The Right Way To Install Sod
Want a fantastic lawn? Sod it. Here's what you need to know to get the job done right.
Slowing down and watching the grass grow sounds good. In theory. But the reality is that if your lawn needs renewing, you'll be looking at a big patch of dirt for weeks. And why wait, when you can have a new lawn right now — with a lush green carpet underfoot?
When it comes to getting a thick, healthy lawn, nothing beats sod for instant gratification. Sure, it costs a bit more: about $1050.00 to cover a 450-square-foot area (when it is professionally installed). Having your new lawn installed by professionals is the ideal route to go since not only will you have a lavish new green space you will also have peace of mind knowing it has been laid correctly. However, Performing the install yourself can save you money. Keep in mind Sod installation is very labor intensive and if correctly done time consuming. Even more so for those who are “weekend Warriors”. But if you insist on doing the job yourself follow our tips for laying sod, in a few weeks you’ll have a dense, well-established lawn.
It is important to mention, not all sod installers are equal. If you decide doing this project yourself is too daunting and would rather hire someone, you will need to ensure to person you hire does it right. Someone offering to do this for you at a very cheap rate should be a red flag for you. To do any landscape project cheaply means it will not be done correctly and you will end up doing it again. Sod installations completed correctly can not be done in one or two days unless its one pallet or less. Cheap installers will most likely skip several crucial steps in an effort to make a profit. It is more expensive to do the job right the first time but by far cheaper than doing it a second time.
"You're basically buying time," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "You're paying for turf that someone else has coddled for 14 to 18 months." You're also buying convenience. "Sometimes sod gets a bad rap, but that's usually because of mistakes people make while laying it," says Roger. "Put down on properly prepared soil, it will thrive. Much like painting a car, a proper sod installation is 85% prep and 15% Install. Although you will not see all the prep work when the job is complete, shortcutting this stage will be very apparent in the end. Best case it will take months for the sod to become established, worst case your investment will simply die.
When it's time to buy your sod. Depending on where you live, you can order it from a garden center or directly from a sod farm. Ideally, sod should be delivered within 24 hours of being cut and be laid the same day it arrives. If you are working solo, you would be best served splitting the project into a few separate deliveries of what you are able to install in a single day (someone with no experience can expect to only be able to lay 1 or 2 pallets per day). With this having been said do not order your sod until you are ready to begin laying it. You must ensure all prep is completed first.
What Type of Grass is right for you?
There are plenty of grass types from which to choose, but you must be sure to pick a type that is meant for the zone in which you live. For example, is you live in the cool season zone Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine and tall fescue can be ideal. However, if you live in the warm season area of the map Bahia, Bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine, and Zoysia grasses are some of your options. Check out the map here to seen which zone you live in. Then you must consider how much sun your lawn sees. Shady areas will require a different grass type than an area that experiences full sun. Sod can be installed spring through fall (and even in winter in mild climates). Your local sod supplier or nursery can direct you to what is best.
Know your area
Before any thing you will need to know the area to be sodded. This will determine the amount of SOD, Soil, and other materials needed to complete your project. Believe it or not this is very easy to do. Simply multiply length times width and this will give you your square footage. See this example.
What if the area is an odd shape?
The easiest way to determine your properties square footage is to break your property up into smaller sections or squares / rectangles. The simply add all of your square footage totals together and you will have your total area. See this example
Now that you have determined your square footage you will be able to understand to amount of sod, soil, and insecticide/fungicide you will need. The average pallet of sod covers 450 sq. ft. and a cubic yard of soil covers about 150 sq. ft. at a 2in depth. insecticide/fungicide is determined by the brand you choose. The use of fertilizer is not necessary for your new sod. This can wait until the new turf takes.
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Time for the next step flagging the sprinkler heads.
Most homes, especially those in the south, have in ground irrigation systems. Before you start tearing out all the existing vegetation you will need to locate and flag all of your sprinkler heads. Skipping this step, or assuming you remember where they all are, is a guarantee you will be replacing most if not all your heads. To easily locate them simply turn on each zone to be sodded and place a flag where you see the heads popped up. It is important to not to remove the flags until your install is completely finished. You will need to know where your sprinkler heads are during the entire process.
Vegetation removal.
This is a very crucial step. If not done or if not done correctly, it will be evident at the project completion. First surviving grass or weeds will grow up through your new sod leaving you with a major headache. Second, most of the vegetation left will die and as it does it will generate heat. This heat will have an adverse affect of your new turf. You can count on one to two days to prepare the area (depending on amount of help you have). This is best done with a sod cutter (available from your local rental yard for about $150.00 per day), which slices it off below the roots. While you're at it, you’ll also need a dump trailer or a dumpster to put all the waste you remove. There will be a lot so prepare for it.
