Install Guide

MEASURING YOUR YARD

The easiest way to begin measuring is to break your yard up into basic shapes — rectangles or squares are the easiest. You can then find the area of each shape and add them together for the total square footage of your yard. We suggest adding about 5 percent extra to your measurement for the unexpected.

PREPARING YOUR GROUND

To ensure a green, healthy lawn, it is important to prepare the ground before laying sod.

  1. Remove all rocks, debris, organic matter and dead or alive weeds. Dig up the weed’s root system where possible.
  2. Check your soil type to determine what, if any, nutrients your soil needs. Dig up a couple shovels full and take it to a local garden center or ask your neighbors if they know.
  3. Given Treasure Valley temperatures, it is almost imperative an irrigation system — sprinkle or flood — be installed. It can be quite difficult to maintain a green, healthy lawn watering by hand.
  4. Level (grade) and smooth your soil. Ensure there are no depressed areas where water will pool or stand. Level to one inch below all curbs, sidewalks, driveways, etc.
  5. While not necessary but beneficial, you can improve your soil conditions by adding a light layer of compost and/or a starter fertilizer across the planting area.
  6. With a couple passes with a landscape rake, combine your compost, fertilizer and soil.

LAYING YOUR SOD

These steps will help guide you through the process of laying your new Kentucky Bluegrass sod. Sod MUST be installed/laid the SAME DAY it is delivered or picked up. If left rolled up on the pallet it will begin to yellow and deteriorate in quality.

  1. When possible, have your sod delivered in the general area in which it will by installed. Each roll weighs 30-40 pounds. Our forklift needs 9 feet of clearance side to side for access. 
  2. To start, lay rolls of sod along the longest edge of your yard. Then, do the same on the perpendicular edge.
  3. From the edge rolls you’ve already laid, stagger the sod like you’re laying bricks parallel with the yards longest edge. Lay a full roll and then cut a second roll in half so that it is 2.5 feet long and lay it next to the full roll. Use a full roll for the third. Then continue with the second half of the cut roll. Continue throughout the yard.
  4. Use a sharp knife to trim the sod along curves and to cut holes for sprinklers. Cutting through the soil/root of the sod (the side with the soil, not grass blades) usually works best and provides the cleanest cuts.
  5. Add soil to low spots and remove soil from high spots.
  6. Once sod is laid, give it a good watering, ensuring water saturates through the sod into the soil below, at least two inches down below the sod.
  7. For continued care of new or existing yard visit our care page.