knows how to prepare the holes that will be foundations but he understands the entire construction process which is really helpful. The team at Dirt Dogs Excavating  understands the how to precisely read the engineering blueprints, where to dig, how to dig, plus how to measure and prepare the the dirt so the concrete crew are able to do their job easily.

By the way – once the concrete crew is done and all the inspections are good we’ll come back and fill in and smooth off the area.

Need a professional crew to help with your foundation, landscape grading or driveway? You know who to call!

Posted on

Installing a Recycled Asphalt Driveway in Larkspur, CO

recycled driveway installation in Larkspur, Colorado
Dirt Dogs Excavating recently finished installing a smooth riding recycled asphalt driveway for a ranch in scenic Larkspur, Colorado. Of course, most cowboys have their own tractors and  maintain their own driveways as best they can but at some point the wear and tear by farm equipment and weather simply overwhelm driveway and turn it into a complete disaster – filled with muddy ruts where snow melt and water runoff have them begging Dirt Dogs to help them out. We bring in the heavy duty road graders and decades of experience and take care of business.

This Larkspur driveway was indeed a disaster when we arrived. But we regraded the driveway and surrounding landscape so it drained properly. Then we brought in about 250 tons of recycled asphalt and smoothed that out. When we were done the owner would have cried if he wasn’t a tough Colorado cowboy. But he was very thankful and yet another happy Dirt Dogs success story!

grading and recycled driveway installation in Larkspur, Colorado

If your Colorado driveway is in need of repairs, fixes or an upgrade we invite you to give us a call! Or email us through our Quote form.

Posted on

New Driveway Installed in Parker, CO

Dirt Dogs Excavating installed another new driveway in Parker, Colorado. This driveway involved excavating the land and creating a 28 ft. wide driveway to allow access to a recreational facility as per the town’s code. After we excavated the driveway we came in an laid down Class 6 granite to top off this driveway. Of course the driveway is perfectly graded to allow for easy runoff of rain or snow melt. We also did a massive amount of work on the drainage as well as installing a culvert. This crushed granite driveway is about 350 ft. long and allows for 2 way traffic.

When you’re ready to upgrade your driveway or install a new one we invite you to get in touch with Dirt Dogs and we’ll come out and give you our best advice on what materials to use, etc. as well as provide an estimate to do the job right! Request a quote today! 

 

Posted on

Baseball Outfield in Parker, CO gets Top Dress

Dirt Dogs Excavating love baseball and working on baseball fields. Parker, Colorado has their own “Field of Dreams” which is an amazing baseball and recreational facility called “The Farm” built by Dale LeMonds – a former professional baseball player and coach.  Dirt Dogs has been working hard on making this baseball field a perfect place to play baseball safely. We recently spent about 5 weeks perfecting the top dressing of the outfield on this incredible baseball field in Parker, CO. We’re going to swoop back in and reseed it with fescue grass once the weather warms up.

In excavation, “top dress” refers to the process of adding a thin layer of material, such as soil or gravel, to the surface of an area that has been excavated or graded. This layer is typically applied to achieve a smooth and level surface, improve drainage, or provide a suitable base for landscaping, paving, or other surface finishes.

Here are a few scenarios where top dressing might be used in excavation projects:

  1. Leveling and Smoothing: After excavating an area, particularly for landscaping or construction purposes, top dressing can be used to create a flat and even surface. This is often necessary to prepare the area for laying sod, planting grass, or installing pavement.
  2. Surface Protection: In areas prone to erosion or compaction, top dressing with a layer of soil or gravel can help protect the underlying soil and prevent damage from foot traffic, machinery, or weather conditions.
  3. Improving Drainage: Top dressing with a well-draining material like gravel or coarse sand can help improve surface drainage in areas where water tends to pool or accumulate. This can be especially important for preventing water damage to structures or landscaping features.
  4. Enhancing Aesthetics: Top dressing can also be used to enhance the appearance of an excavated area, particularly in landscaping projects. Adding a layer of rich topsoil or decorative gravel can give the area a finished look and complement surrounding features.

Overall, top dressing is a versatile technique Dirt Dogs Excavation uses in excavation projects like this to achieve specific grading, drainage, or aesthetic goals, and it plays an essential role in preparing the ground for further construction or landscaping work.

If your recreation park or baseball field needs a little TLC  contact Dirt Dogs for a quote and we’ll knock it out of the park!

Posted on

Round Horse Pen installation – Parker, CO

Dirt Dogs Excavating recently installed a round equestrian pen for some avid horse lovers who want to ride around in the safety and beauty of a fenced in horse area  on their property in Parker, Colorado.  (The fence company will swoop in and add a pretty fence now that we’re done.)

