Sod Installation
Installing new sod is no simple task. We like to do this type of work, but we only want to do it, if we can do it right. The process for sod installation takes a few days for lawn services Riverview Fl. Here is how we do it at Top Lawn Pros. Our first step is to assess the area needing new sod. Is the new sod being installed in the front or back yard? Is the whole yard getting resodded? We need to determine accessibility to the yard. This will help us decide what equipment we can bring with us. Next, we need to measure the area that needs new sod to determine how many square feet of sod we need to bring with us on the day of installation.
After measuring the area, we need to discuss with the customer the type of sod they would like to install. Not all sod is the same and we can help you determine which one is the best fit for your yard lawn services Riverview Fl. In our area, St. Augustine and Argentine Bahia are the two most commonly sod types installed. Although we also install Celebration Bermuda and Zoysia. If you are looking for a grass type that is tolerant to significant foot traffic, we suggest Celebration Bermuda. If you are going for looks, then we suggest St. Augustine, this is probably the most common grass type in our area. St. Augustine sod is the higher maintenance of all the grass types mentioned above, and it is not tolerant to heavy foot traffic. St. Augustine also requires regular watering, as well as regular weed control and fertilization. Argentine Bahia behaves as native grass. It requires little watering; this sod type will go dormant in drought and cold temperatures, but it comes back nicely during the warm rainy season. If you water your Argentine Bahia lawn regularly, you can have a green lawn year round. It is important to know what goals you have for your yard. For example, some people call because they received an HOA violation, they do not particularly care for a certain type of sod, they are just interested in fulfilling the HOA’s request to avoid fines. Some HOA’s request a specific type of sod, it is necessary to verify with your HOA prior to installing any sod. Other individuals are calling because they want a nice green beautiful lawn, and we can make that happen. At Top Lawn Pros, we can work with you to ensure our vision for the project aligns with your goals.
The real fun starts once the grass type has been decided. When installing sod in the front yard, we need to contact 811 to identify any gas lines, electrical lines, and internet lines running below ground. All of these lines are typically buried underground to a depth that should not be affected by our work, but it is a good precautionary practice to identify these lines to avoid complications. Sod installation work cannot be started until all of the lines have been flagged and identified lawn services Riverview Fl. Please note that when we begin cutting out the existing sod to replace it with new sod, we will dig no more than 2 inches down, nonetheless preventative measures are taken to avoid any setbacks. We would rather wait an extra couple of days than cut your electrical line and cause more harm than good to your property.
Our next step in the process is to ensure an irrigation system exists, and more importantly, that is functioning properly. Proper irrigation is extremely important as the new sod will need to be watered every day for the first thirty days. If the new sod is installed during the hot summer months, it might need to be watered multiple times a day during those first thirty days lawn services Riverview Fl. Unless it rains, rain water does a much better job at covering all areas of the lawn than the irrigation system ever could. Caution should be taken to not underwater or overwater the newly installed sod. Underwatering could cause the sod to dry up and die. Also, overwatering could lead to fungus which could also kill the new sod. Our team will provide you specific watering instructions based on the time of the year the sod is installed.
After we have performed our pre install check, we can place your property on our schedule for new sod installation. Typically, we can remove the existing sod and install the new sod all on the same day. However, know that our focus is not on doing the work as fast as possible, but on ensuring the work is done to the highest standard. For that reason we ensure enough time is allotted to complete the work in a professional manner for lawn services Riverview Fl.
We arrive at your property on the scheduled day and we begin by identifying and flagging all the sprinkler heads that are in the area of interest. We identify the sprinkler heads in order to prevent any damages to the sprinkler head while we cut out the existing sod. We then start cutting out the existing lawn or grass area that is intended to be removed using a sod cutter. Once the old sod has been cut out, we will load it onto a dump trailer and haul it away from your property. Prior to installing new sod, we grade the area to remove any bumps, keeping the current slope or grade of the yard. Next step is to deliver the new sod to the property and begin the installation process. We begin installing the new sod from the area furthest away from the front of the property and work our way to the front. The purpose of this is to minimize, if not eliminate, any foot traffic on the newly installed sod. After the new sod has been installed, we will do a final walkthrough of the installation with the customer as part of our quality assurance for lawn services Riverview Fl. We also check the sprinklers one last time to ensure they are watering the lawn properly. If needed, we can help the customer set up the irrigation schedule. Please note that any repairs to sprinkler heads are not included in our sod installation.