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Opinions on this turfing job
Relax1
Posts: 2
My elderly parents had their garden done last year as part of extensive renovations and an extension to their property. The majority of the garden was ripped up and re-done including slabbing and turfing. Since then they've had problems with the turf dying and growing in patches. My parents are being made out to be problem customers for complaining about it.
My dad had tried and failed to improve the condition of the turf so I recently decided to have a crack at it myself. Whilst doing the aeration process I noticed my fork was hitting stone, often at very shallow depths. I've peeled back some test sections to reveal that there is hardcore only 2-3 inches below the surface in some places. This doesn't seem right to me but I'm not a keen gardener.
Please see the images below. Any opinions and advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
1. Test section ready to be lifted out. Can see the grass is really struggling in this area.
2.Hardcore directly under the turf layer I lifted out. (no digging)
3. Approx depths, camera angle distorts things slightly but it's around 2-3 inch to the hardcore layer. Seems like very little topsoil was used.
4.Final cross section. Turf layer and minimal top soil followed by hardcore then a membrane which is over the subsoil.
My dad had tried and failed to improve the condition of the turf so I recently decided to have a crack at it myself. Whilst doing the aeration process I noticed my fork was hitting stone, often at very shallow depths. I've peeled back some test sections to reveal that there is hardcore only 2-3 inches below the surface in some places. This doesn't seem right to me but I'm not a keen gardener.
Please see the images below. Any opinions and advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
1. Test section ready to be lifted out. Can see the grass is really struggling in this area.
2.Hardcore directly under the turf layer I lifted out. (no digging)
3. Approx depths, camera angle distorts things slightly but it's around 2-3 inch to the hardcore layer. Seems like very little topsoil was used.
4.Final cross section. Turf layer and minimal top soil followed by hardcore then a membrane which is over the subsoil.
0
Posts
Pretty much all of that is wrong.
Hardcore should have been removed, and the membrane, and it should then have had sufficient topsoil over the base, which - if it's a solid layer of clay [looks like it] should have been broken up first.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
No turf layer worth the name would do a job like that. I would keep more photographic evidence and give the firm the chance to come on site and see it for themselves. Keep copies of any correspondence, (better than just phoning) . I know your parents don't need the stress at their time of life, but that's just unacceptable.
https://shoout.co.uk/home-improvements/gardens/
I'd agree with @AnniD e the photos @mccluskey91b0sKwcvg. If it was done by the builders doing the extension, that's probably the reason it's so appalling.
It's also the problem when laying turf after having builders in. The ground's always a compacted mess, and is often just 'covered up'. Literally, in your case.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It is indeed a clay sub soil and it was the builder who also done the turfing. Oddly the majority of his business seems to be garden refurbs so I'm surprised how poor of a job he's done here. He does seem to do a lot of artificial turfing though.
The entire garden was peeled back to the subsoil so the hardcore and membrane has been placed there on purpose. Some areas do have more topsoil than in the above images but still with the hardcore and membrane layer deeper down. I'm guessing he didn't have enough topsoil to level the garden so used hardcore from the building work instead.
In the test sections I've removed the hardcore and membrane, broken up the clay subsoil and filled with topsoil before placing the turf back down. I think I'll continue with my autumn maintenance procedure to keep what is there alive whilst they decide what to do. I'd imagine it will need ripped up and re-done early next year.
Cheers
A refund would probably be better, then you can get someone responsible to do the job, if you don't want to tackle it all yourself.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...