This was a 60′ x 110′ arena sitting on a 5 acre Parker property. This was a “cut-to-fill” job – where we utilized the onsite dirt as much as possible. After we excavated and leveled the site to perfection we brought in 10 loads of crusher fines – which is about 28 tons of course material that will let any water drain out. On top of that we carefully deposited 4 loads of washed concrete sand – about 112 tons of material and smoothed that off. This process creates an amazing wonderful surface for horse riders to gallop around on.

Installing this particular horse arena in Parker came with some challenges that were brought on by the weather. Half-way through our work we got clobbered by a 2 foot snow storm that was followed up by yet another snowstorm.  But Dirt Dogs is used to the crazy Colorado weather and we were back out working   soon after the snow cleared up. In better weather we can install an equestrian arena in about 6 days.

Got horses? Need a new horse arena to ride around on?  Give your friends here at Dirt Dogs Excavation a quick email or call and we’ll do the job right!

 

 

Posted on

Meet Leila – Mascot and Head of HR for Dirt Dogs Excavation

As mascot and head of HR for Dirt Dogs Excavation Leila is famous for her wise decisions, her calm demeanor in stressful situations and for generally weeding out the BS. As various people have commented…”That girl’s a bulldog.” A 3 year old English bulldog to be exact. She can be found supervising various projects and has been known to sleep on the job some. If you have a formal complaint to make Leila is also in charge of the “Complaints Department.” If you’re having a problem with management or need a job – she’s also in charge of HR. So when you call in … just ask to speak with Leila. If you want to get on her good side…talk nicely. If that doesn’t work…slip her a bite of your hamburger.

As a 3rd job, Leila is also the company’s current Mascot replacing the legendary Peggy who will always be remembered by the Dirt Dogs staff and management.

Leila can often be found laying around doing a whole lot of nothing which is something the Dirt Dogs humans never get enough time to do because they are dedicated to helping their customers getting their jobs done right.

Posted on

Recycled Asphalt Driveway – Calhan, CO

recycled asphalt road excavation and install - Calhan, CO

Dirt Dogs Excavation recently installed  a 900 ft. long by 14 ft wide by 6 in thick recycled asphalt driveway for a home in the beautiful, wide open area of Calhan, Colorado.  At 900 ft. this is more of a road than a driveway!

This driveway was for a new home which you can’t see in this photo. Dirt Dogs brought in 12 semi-trucks filled with recycled asphalt. We prepped and excavated the ground on day one. But the boss man came in day 2 and reworked the driveway to satisfy his  perfectionist needs to have the job done perfectly! Once that was done they semis came in an put down the recycled asphalt which smoothed out and then compacted by the heavy tractors. The whole job took about 2.5 days of work. But with some regular maintenance should last many years to come!

You’ll notice from the photo above that the road is nice and smooth and has a nice drainage area on both sides to allow for water runoff.

Where is Calhan you ask? Calhan is a town located in eastern part of El Paso County, Colorado. The town population was 762 at the 2020. But if you want wide open spaces with plenty of elbow room – that’s the place to find it!

Of course if you need a brand new driveway – no matter the size – Dirt Dogs Excavation is happy to help! Just give contact us and hire the top excavation company around Colorado!

 

Posted on

Refurbished Horse Arena for HOA

Dirt Dogs Excavating refurbished a worn out community horse arena for the Pawnee hills HOA in Elizabeth, Colorado despite a stormy, rainy, muddy week.

Part of the problem with the old arena was a bad drainage situation which helped destroy the arena over time. This horse arena also had a worn out wood fence that we had to tear out. This horse arena was about 80′ x 160′ in size.

A Muddy Mess
We had epic rainfall which made the entire job site a miserable, muddy mess. But because we are dedicated and hard working (and maybe a bit nuts) we persevered and found a way to get the job done.

One of our priorities was creating a flow line around the entire arena. This captures any water and forces it to drain AROUND and away from the arena. You can see that baby in the photo above.  We hauled in truckloads of clay and topped it with about 6″ of sand.

Laser Leveling
Then we perfectly leveled the entire horse arena using our famous lasers levelers!

Bottom Line
Horse arena – fixed. Drainage – fixed. Old fence – removed.

A fence was added as the last touch. We the HOA happy? Ecstatic might be a better description! Our only problem was after the job was done….it took hours wash off that nasty mud from our equipment. But that’s just another day in the life of the Dirt Dog!

When your horse arena needs an overhaul…you know who to call!