Leveling a yard involves removing bumps and unevenness from your lawn. Over time, lawns can become uneven due to settling and poor drainage. Yard leveling not only improves the appearance of your yard but also enhances lawn health, leading to better drainage and reduced tripping hazards. Are you wondering how to level a yard by yourself easily? If yes then you just need some basic tools and the right steps to get started. Today, I will share the easiest methods to achieve a level yard.
The Importance Of Leveling The Yard
Leveling the yard not only protects your yard but also your home.
- Even lawns prevent water accumulation by reducing lawn disease and mosquito breeding.
- Leveling keeps rainwater from gathering around your home. It weakens its foundation and causes flooding.
- Even lawns eliminate fall hazards which make outdoor play safer for kids and adults.
- Level lawns look better and are simpler to mow. They also require less maintenance.
- Yards become uneven due to home improvements, tree growth, or removal. Leveling the yard adjusts to these changes.
By leveling your yard, you can improve drainage, adapt to environmental changes, simplify lawn care, and ensure safety. Leveling the yard is also very important to have a perfect pool house setting and a beautiful backyard landscape.
How To Level A Yard?
Before starting, there are some initial considerations to follow. You’ll have to inspect your lawn by looking for rough patches, sunken areas, and raised areas. Now evaluate the slope by determining how steep your yard is, as this affects the project’s complexity.
After doing the above work, create a yard map by drawing a simple picture of your yard. Also, circle the low and high spots and note the areas that need fixing. This simple plan will help you to stay organized by focusing on problem areas. As a result, you’ll achieve a smooth, even lawn. Now is the time to collect our tools.
Tools Required For How To Level Lawn
You need the following tools and lawn leveling equipment.
- Lawn Mower
- Shovel
- Hand rake
- Plastic leaf rake
- Dethatching machine or thatch rake
- Edger
- Wheelbarrow
Step 1: Clearing and Mowing The Lawn
The first step after drawing a visual map of the yard is to clear the area. Begin by removing rocks, debris, and weeds. Look for overgrown grass and trim it with a lawn mower, but be careful not to cut it too short to avoid exposing the stems.
The ideal height is just above the base of the blades. Cutting too short can lead to drying out of the grass. Next, fix the high spots by digging them out. Now let’s move on to the next step for how to level a yard.
Step 2: Dethatching The Lawn
Dethatching comes after mowing the lawn. Thatch is basically a decaying grass and organic matter at the turf base. Examine grass roots and thatch If it is between ¼ to ½ inch, leave it. Otherwise, remove the excess thatch because it harms grass and soil. You can use a dethatcher for larger yards and a thatch rake for small areas.
Removing debris and excess thatch promotes healthy grass growth, improves airflow and water reach, and ensures successful yard leveling. Please note that remove excess thatch carefully to avoid damaging your lawn.
Step 3: Make A Top-Dressing Mixture
The next step is to make a top-dressing mixture to fill low spots. First, calculate how much topdressing mix you need by measuring your area and the required thickness of the mix between 0.25 and 0.5 inches. This will give you the required amount of mix.
You can make a topdressing mixture by mixing two parts of topsoil and one part of compost. If you need heavy clay soil, add two parts of sand. This will improve drainage, reducing puddles and ensuring healthy grass growth. Choose topsoil that is weed-free and nutritious. This helps your grass grow strong and healthy. Look for soil with a dark brown color and soft texture. Compost adds nutrients and improves soil structure. Choose compost that’s fully broken down and smooth.
The top-dressing mixture is very essential for the soil. It not only levels the ground but also helps water drain, keeps weeds away, makes grass healthy, and prepares the soil for new seeds.
Step 4: Add Top-Dressing Mix To The Sunken Spots
Find low spots in your yard over 2 to 3 inches deep. Remove the grass on top by sliding a shovel under the edge, about 2 to 3 inches deep, to cut the roots. Then, carefully lift out the grass with the shovel and expose the dirt. Now you can fill and fix the low spot.
Now spread the topdressing mix evenly with a shovel. Also, fill the holes and sunken areas with the mixture and place the grass back on top of it. Remember to only apply a 0.5-inch layer of the mixture across your lawn. It is because grass needs sunlight, so too much can harm your grass.
Step 5: Water The Lawn
After spreading the top-dressing mix, water your lawn with sprinklers. This helps your lawn absorb nutrients, filling empty spaces and making your lawn healthy. Also, check for extra water or runoff.
Step 6: If Needed, Reapply Soil
To completely level your yard, you may need multiple layers of soil mix. Apply the second layer when you see grass growth or the first layer has disappeared. Simply repeat the spreading and watering steps, then check your yard’s level again.
For successful yard leveling, you will have to keep soil away from house walls to keep termites out. However, you can kill beetles, woodlice, and other insects using natural woodlice repellent and other essential oils. You can also pack soil tightly around foundations and reuse removed soil to save waste. Try to level your yard before painting the pool deck to save money and time.
How Much Does it Cost To Level My Yard?
Leveling your yard costs around $1,500 to $2,000 on average. However, you can also try DIY, but large yards need many tools and labor. Landscaping teams have these special equipment to level soil faster. They charge almost $300 to $350 per 1000 square feet and an extra $100 for top-dressing mix to fill the low areas.
For small areas, like around a pool or patio, it will cost you around $500 to $1,000. For the entire backyard, it will cost you almost $1,500 to $5,000.
When Should I Level My Lawn?
Level your lawn during dry seasons, ideally in spring. This helps grass grow back quickly. Avoid leveling during fall and winter, when it’s rainy, or right after heavy rainfall, as this can cause the dirt to slip away.
How To Grade A Yard?
Yard grading is a process that creates a gentle slope in your lawn. This helps water flow away from your house, preventing damage. Landscape grading is very beneficial as it protects your home from damage by keeping the water from collecting around your home.
Lawn grading is harder than making your lawn flat as it requires special tools and help from professionals. However, you can try a simple slope but experts will do it best. Consider grading if water frequently gathers around your house otherwise it may damage the foundations of your house.
To grade your lawn, clear the area and mark utility lines. Observe the water flow, measure the slope, and identify the low sports. Now remove grass and debris from low spots. Fill low spots with dirt and compact the area as you go. Ensure a 1 to 2% slope for proper drainage. Plant new grass, then water and maintain the area.
Conclusion
In conclusion, leveling your lawn is as important as maintaining your house. Neglecting proper grading can lead to costly repairs and potential damage to your home. With the necessary tools and the right steps mentioned above, you can easily level your lawn.
I hope this information proves helpful in your yard leveling efforts. If you still have questions about how to level a yard, feel free to reach out with your queries. Be sure to visit styleofhome.com to find more useful information regarding home improvements and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why Do I Need To Level My Lawn?
Leveling ensures proper drainage, prevents soil erosion, and improves appearance.
What’s The Best Way To Level A Lawn?
Just remove existing grass, fill low spots using a top-dressing mix, compact, and rake smooth. After that, water the lawn and re-apply the mixture if needed.
What Kind Of Dirt Should I Use To Level My Yard?
You can use topsoil and compost to fill the uneven area of your lawn. You can add sand for heavy clay soil.
How Do I Determine If My Lawn Needs Leveling?
Simply look for uneven surfaces, puddles, and uneven grass growth in your lawn.
How Do I Measure The Slope Of My Lawn?
You can use a leveling tool or string level to determine the slope of your lawn.