Laying Garden Turf

[johnmc]

After some advice

Moved into a house and the back lawn is just soil, but its very loose. If I stand on it I can go down a foot without much effort. Was looking to turf but no way i can turf on that.

Was going to hire a "jumping jack" or compactor, and then buy some top soil to put on top of the compacted stuff and then the turf on that.

A mate reckons using a compactor is not a good idea though. It might go down 3 or 4 foot. Theres no way I can use a roller on it as the ground is just too loose.

Any experts?

 

[SWP's back]

An expert in laying you say...

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

Sounds like the garden has subsidence, and therefore the house too.
I'd sell it to a gullible person and buy a property that isn't sinking.

 

[johnmc]

An expert in laying you say...

Wahey

Thanks for the tips men.

 

[andyhinch]

After some advice

Moved into a house and the back lawn is just soil, but its very loose. If I stand on it I can go down a foot without much effort. Was looking to turf but no way i can turf on that.

Was going to hire a "jumping jack" or compactor, and then buy some top soil to put on top of the compacted stuff and then the turf on that.

A mate reckons using a compactor is not a good idea though. It might go down 3 or 4 foot. Theres no way I can use a roller on it as the ground is just too loose.

Any experts?

Pm JOTS

 

[Challenger1978]

Sounds like the garden has subsidence, and therefore the house too.
I'd sell it to a gullible person and buy a property that isn't sinking.

I know your taking the piss but that's the first thing i thought. If the garden really is that bad how fucking safe is the house.

 

[johnmc]

No subsidence issues, its a new build. They just throw a layer of soil on the back garden

 

[dronefromsector7g]

Sinkhole, or aliens maybe

 

[True_Blue69]

Hire a whacker plate, order a few tonnes of sand, build a wooden frame round the perimeter of the garden attached to some wooden pegs, level the sand off, compress with whacker and then lay some of this over it http://www.lazylawn.co.uk/lush.html . Lay an anti weed sheet and then the turf on top, screw this into the wooden frame you made to secure it.

Job done, perfect non maintenance turf all year round.

 

[honkytonkman187]

If you're laying real grass on it, do not use a whacker-plate. If the ground is too hard, the newly-rolled stuff won't "bond" to it.

don't stand on the new stuff when rolled out, lay a plank on it to distribute your weight as much as possible.

And remember, when rolling out the new stuff - green side up.

Happy to help