{
  "url": "https://havedumptruckwilltravel.com/blog/how-to-get-level-yard",
  "path": "/blog/how-to-get-level-yard",
  "title": "How to Achieve a Level Yard | Have Dumptruck, Will Travel",
  "description": "A level yard has many benefits, but also requires the right tools and a lot of work. Learn the steps from Have Dumptruck, Will Travel.",
  "heading": "How to Achieve a Level Yard Without Bumps",
  "content": "How to Achieve a Level Yard Without Bumps\n\nView Larger Image\n\nA lumpy, uneven backyard can be an eyesore and difficult for homeowners to maintain. For this reason, many people turn to professional landscapers to fix irregularities and create a level yard.\n\nFor those with the time and desire to fix their own backyard, it may be possible depending on the extent of the problem. Below are some steps homeowners can take to achieve a more level yard.\n\nWhy a Level Yard is Important\n\nOne of the most obvious problems with an uneven backyard is that it presents a safety hazard. People walking through the yard can trip all too easily when the ground is not level. Safety is even more of a concern for homeowners with children who spend a lot of time playing outdoors.\n\nImproving lawn health is another good reason to level an uneven backyard. The lawnmower won’t jump around due to uneven surfaces nor will the person mowing the lawn feel discomfort when pushing the mower over lumps and bumps.\n\nWhen lawnmower tires pass over a sunken spot on the lawn, it can cause the blades to drop and cut the grass so low it may end up looking bald. Finally, leveled lawns drain water much more efficiently than unleveled lawns. Lawn disease is more likely when water doesn’t runoff as it should.\n\nLawn disease from over-watering due to poor drainage\n\nHow Lawns Become Unleveled\n\nBefore tackling an unleveled yard, it’s important to understand how the problem developed in the first place. Underlying issues that the homeowner was not aware of are often to blame.\n\nHere are some of the most common causes of a bumpy backyard:\n\nIrrigation pipes have eroded underground\nImproper draining of water\nImproperly installed sprinkler system\nGround settling\nLawn disease\nInsect and/or rodent infestation\nBuried debris\nAnimals digging holes in the lawn\nLarge ant mounds\n\nDetermining the root cause of the leveling problem is essential to prevent it from recurring after the homeowner invests time and money into leveling the lawn.\n\nIf you're cutting with a cylinder lawnmower – change mowing direction at least every month so your lawn doesn't become bumpy- you can do this each time you mow- you will notice how much more you cut off going both ways- remember to cut off no more than a third of the grass plant pic.twitter.com/xTU4tV6Iwr\n— Allett Mowers (@AllettMowers) April 15, 2020\n\nHow to Proceed When Leveling a Backyard Alone\n\nLeveling a backyard should take one person one or two full days as long as they’re in decent physical shape and have the proper equipment. Homeowners will need to purchase, borrow, or rent the following pieces of equipment to level their yard if they don’t own them already:\n\nBall of string\nBrick layer’s level, carpenter’s level, line level, or string level\nCart or wheelbarrow\nCompost\nFlathead shovel\nFour stakes\nLawn roller\nMulch or topsoil\nMower\nPush broom\nSand\nTiller\n\nPrep Work and Grading the Lawn\n\nAfter ensuring that they have the right tools lined up, homeowners should do a visual scan of the yard to look for bumpy and lumpy areas. The problem may be in just one part of the lawn or cover the entire lawn. Taking this step helps homeowners avoid digging up parts of their yard unnecessarily.\n\nMost backyards require grading before leveling. This process helps drain water away from the lawn and home before it can cause extensive damage to either one of them.\n\nGrading a lawn involves sloping the yard away from the home’s foundation to allow excess water to drain rather than remain pooled and stagnant.\n\nThe homeowner is ready to start the leveling process after completing grading and a quick visual inspection. Following the visual inspection, walk around the yard and mark areas with bumps, lumps, or ridges to make them easy to find later.\n\nDe-Thatching and Leveling\n\nNext, remove thatch build-up on the lawn. This may require renting a dethatching machine for larger yards or those with multiple uneven areas.\n\nDethatching a lawn\n\nThe next step involves applying a topsoil mix to smooth out the rough spots and reduce the size of the bumps with a shovel. Next, dig up divots deeper than three inches and any low areas of grass.\n\nThe homeowner should then place topsoil into the newly dug holes and replace the disrupted turf. If the soil doesn’t loosen easily, renting a tilling machine can help with that process.\n\nDriving a stake into each of the four corners of the area needing leveling helps people avoid working on areas of the lawn that don’t require it. Tie strings to the stakes to create a rectangle or square and adjust the line level and string approximately every three to five feet to determine which areas to raise and which to lower.\n\nThe homeowner should then flatten the soil with the backside of a rake, water the newly leveled soil, and spread grass seed across it.\n\nIt’s Best to Leave Big Jobs to the Professionals\n\nGrading and leveling a backyard is labor intensive and requires many pieces of large or expensive equipment to undertake. Additionally, you may end of with a large pile of excess dirt to haul away.\n\nTherefore homeowners should consider hiring a professional like the pros at Have Dumptruck, Will Travel.\n\nBy kayvan|September 22nd, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on How to Achieve a Level Yard Without Bumps\n\nShare This Story, Choose Your Platform!\n\nFacebookXRedditLinkedInTumblrPinterestVkEmail\n\nRecent Posts\n\nSpring into Action with Have Dumptruck Will Travel!\n\nYour Go-To Solution for Dirt and Concrete Removal!\n\nUnwanted: How to Remove a Hot Tub or Jacuzzi\n\nDIY Tips for Backyard Drainage Solutions\n\nHow to Excavate & Construct an In-Ground Trampoline\n\nArchives\n\nMarch 2024\n\nDecember 2023\n\nSeptember 2022\n\nNovember 2021\n\nOctober 2021\n\nMarch 2021\n\nNovember 2020\n\nSeptember 2020\n\nAugust 2020\n\nJune 2020\n\nJanuary 2020\n\nSeptember 2019\n\nSeptember 2018\n\nCategories\n\nconcreate removal\n\ndirt removal\n\nHomeowner Tips\n\nUncategorized",
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}