Replacing patio with grass lawn

[davebrian]

Hello, looking for some advise or help.

My back yard is mainly patio stones Indian stone.

We want to replace a section of the patio, around 10m by 4m with a lawn.

The wife doesn't want fake grass and was wondering what would be involved.

I've lifted a couple of the stones.

They have been cemented on each corner and there's dirt underneath.

Going further down there looks to be sand and then some hardcore.

Could I remove all the cement and stone until I get to the hardcore and sand , then mix in some dirt or soil I have from another part of the garden , get some topsoil and lay the turf.

Or will I need to remove all the hardcore and sand too ?

Or something else.

Any ideas or help would be appreciated I've attached some pics .

The idea is to have a small patio outside the door, then lawn which leads to the decking .

Pic 1
The area near the conservatory we would like to keep as the patio

Pic 2 and 3
The area we want to turf

Pic 3 and 4
What is underneath the stones

 

[Odds]

 

[Old Salt]

Within reason the more rubble you get rid of and the more top soil you put in, it will give better results. What is your drainage like? Now is the time to improve it before the lawn takes shape.

Their are 3 lawn gurus on you tube that I watch
Premier lawns (I think) who has a vid on drainage installation
Lawnright, who generally explains about how to get your lawn established and looked after
Daniel Hibert lawn expert who makes Wembley look alikes

Some of these guys deal with builders rubble etc but you need to get good drainage so that the lawn will repay you in the years to come.

 

[davebrian]

Thanks I'll check them out .

Drainage is good , it's been built up by the looks of it so it's a tiered patio if that makes sense I think it used to be sloped, the bit I'm planning on using is the higher bit.

I'll get rid of much as I can.
If I could get 15to 20 cm topsoil on there should that suffice ?
Would I be better keeping the sub base compacted or loosening it ?

 

[JohnD]

Sand and grit are fine for a lawn, mixed in with the soil (if it is pure sand it will need feeding and frequent watering)

200mm is fine.
If you dig over the base it will drain better but may settle unevenly, so keep some gritty soil back for filling in any hollows next year. Use the back of a rake to spread it or make a lute.

You can buy a small rotary sieve as yours is quite a small site (larger electric ones available) you may be able to fit it on a bin or barrow to collect the sifted soil.

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[Odds]

Use a prepared lawn sand, rather than building sand that's been in the ground for a long time, although you could reuse smaller stones in the rubble, don't leave larger ones in there. Up to 30cm is fine to dig out, and i like to add a layer of perlite in with the topsoil to help the young roots get a head start, along with vermiculite they give extra nutrients and can be bought ready-mixed. How much sun will the area have during summer?

Oh yeah, and don't walk on the fresh laid turf for up to six months to give it time to settle in...

 

[scbk]

I'm not sure if 2 mad collies and a lawn is compatible in a small space?
I would be more tempted to keep the patio which looks in decent shape, get rid of the slate chippings, and plant grass/shrubs/flowers on the banks?

 

[Old Salt]

Sandy loam top soil is what I used to a depth of about 150mm. The key is all in the preparation so loosen the subsoil or better still aerate it. The better your prep the better the lawn will be in the end.
This mine 8 days after over-seeding on 24 July 2024. The squirrels are a pain in the butt burying their nuts and then comping back to look for them!