Maintaining a lawn that is beautiful and luscious green has expenses associated with it. From spending on mowing to ensuring the grass remains healthy, your annual bill on lawn care alone can really rack up. One way to drastically cut down on the bill is to lay sod down, so your lawn stays green with a lot less maintenance. Even with sod, there is a lot of initial costs but we have some tips on how you can cut them down.
Measure your yard first
Many homeowners make the mistake of assuming the yard’s square footage only to find out later that they need more sod or they bought way too much. Buying the right amount of sod needed for your lawn in the first go is important because it can cost you a little extra when you have to go back and purchase additional sod to cover up a small area thanks to not accurately measuring.
Pick sod grass based on the amount of sunlight your yard receives
In order to maintain and ensure your sod stays green for a longer period of time, you need to determine the number of hours it receives of sunlight per day. The lower-end sod grass can burn if they are exposed to too much sunlight. Therefore, in a yard with no shade at all, you may want to go with a medium or high range sod grass, so it doesn’t turn brown quickly and end up costing you more in the long run when you have to change it.
Pick up and install it yourself
Laying sod down isn’t rocket science, but it does require a lot of intense labor. Which is why many homeowners tend to let the professionals handle it. If you’ve ever previously installed any type of flooring such as vinyl in your home, laying sod won’t be too difficult. The reason why we emphasize on laying it yourself is that opting for a professional can end up raising your cost up to 50% for sod, sometimes even more!
Typically, sod costs around $.08 to $.30 per square foot. So for a 2,000 sq. ft. project the cost would be anywhere from $160 to $600 without installation, depending on the type of sod you opt for. If you had the professionals install it, the cost could rise to $.14 or $.60 per sq. ft. which raises the price to $280 to $1,200.
At the same time, many sod providers will charge you extra to deliver your order to you. You can save on the delivery cost by deciding to pick the sod up yourself.
Use the right tools
There will be certain tools required when laying the sod, you want to get only the tools needed and not spend extra on tools you think you may need. When you go to the hardware store, grab these tools:
- Tape measure
- Hand trowel
- Rototiller
- Spading fork
- Soil rake
- Stiff push broom
- Lawn roller
You will also need either a sprinkler system or a lawn hose to water the sod to maintain it.
Don’t end up spending a huge chunk of money (you planned on saving by opting for sod grass) by having professionals come and lay it down for you. The process may require more effort but can end up saving you hundreds of dollars. Plus, by laying down the sod yourself, you will have something to brag about at the next barbeque you throw in your yard!
Author’s Bio:
Kym Preslar is a bit of a gardening and home improvement fanatic. She’s been working on her garden for over 5 years and loves writing about everything landscape-related. Whether it’s keeping care of sod or the greenhouse, she’s been there and done it all. Currently, she’s enjoying her time working at SodLawn as their Content Manager.
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.