Without further ado, I bring you our biggest, and baddest, project yet. Stick around and read about our biggest installation EVER! Read until the end to see our video review!
I’ll be transparent about the things that went well, the things that didn’t go well, and how we made it right.
How?
How did we land this job? It came from our Facebook page. We’d done a French drain for this client before. They enjoy working with us and wanted to use our services at their new home.
Buts it was 13,000 SQUARE FEET!?
Sod is not new for us. We’ve been installing Sod in West Bloomfield for some time. Yes, the size of this project was 3-4x bigger than anything we’ve done before. We felt confident because sod is very straightforward and the only change was the square footage of the area. So on we went!
Challenge #1: More Topsoil
Given this is our second new construction project, we thought we knew how much topsoil we needed. We calculated 25 yards and thought that 25 yards was generous. Topsoil is so crucial for new construction projects because the sub-base at these homes is typically a mix of rocks, concrete, broken bricks, Gatorade (seriously), wood, and more miscellaneous items. If it was used during the construction process, I guarantee you’ll find traces of it in the sub-base.
We started with grading the front and back yards. After grading we began to install the topsoil. Then we quickly realized that we did not have enough topsoil. How’d we fix it? We ordered another 20 yards. The 20 yards came quickly and then we were confident knowing we had sufficient soil for the Sod to thrive in.
Harley Rake Time
With 45 yards of topsoil down, it was time for us to begin Harley raking it into the existing soil. The reason for doing this is to mix the existing soil with the new topsoil. This is all for the longevity of the Sod. Check out the photo below, this is what it means to Harley Rake.
Lesson Learned: Order As Needed
With the base prepared, we were ready to roll. This is where it became extremely exciting for us. We took order of our largest order of sod ever!
….but little did we know that we had made a mistake. The mistake that we made was ordering it all at once. Our team is capable of laying roughly 5000 ft.² in one day. Day three on this site consisted of us laying the entire front yard, and it looked fantastic after. And the two subsequent days consisted of us laying the remaining on the sides and back of the home. Now with the extra Sod sitting out longer than expected, it began to have a chemical reaction. Poor us!
Now, we pride ourselves on delivering quality so we decided to get rid of the bad Sod. It was not up to par and we would not put our name on a poor product. This mistake cost us nearly $2000 and several hours in labor—at no cost to the customer. We won’t make this mistake ever again!
With another piece of knowledge and another lesson learned, we pushed forward and completed the project with the next delivery of sod. We are very intricate during our installations. We’re sure to leave all sprinkler heads exposed so that they can water the Sod. For new sod, we recommend four different cycles. In the early morning, mid-morning, afternoon, and evening. Because the Sod has been relocated it is in a “state of shock” per se. Adding water and fertilizer allows for the grass to take and continue the process of growing
Our 5-star Review!
Thanks for sticking around for this article! We hope it was worth your time.
Call us today at 248-302-9175. Or submit your information below. Or just click here to Message us on Facebook. Whichever way you like, start a conversation with us today about adding outdoor living space to your home this year.
Error: Contact form not found.
I was reading through some of your blog posts on this internet site and I conceive this internet site is really instructive! Keep on putting up. Prudi Robinet Coumas
Stunning story there. What occurred after? Thanks!
We wrapped up the project and they loved it!