Why lawns go uneven
Soil settles, especially over old trenches and on new builds. Frost heave pushes the ground around over winter. Skunks and raccoons digging for grubs tear up patches. And Windsor's clay holds water, so soft spots get pressed down.
How to find the low spots
Walk the lawn after a good rain and mark where water sits. For a closer look, lay a long, straight board on the grass and look for gaps under it.
Shallow dips: top-dress
For dips under an inch or so, spread a thin layer of screened soil or a soil and sand mix over the low spot, no more than about half an inch at a time, and rake it in so the grass blades still poke through. Water it, let the grass grow through, and repeat until it's level.
Step by step
- Mow the lawn a little shorter than usual.
- Rake out the dead grass so the soil can reach the ground.
- Spread screened soil or a soil and sand mix, no more than about half an inch thick.
- Work it in with the back of a rake so the grass blades still show.
- Water it, and wait for the grass to grow through.
- Repeat every few weeks until the dip is gone.
Deeper holes: lift the sod
For deeper low spots, cut the grass in an H or X shape, peel it back, fill the hole with soil, firm it down, then lay the grass back over it and water it well.
Bumps and high spots
Same idea in reverse: peel the grass back, scrape some soil out from underneath, and lay it back down.
Should you roll a bumpy lawn?
Usually not. A lawn roller only presses down the top layer, and on clay it packs the soil tighter, which makes drainage worse. It can't fill a dip or take down a real bump.
If it's the whole lawn
When the whole lawn is lumpy, slopes toward the house or holds water after rain, patching won't keep up. The fix is to take the old lawn out, regrade the ground so it's level and sloped away from the house, and lay new sod.
The best time to level a lawn
Spring and early fall, when the grass is growing and can push through a thin layer of soil. Avoid the heat of summer, when the lawn is already under stress.
What it costs to fix properly
Top-dressing a few dips yourself costs a few bags of soil. If the whole lawn needs redoing, taking out the old lawn and laying new sod runs about $1.50–$2.00 per sq ft before HST, and extra grading or soil adds $0.30–$0.75 per sq ft.
What sod installation costs in Windsor →
Grubs first
If animals are digging up the lawn, check for grubs before you level anything. Otherwise the digging starts again.
Lawn too bumpy to fix?
Free on-site estimate anywhere in Windsor-Essex, with a written quote the same day. One-year warranty, fully insured and WSIB covered. Call or text 519-567-4724.
