Leveling is important for established lawns as well. As lawns experience foot traffic and weather, the surface of the lawn can become uneven. If a lawn wasn’t properly graded before grass was originally seeded, this can be another reason to level an existing lawn.
Preparing to Seed A Lawn
Before planting a new lawn, the site should be graded to control the slope and make the lawn look level. Grading the lawn involves creating a gentle slope so that water drains away from the house. A good grade is ¾ inch of slope for every square foot. This will help with water drainage, but won’t be readily visible when looking at the lawn.
To grade a new lawn, you can either lay out a grid across the lawn with stakes or grid off individual sections as you work. Having some kind of a guide is recommended to keep the slope consistent. Once you have a guide in place, you can remove soil from raised spots and fill-in hollows, smoothing the lawn into in a gentle slope. Tamp the soil to firm it. Let the soil settle for a few days before seeding or laying sod to make sure there are no problem areas that need to be smoothed out again.
Leveling an Existing Lawn
When leveling out an existing lawn, there are several ways to begin. Small dips can be filled in with top soil and then reseeded. For bumps in the lawn, more extensive work is necessary. First, you will want to cut an X across the hump. Next, use a spade or turfing iron to slice under the turf, keeping it about 2 inches deep. You want to be able to fold the turf away from the bump so you can remove soil from under the grass.
A similar method can be used to re-grade parts of a lawn that do not drain properly, though more turf will have to be removed if you want to do this. If extensive work is necessary to improve drainage, it might be a good idea to hire a landscaping service.
Major leveling work for cool-season grasses should be done in the autumn, early enough to give the grass time to get re-established before winter. Warm-season lawns can be worked on in the spring before the heart of summer, or in the fall before winter dormancy. Once you have a level, properly graded lawn, it will make your yard more attractive and easier to mow.
