Any Experience with Planting Grass Seed/Sod?

[Indianamom2]

Now that our pool/deck are gone, we have a big area of dirt in our backyard, in addition to a large (think second driveway size) patch on one side of the house that was torn up due to the dump truck/heavy machinery that was here. We either need to plant grass seed, lay sod or hire someone else to do either of those options.

I'm just guessing here, but I'd say that in the backyard, we're talking about an area approximately 1000-1500 sq. ft. The side yard would be roughly the same, probably a little smaller.

Does anyone know how the costs compare for grass seed/sod if we were to do it ourselves? Is it hard? The side yard is actually not so bad because while there is a wide path of dirt, there is actual grass underneath most of the area, but behind the house, the large dirt area is just that...dirt. To possibly compound matters, the backyard faces due south and is in direct sunlight almost all day with no shade.

I'm going to call our lawn care company tomorrow to see if they indeed do plant grass/sod and what it might cost, but I was just curious if anyone here had BTDT.

Thanks

[codex57]

You can just call Home Depot and ask them. It will be comparable.

it's not hard. The only thing you gotta do is tug on it and make sure each piece blends into the next so you don't get these lines of dead grass or little gaps. Not hard to do, just more labor.

[Indianamom2]

You can just call Home Depot and ask them. It will be comparable.

it's not hard. The only thing you gotta do is tug on it and make sure each piece blends into the next so you don't get these lines of dead grass or little gaps. Not hard to do, just more labor.

Thanks. Are you referring to laying sod in the bolded quote?

[bubbaray]

We did our own sod in our backyard and it was pretty easy. Took about a day with three of us doing it (one of DH's friends use to lay sod as a student job in university). The key is to water it daily after you lay it -- IIRC, we watered it 2x/day for the first week.

[codex57]

Thanks. Are you referring to laying sod in the bolded quote?

Yeah. Sod comes in rolled up strips. You just put em together like tiles. However, you really gotta tug on them, stretch em, etc. Sorta like carpet at the edges. Get the pieces to really mush together and blend in with the neighboring pieces. Not hard, just labor intensive. However, grass looks a lot nicer in the end.

Also, not a bad idea to throw soil underneath before you lay out the sod. Compact it with a tool (like a barrel filled with water with a handle; looks sorta like a giant rolling pin) to smooth it out. That way, when the grass settles and stuff, you don't get random valleys and hills. Makes mowing easier.