I did that this year prior to adding new sod and it worked great.

I still needed to level after but to a much lesser extent.

 

I did that this year prior to adding new sod and it worked great.

I still needed to level after but to a much lesser extent.

+1

 

What type of sand did you use?

 

I week ago now I pulled up a 150Sq ft - 30' flagstone/gravel walkway that was 3-4" deep between my patio and a large sandbox area that use to house a playhouse/swingset and trampoline for my kids when they were younger. They are now grown and have moved out.....It was always a pain to mow, edge and trim around.

What i did was buy a yard 50/50 mixture of top soil and compost and had some sand left over from leveling my yard this spring. I added sand to the 50/50 mixture at a 25% rate. Watered it down, raked and tamped it down a little, then laid the sod down. It growing very well now but Its still very lumpy and will have to top dress and sand level here in a month or so. Granted I've never laid sod before but what little leveling I did...its still bumpy and lumpy.

 

What type of sand did you use?

I used masonry sand. The same stuff I then used to level afterwards.

I used my lawn level rake to level the dirt as best as possible, then added the sand and releveled. Then laid the sod.

 

Absolutely works great , you'll still need to topdress after but you will have a much better base for the sod

 

I used 60/40 sand/top soil. If I could do it all over I would use all sand. To many sticks for my ocd in the top soil.

 

@HungrySoutherner could you explain how the wooden stakes were used? Are you marking low spots or is something else going on?

Also, where did you source your sod? We're pretty close and that looks like The Good Stuff. I'm about to tear up my back yard and I'll have to re-do everything.

 

@HungrySoutherner could you explain how the wooden stakes were used? Are you marking low spots or is something else going on?

Also, where did you source your sod? We're pretty close and that looks like The Good Stuff. I'm about to tear up my back yard and I'll have to re-do everything.

Sure so I have a laser for grading, its really hard to tell but the stakes are marked out in a pattern that radiates from the high point I needed to maintain in my yard, when it came time to bring in the sand I could snap a string and dump the sand in the lowest areas so I could waste less time spreading it around. It made much faster more precise work. My sod is Tifgrand and it came from Coosa Valley, I'm really impressed with the sod quality. There is so much garbage sod and sodfarms around Huntsville. The reason I was going through the renovation was because of crap contaminated 419 the builders laid in 2016. I fought trying to remove the common and Tif 328 for 3 season and finally gave up.

 

Sure so I have a laser...

Wow, that's not the answer I expected. Very clever though. I planned to use a laser to set my pavers and drain pipes, but not I have another use. Thanks!

My sod is Tifgrand and it came from Coosa Valley, I'm really impressed with the sod quality.

Thanks! They're on the top of my list.

There is so much garbage sod and sodfarms around Huntsville.

Don't get me started. The worst is out on Brown's Ferry. Leggy, full of weeds, and half dead is typical around here.

 

Don't get me started. The worst is out on Brown's Ferry. Leggy, full of weeds, and half dead is typical around here.

Tifway 419 is no longer controlled so I think the farms have let their standards down. The only sod farm with 419 in my area has decent quality but not the best by any means.

 

I thought it was a good idea, thank you all for confirming. Will also be using tifgrand.