Finish Grade Your Yard Part 1

by | Aug 1, 2012 | Grading and Drainage, Seeding and Sodding, Weed Control

Finish grading prior to sodding so that you have an even surface to work with.  One of the fastest ways to have an instant lawn is through the use of sod.  Sodding generally costs more than seeding because it is more labor intensive and you are paying for the instant lawn factor.  In order to have a successful lawn with the use of sod, there are several steps that must be taken prior to the installation to ensure that the job is done right.

Weed control prior to sodding.

One of the most overlooked areas of ground preparation is weed control prior to sodding.  If you finish grade your yard without the use of a weed control product, you will probably have weeds growing up through your sod.  We recommend applying round-up to all of the areas that you are sodding at least two to three weeks prior.  This will give the round-up time to kill all of the vegetation and ensure that all of the product is either absorbed by the plant or evaporated.  It is important that you do not spray round-up directly before you sod, because the roots of the grass can take up the chemical and kill the grass.  We are often approached by homeowners with newly sodded lawns asking why they have so many weeds.  Most of the time, newly emerged weeds are caused by poor soil preparation.

Finish Grade

Finish grade your yard prior to sodding.

One of the most important parts of prep work is to grading your yard prior to sodding.  You only get one chance to finish grade your yard right before the sod is installed.  Once you have installed the sod, you can’t go back and fix major problems without incurring a substantial cost.  Some important things to remember when you finish grade your yard:

  • Make sure that you have proper water flow away from your structure.
  • Remove any large rocks or construction debris from the soil areas.
  • Remove or break up all large clumps of soil.
  • Compact all loose soil so that the areas do not settle after installation.
  • Make sure that you have adequate black dirt (at least 3-4 inches).
  • Watch out for all utilities and drain areas so that you do not damage them.