SOD INSTALLATION

We Specialize In SOD Installation Landscaping

Growing a lawn from grass seed requires time, effort, and favorable weather. Why not obtain an attractive lawn immediately with sod installation from your signature landscape? Our sod installation specialists have years of experience cultivating beautiful, thriving lawns for our clients. For reliable sod lawn installation, look no further than your Signature Lanscape in your area.

Sod installation is an important part of landscaping and lawn care. Sod is a layer of grass and other vegetation that can be used to cover an area of soil quickly and easily. It is an ideal solution for those who want to make a dramatic improvement to their outdoor spaces.

Sod installation is an easy and effective way to transform an outdoor space quickly and easily. With proper care and maintenance, the sod will stay healthy and vibrant for many years to come. If you’re looking to improve your outdoor space, consider investing in sod installation.

We will install a beautiful and durable lawn for you. We specialize in seeding, sodding, and hydroseeding.

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Sod Lawn Installation

Installing a sod lawn requires more than a little muscle. Since sod installation is an investment, you want assurance that the professionals you hire will consider all of the variables that affect success. This is why we like to keep you apprised of our process and its development. Once our specialists arrive at your property, we’ll start the following preparations:

Removing old grass and weeds in the soil
Amending the soil if necessary
Grading the soil so it’s level and drains well
Installing the sod with industry best practices
Setting up irrigation or sprinklers to ensure the sod receives plenty of water

Preparing the Soil Before Installing Sod in Lake in the Hills

With the exception of the difference in height between sprinkler heads and the level of topsoil along borders, preparing the ground for sod is identical for hydroseeding and hydroseeding eliminates the need for fertilization prior to application.

GROUND PREPARATION

In order to prepare the soil for sod, one must first assess the soil’s condition.

If there are rocks, remove as many as possible; otherwise, you may need to add more topsoil to compensate. If there are chemical or gas spills, excavate thoroughly. If you have old roots, the remnants of an old tree trunk, or the roots of neighboring trees in your soil, remove them because they produce an acid that will cause your lawn to yellow. It is preferable not to plant grass below the tree canopy in areas where the lawn is near or around a tree because the grass will not grow well (use bark, rocks, or ground cover and other acid loving plants).

ROTOTILLING

Rototilling is essential for preparing the soil for sod. Over time, soil becomes compacted, necessitating the creation of air pockets for the growth of new roots. As with sod cutting, ensure that the soil is damp but not too wet so that a shovel can be easily inserted. It is optimal to till the soil at least 4 inches deep, and the deeper the better! After breaking up the soil with a rototiller or pick axe, use a wide landscape rake to level the soil (works great for ease of leveling and faster than small a metal rake). You are not required to be precise when leveling, but you should remove any rocks larger than 1 inch, roots, or debris. You can rent a rototiller, pick axe, and wide landscape rake from the majority of major rental/hardware stores.

ADDING TOP SOIL

Get a soil mixture consisting of 70% topsoil and 30% compost. Add 2 to 3 inches to the level. It is more practical and convenient to have soil brought in and dumped as close as possible to the area you are working on, unless you are working on a small area. When preparing the ground for sod, use a wheel barrow to distribute soil in small piles throughout the area. When leveling your top soil against the borders, the height of the soil should be 1 12″ – 2″ below the edge for sod; for hydroseeding, the top soil level should be approximately 12″ – 1″ below the edge. Next, use a wide landscape rake to level the ground. Once the soil is approximately level, drag the rake back and forth by its handle. Repeatedly traverse the area in different directions until it is relatively level. Remove any debris, larger rocks, or clods of soil. Turn the rake upside down (flat end down) and continue raking in a multidirectional manner.

Rolling

The objective of rolling is to semi-compact the soil so that there are no sinkholes where the sprinkler trenches were covered and the working surface is smooth. Typically rented rollers must be filled at least halfway with water. Occasionally, excessive water can be too heavy to roll or will push soil clumps rather than roll over the soil. Multiple directions of rolling over the area will compact the soil and reveal any low spots that need to be filled. Add soil, rake again, and roll until the leveling is satisfactory. If you have properly rolled your soil, it is not necessary to roll it again after laying sod, as is commonly recommended. When watering, the weight of the sod will “seat” it firmly against the ground. Rolling the sod after it has been laid can easily displace the sod and create seam separations, especially in hilly yards.

FERTILIZING FOR SOD INSTALLATION

Before laying sod, the soil should be fertilized with either Starter, Triple 15 (15-15-15), or Triple 16 (16-16-16) fertilizer. DO NOT use any fertilizer containing weed control. If you forget to fertilize prior to installation, you can fertilize the sod after it has been laid. After 3 weeks, it will be IMPORTANT to fertilize again with the same type of fertilizer used during installation. You wouldn’t normally fertilize this frequently, but you’ll be watering significantly more than usual, causing the fertilizer to dissipate.

Fresh Sod Care

New sod requires a different maintenance regimen than an established lawn. Resist the urge to create perfect mowing lines or to have a picnic on your new lawn. Follow these tips for sod care to ensure that your new sod will take root:

First week:

Avoid overwatering, but never permit the sod to become dry. Three to four times per day for five to ten minutes, water the sod.
Avoid watering the grass at night.
Avoid walking on your brand-new lawn for at least two weeks.

Second Week:

Water the lawn daily for 30 minutes, or twice daily if necessary.