Grading
You may have noticed, You like your neighbors have peaks and valleys in your lawn. Now is to time to get this right. Correcting your grading issue is not only significant from an aesthetic point of view, but for drainage as well. Grading will happen a minimum of three times. Once with the fill dirt, second with the topsoil, and again as you lay the sod.
The first thing you are going to want to do is to identify you high and low spots. The best way to do this is to run a sting line across the area in several directions. We found running the line in an X pattern works best. The use of string line allows you to see the high and low spots much easier. When running your string line it is Imperative the line does not touch the ground. A false reading can occur if the line is touching. You may need top remove some soil around the line to make sure is not touching.
In addition to flattening the area, you may need to slope away from your home to prevent rain water from draining towards the home. a minimum of 1" drop per every 10 feet is needed. More than 1" is ok but no less. To do this measure the distance from the house to the edge of your area. If for example the distance is 30 feet then you will need a total drop of 3".
Using the existing soil, shovel and rake the high spots into the low areas. While doing this draw on your string line as a guide. You may find that to achieve a "flat" grade you will need to add fill dirt. The amount you need will depend on how uneven your area is. Continue raking and grading until your soil is relatively even with your string line. It is important not to use top soil for this step since it does not compact well and can create low areas. The more time you spend here the better your sod install will be.
While the use of fill dirt is good for grading and flattening, it does not contain any nutrients needed to help your new sod thrive. For this you will need to add top soil. A 2" layer of soil is ideal for your installation. Just like the fill dirt your top soil will need to be graded. Continue using the string line as a guide. Again, the more time spent here the better your install will be. It is at this point you should order your sod. Most times you can expect a next day delivery.
Now that all of your prep is complete you are ready to lay the sod. Lead by removing all of the string line. Do not remove the flags for the irrigation heads. Before placing the new sod, locate a long straight area for the first row. A driveway or sidewalk works well for this. If the area you are working in has no existing straight edges available, you will need to create one by running another string line down the center of the area.
Begin by running your first row of sod along your straight edge. Be sure not to overlap or leave spaces between the pieces. You install is correct when each piece is as close to the other as the sod will allow. Keep in mind the sod edges may not be a perfect 90 degree angle (vertically) so getting the completely flush may not be possible. Just get them as close together as you are able.
As you start on the consecutive rows ensure they are staggered much like you would if you were laying bricks. You should note each piece will vary in size slightly and may be necessary to use half pieces periodically to keep the brick-like pattern. Also, this is when the final grading happens. Before laying a row of sod, rake the area gently to ensure it is flat and devoid of footprints. As you continue working, keep the sod and soil moist (not saturated) by spraying with a garden hose lightly periodically ( you can use the irrigation system for this).
You will have overlap onto sidewalks, patios or driveways. This is ok and can be trimmed to establish a straight line. As you continue to put down the sod you may run into few obstacles such as sprinkler heads (still flagged), trees, garden beds, utility boxes and so forth. Using a sharp knife or box cutter you can cut around these areas to navigate around these spaces. However, we prefer to use an edger since it is much easier to get a perfect edge. Keep on with the installation until the entire area has been covered.
Once the sod has been completely installed a roller is essential. This will promote good adhesion between the sod and the topsoil. The total lawn needs to be rolled twice, this ensures all areas were covered. A large amount of weight is not necessary for this. Filling the roller halfway with water is ample. It is important to note this step is not intended to flatten or level the lawn. Flattening and leveling should have been completed in a previous step. Rollers can be rented from your local box store or rental location.
Apply insecticide / Fungicide we recommend Caravan. This is very important in ensuring your new lawn is successful.
The final step is to ensure your new lawn is properly watered three times per day, for about 20 minutes per session every day for at least one month. This should be enough so that your lawn receives plenty of water per cycle. The morning and late afternoon are the best times to water your lawn but remember to adjust your watering schedule to account for rainfall. Ideal times for the watering are 5:30am, 10:30 am, and 3:30 pm. ( when you first install you sod). Once your new lawn takes you can reduce the water to three times per week 20 minutes per cycle. Do not water your lawn in the evenings; allowing your lawn to remain damp overnight is an invitation to pests and to disease or fungus.
All that's left to do is to maintain and enjoy your beautiful new lawn!
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