Preparing for turfing

[Jupiter01]

Hi All,

I am preparing for turf and am envious of how beautiful my neighbours lawn looks. Most impressive is its level. It's perfectly level throughout and I would like to put in the extra yards now to make sure it looks great.
I've had a labourer flatten out the majority of it but it's still not spirit-level level. He tells me that the perfect level comes from top soil...

Can someone please provide some advice. My life will not be worth living if my wife detects a difference between this and the neighbours lawn!

 

[endecotp]

Let’s see a picture of the neighbour’s so we know what you’re hoping for....

 

[Jupiter01]

here you go:

.

It's the best shot I could get

Also, here's a picture of my garden:

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[HERTS P&D]

He may have a good lawn but your wife is better looking.

Andy

 

[endecotp]

I’m not an expert, but I think that will need quite a lot of prep. Lots of new quality topsoil spread around and firmed before the turf goes down.

 

[Jupiter01]

thanks. But how do you get that perfect level?

Also, where does the rotovator come into this?

 

[endecotp]

The rotovator comes in first.
He levelling happens just before you put the turf down.

 

[Jupiter01]

how do you level? Spirit or line level? How is this done?

 

[endecotp]

A laser would be the “modern” way to get it spot-on, I guess. You might have to work at night in order to see it though.

You probably want a uniform fall, not totally flat.

I’ve never done this, and I should resist the temptation to say how I would attempt it hypothetically....

 

[Mike10]

The last lawn I did I ran a series of pegs along each side and using a long spirit level set screws into the sides at the correct height. (Waited for it to get dark and checked the levels across on the last two pegs as a sanity check with a laser level) Tied string between the screws so there were lines across the lawn and then raked the soil level with the strings. I then used these level areas as a guide when leveling the spaces in between. Finally used an 8ft plank attached to the end of a post to make a massive rake and did the finished levelling with that.

 

[Jupiter01]

that's very helpful. Thanks

 

[Jupiter01]

should I take the weed out before the rotorvator or after I've run the rototvator?

also, after rotorvator, I pour top soil, level, tap it all down by walking on it and then lay turf. Correct?

 

[endecotp]

If you have nasty perenial weeds, e.g. brambles or nettles, kill them first - else they will re-emerge from their roots. If they are annual weeds then digging them in while rotovating and then burying them will probably be sufficient. Maybe.

Yes then topsoil, compact it, and lay turf.

There are probably great videos / websites out there describing how to do it....