Starting again: Leveling Lawn

19 years ago

I'd like to level my backyard. I'm not concerned with how much damage the current lawn may incur in the process of leveling.

I'd like to stay away from sand as the soil is somewhat compacted and contains a lot of clay. Reading the FAQ, it suggests a box blade and tractor. I'd have a lot of trouble, however, getting one into my yard.

Is local "topsoil" a good alternative? What the best method for leveling a smallish yard ~1/4 acre. I'd really to do this myself if possible.

Thanks.

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Comments (4)

rdaystrom
19 years ago
I leveled 1.5 acres earlier this year in my backyard by using a tractor to disc it up. I then pulled a home built metal sled over it to knock the big dirt clods down. Next I put down starter fertilizer and 95 lbs of Sahara Bermuda seed. Then I pulled a 16 foot section of chain link fence over it to give it smooth finish and cover the seed slightly. I now have a beautiful Sahara Bermuda yard that is smooth enough to drive my ZTR at 10mph and feel no bumps at all. On a smaller scale like your yard you might use a tiller and a piece of fence pulled behind a riding mower. Filling uneven places in a yard by hand is guess work and quite hard too.
jkbogle
19 years ago
I did the same thing 3 weeks ago. I used a Skid Steer with a Harley Rake attachment. Total rental fee was about $300 for one days use. The Harley rake is a rotating drum with 2" teeth like pieces of metal on the drum and it has wheels on the front. The drum rotates, pulverizing the soil. If you go over your yard in the forward direction it will break up the soil up to 4 inches in depth (for your clay and compated areas. Then I went over the yard a secont time in reverse. Because of the wheels in the front on the attachment, when you go in reverse it also grades the soil, making it level. I did .66 arces in about 5 hours, no sweat. I can give you more tips if this sounds like something you would want to do. The attachment in the wides part of the machine at 5 - 6 feet wide

Here is a link that might be useful: Raley Rake
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jangell
19 years ago
You metion a piece of fence...can yo elaborate?

I have about 3500 sq ft to level out...Put sprinklers in over the spring and ended up with some areas of setteling...also have some uneven spaces I would like to get leveled out.

Wanto bring in some good topsoil and then even out...I know how to bring in the topsoli...Looking for a suggestion on ensuring that is spreads evenly.
rdaystrom
19 years ago
The fence was chain link. I used a 16 foot piece I got from an old chain link fence. With a metal post still attached on one end (to keep it spread out) I was able to hook a chain to it and drag it around with my mower. Throwing boards on it or whatever heavy things I could find added to it's effectiveness. This workes quite well and distributes dirt quite nicely. It pulverizes larger clods and leaves a smooth surface after several passes. It will also cover grass seeds to help them germinate.