Most people are familiar with the phrase “Hindsight is 20/20.” If you’re not familiar with it, this saying implies that it’s easy to see things clearly after a situation has passed and you already know what the outcome is.
This saying often comes into play when someone has failed to take measures to prevent an accident. Of course, if someone knew what the outcome would be, they would have taken the preventative measures necessary to change it, but they didn’t have 20/20 vision in the midst of the situation.
Every once in a while, you hear a story about someone who was excavating on their property and hit a gas line, causing an explosion. The explosion may have seriously injured or even killed the person doing the excavating, and/or caused a good amount of property damage. In a less dramatic scenario, the excavator may have hit a water line, which sent water shooting into the air or caused a small flood, putting the project on pause until the water line could be repaired.
When you hear stories like this, you likely think something along the lines of “Why didn’t they check for any buried utility lines first?” This is a valid question, but not everyone knows to do this. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.
To check for buried hazards prior to the start of a project, you would need to call in someone who provides GPR scanning services. GPR stands for ground penetrating radar. Ground penetrating radar is a technology that uses electromagnetic radiation to send signals into the ground. Based on how the signals bounce back, a trained technician can determine where buried hazards are located so they can be avoided. GPR can also penetrate concrete to find out where items are embedded, in case you need to cut or core into it for a renovation project. Using GPR is efficient, accurate, and relatively affordable.
In most areas of the country, there is a free service that will come out and scan for unseen hazards on your property, but this service is only required to locate public utilities. Any private utility lines, or other buried items, are the responsibility of the property owner to find prior to the start of the project.
In Southern California, Enhanced Scanning is a company that provides GPR scanning services for both residential and commercial property owners. Their GPR technicians are experts at finding all types of hazards to help property owners avoid accidentally hitting any unseen items that could cause damage or injury. They operate throughout Southern California, including in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties. They will even travel outside of Southern California for larger projects in need of their expertise.