Third Week and Beyond:

After three weeks, the grass can be mowed. Keep the mower deck elevated and never cut more than a third of the grass blades’ length.
Six weeks after installation, fertilize the new sod.

Installation of sod is an investment, and failure is typically the result of improper care and maintenance. Your Signature Landscape can provide lawn maintenance services to ensure the sod becomes established and continues to look great for many years after installation.

Pros and Cons of SOD

PROS

As soon as it is installed, a sod lawn looks fantastic. When you’re writing a large check to your landscaper, it’s nice to be able to look out at your beautiful landscape and enjoy the finished product.
There is no waiting period after installation before walking on a sod lawn. A seeded lawn, on the other hand, may require two or more months to establish before it can withstand foot traffic.
Because a sod lawn is already growing when it is installed, it can outcompete weeds better than a seeded lawn.
Sod outperforms seed in terms of success. Grass seed requires warmth, plenty of regular water, protection from birds, and a lack of foot traffic to establish it properly, so there is more room for error than with sod.
Turfgrass stays cool in the sun, so if you, your children, or your pets enjoy walking barefoot on the lawn, natural grass is a better choice than artificial turf.

CONS

A sod lawn is made up of a single type of turfgrass rather than a mix of grasses. When growing a monoculture, disease is more likely than when growing a mixture of grasses.
Because there are usually only a few varieties of sod available in each region, you may not be able to tailor your turfgrass selection to your site if you have conditions such as shade or difficult soil.
Living grass will be more vulnerable to damage from children and pets than artificial turf.
Water, maintenance, pest and weed control, and other ongoing maintenance will be required for living turfgrass, whether seeded or sod.
Sod is more expensive than seeded lawns in terms of both labor Service and materials. As a result, many people choose to use sod in the areas closest to their home and a less expensive hydroseeded lawn around the perimeter of their property.

Cost Considerations for Installing Sod in Lake in the Hills

The price range depends on your location, the type of sod, accessibility, the shape of the lawn, and the amount of preparation work.

Sod Type

The type of sod you require depends on the local climate, the amount of foot traffic it must withstand, the conditions of your soil, and whether the new sod must be resistant to a specific disease, fungus, or pest.

Delivery Fees

Your Landscaper may already have included this cost in the total project price. However, some landscaping companies may charge it as a separate fee.

Similarly, if you plan to perform the work yourself, you must pay the delivery fee unless you have a large vehicle capable of transporting a significant amount of weight, as sod is extremely heavy.

Shape of the Area

Differently shaped lawns with slopes, hills, and other challenging features can increase material and labor.

If you have an irregularly-shaped lawn, the installer should measure the area before giving you an estimate. Curves, small hills, and other terrain characteristics can affect the area measurements. Contact our team today for a free estimate.

New vs. Replacement

New construction lawns are the most budget-friendly and straightforward. With a new construction lawn, prep work is minimal, there’s no old lawn to rip out, and there’s no need for regrading. Adding a layer of nutrient-rich topsoil and lightly compacting it is typically the extent of the preparation required.

For both new construction and resodding, price will be higher.

Sod Installation Extra Expenses

A sprinkler system could be necessary to maintain a healthy lawn so that you do not have to resod every few years. And you may need to seed it to achieve a lush, green lawn or to repair brown patches in your sod. These types of extras can significantly increase the total cost of sodding your backyard.

Sprinkler System

If you have the sprinkler system installed at the same time as the sod, you will pay closer to the budget’s low end, as this is the least labor-intensive and therefore most cost-effective option. A sprinkler system installation, depending on the size of your yard and the type of sprinkler system you select.

Seeding

You may need to overseed or seed areas of the existing lawn that have not been resodded. And if the sod has brown patches or develops dead areas that do not root properly, you can seed the area to repair the damage with minimal expense and effort.

Do-It-Yourself versus Hiring a Sod Installer

You can lay sod yourself with minimal do-it-yourself skills, but it requires a tremendous amount of time and labor. Hiring a local sod installer allows you to avoid all of this laborious physical labor. In addition, hiring a pro ensures that you obtain the correct type of sod. And they will handle all the heavy lifting, both physically and logistically, including arranging for sod delivery, regrading, sprinkler system installation, and the rest.

It may appear that you will save a significant amount of money if you learn how to sod your own lawn; however, once you’ve hired all the equipment, performed soil tests, and purchased all the materials, you’re looking at an average cost of $2,000, which is comparable to hiring a professional.

Frequently Asked Question about Installing Sod

How frequently must I water my new sod?

When can I first mow my sod after it has been installed?

After installation, your sod needs time to establish roots in the soil, so you shouldn't mow it too soon. If you mow your grass before it has developed strong roots, you risk damaging it and making it more difficult for it to recover. Ideally, two weeks should pass before the first mowing. The day before you mow it for the first time, reduce the amount of water you give it. Thus, the grass will become firmer, allowing you to successfully mow it.

When can I utilize my lawn normally?

Typically, new sod requires one month to fully establish itself in the soil and become resilient enough to withstand regular foot traffic. If your sod does not have strong roots when you begin to use it, you risk damaging it and impeding its growth. To determine whether your lawn is ready for normal use, you can test it by gently pulling on the grass. If the sod begins to separate from the soil, your lawn is not yet ready for use. However, if the sod is difficult to remove, this indicates that the roots are well-established in your soil, and you can use it as usual.