Concrete Blankets for Electrical Trench Ground Thaw
Photo Details
- Date: January 15, 2026
- Time: 4:36 PM EST
- Weather: Clear skies, 18°F (feels like 7°F with wind chill). Cold conditions causing ground freeze that necessitates blanket thawing.
- Phase: Electrical Service Installation
- Location: 309 E. 7th St., Clare, MI
- View: Elevated view from house toward garage, looking southwest
Description
The electrical contractor (SLS Electric) has deployed concrete curing blankets to thaw the frozen ground between the house and garage. This is necessary to complete the underground electrical trench for the 200A service line. The trench was partially completed on December 18, 2025, but work was halted when the crew encountered approximately 10 inches of frozen ground in the open area between the structures.
Visible Elements
Ground Thawing Setup:
- Black concrete/curing blankets laid out in a continuous path
- Blankets run from near the garage toward the house (out of frame)
- Orange edge markers or weights securing blanket edges
- Wooden boards weighting down blanket edges to maintain ground contact
- Path follows the planned electrical trench route
Garage Structure (Completed Exterior):
- Standing-seam metal roof in dark charcoal gray
- Twin dormers with cream-colored vinyl siding
- Brown/tan horizontal vinyl siding on main structure
- Three garage door openings (8’ height, awaiting door installation)
- White entry door with half-lite window on right bay
- Versetta Ledgestone veneer on garage door columns
Site Conditions:
- Patchy snow cover indicating frozen ground conditions
- Clear blue sky with late afternoon winter sunlight
- Construction debris pile staged at left (awaiting dumpster for cleanup)
- Ground shows mix of snow, ice, and exposed frozen soil
Other Elements:
- Classic red Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am visible in foreground
- Bare deciduous trees indicating mid-winter timing
- Fence line visible on right property boundary
Context
Following the December 18, 2025 trenching attempt where frozen ground halted progress, SLS Electric deployed concrete curing blankets to passively thaw the ground. These are insulation blankets (not electrically heated) — they work by:
- Trapping solar radiation (black surface absorbs heat)
- Preventing further frost penetration
- Allowing geothermal heat from below to slowly warm the soil
Once sufficient thaw depth is achieved (approximately 24-36 inches needed for code-compliant burial depth), SLS will return to complete the trench and bury the 200A wire connecting the house meter to the new garage subpanel.
Estimated Thawing Timeline
Passive thawing depends entirely on weather conditions. With the 14-day forecast showing sustained cold (highs in teens to low 30s, lows as cold as 3°F), thawing will be gradual.
| Scenario | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Best case (warm spell late Jan) | ~2 weeks |
| Likely case (gradual with freeze-thaw cycles) | 3 weeks |
| Worst case (extended cold into Feb) | 4+ weeks |
Target completion: Late January to early February 2026, contingent on weather. A significant warm spell (40°F+ for several consecutive days) would accelerate the timeline.
Related December 18 Work: The section along the house foundation was successfully trenched and the wire buried in that portion where ground was thawed near the heated structure. Only the open-ground section between structures remains.