How to Level Your Lawn the Easy Way. | Lawn Leveling with Topsoil | Front Yard Renovation
Level your lawn and make it smooth and nice to mow again! If you have a bumpy lawn, this lawn leveling guide is great for anyone with small or medium size lawns. And it's especially useful if you plan on doing it alone.
Here's the gorilla cart I used in this video: amzn.to/3wJ4AH3 (for those wondering)
A special lawn leveling tool is not required to level your lawn this way. Common tools are only needed: a shovel, a rake, a 12 or 16 foot 2x4, some stakes and a cart for hauling the topsoil. I use metal stakes but wooden stakes will work just fine. As you will see, I also will use a few 1” pvc pipes and a metal fence post as part of the leveling “hack.”
If you're looking to renovate your lawn and need inspiration, I hope this video will help you address your topsoil issues before you seed. It was a super fun experience leveling my lawn and making this video!
Keep in mind, if the lawn isn't level as you sow the seed, it will be MANY months after you lay down the seed before you can come back with soil and correct any bumpiness.
Also, if your soil is not very fertile, adding rich topsoil before you plant grass seed is critical to the germination and survival of your tender seedlings.
Please leave a comment below in the comment section! I would love to hear your feedback!
And don't forget to subscribe if you would like to see more content like the kind in this video!
As a film teacher I can safely say someone who knows what they are doing produced, shot and edited this video. Beautiful. On top of that these are the best techniques and instructions I’ve seen for managing a controlled grading of soil. Really great. Thank you.
Thank you! Quite the complement and it’s very much appreciated!
While caring for my mom, then needing a hip replacement, I let my 4,000sq ft backyard get overgrown with the eventual goal of clearing it (1949 home). I'm clearing and prepping it for landscaping with weed cloth, but wanted to know how to level the soil. O'm'gosh, thank you for this concise + simple demo using tools that everyone has!
You made this so ridiculously easy compared to some of these other guys with the leveling rake. Gah! Thank you! This single mom's dreaded project is now gonna be way easier :)
We’re both single moms, keep us updated on progress! I’m waiting for my top soil to be delivered.
How did this work out for you two?
@@housiedooze8889 i’m so curious too
how did this turn out for y’all ?
Give this man a Bob The Builder Show!!
You should win an award for this simple trick I’m obsessed
I like the 2x4 leveling idea. Good for normal homeowners !
This guys voice so soothing
You are a the man!! Im motivated and ready to start my project
I am trying to level my very dry hard clay covered ground 🥵 by myself, by hand... love this idea.. you saved me a ton of guess work 🙌
It’s really difficult work, but the results are worth it!
Your voice is so soothing! Came here to learn but might also be able to fall asleep too. Thank you!
Your voice is so calming and gentle 😊
Awesome way to level it out to uniform. One thing you could do is instead of using the two stake, drill a one inch hole in the 2 by 4 and use one stake as the pivot point. Just a thought.
I was thinking the same thing.
Genius level brother.
Yup
It will jam when you lift it though. Hole would need to be bigger or stake smaller.
Could also leave it untouched so the 2x4 can be used for something else after.
I’ve been looking for something simple like this. Thank you so much for sharing this technique with us!
My goodness. Basically he’s using the strategy of getting concrete level. You are a genius
been looking for an approach like this for months. Much appreciated!
Smart man. I just used a tiller on my lawn and now I need to level it out so I came to the right spot
Shout out to your editing skills!
Wow. Best method ever. Simple, accurate and quick! Been struggling with an unleveled yard and today is the day..Thank you.
Excellent! Simple, easy to do and very, very accurate. Thank you!
It’s pretty cool how you go into such detail. So many of the yard repair channels cover so much information in such a compressed amount of time that you don’t really get what they’re saying.
Thanks! Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback!
@@jasongarringer12 I hope you get many subs.
I AGREE I was thinking the same thing
dang bro, your video quality and music is just like a tv show, i love it!
Thanks Russ.
I like the quality of your videos, and how practical you are! Thanks for sharing. I'll use similar techniques. :D
Thank you for the video. I'm probably going to do something like this over the weekend
First video I found! Gonna try this with new raised beds on a slope! Will let u know how it goes.
Great video. Clear, calm presentation.
Hey Jason - GREAT idea using those stakes as pivots.
Beautiful content I love the way you talk.
Simply the best video how to level the ground
Thks sooo muchhh gonna really make my hideous yard quite dapper
First video as you...your straight to the point thanks mister 🥰 for the videoI needed this going to Lowes right now my car made holes in backyard due to rain and getting stuck......... I'm doing this now cost nothing for real
A nice simple way to use easily available items to smooth out an area in the yard for the lawn. Very clever thanks for Sharing Jason. All the best and God Bless. 🙏❤🇺🇸
Thanks for watching!
This is a professional video. Great work.
Great job 👏 the last thing you wanna do is fill low spots afterwards thanks for this tip
I felt your dread when that rain came! Great video....thanks!🎉
Thanks for watching! Yes, I remember feeling worried that some of it would wash away!
Super helpful thanks a lot for the technique. Gonna help me a lot when making my patio.
I really love the pivot application. I was thinking about my own version would be using a threaded rod spike and a nut that can be moved up and down to set the hight you need and maybe the metal pipe add a closed hook to the end that can be slided in the threaded rod and you can get 360 rotation movement, just thinking out loud.. great video man
This is a brilliant idea to level.
Great technique I’ll apply it on my next project thanks
Really hard work. You are great
Great leveling technique with the 4" x 2" ..50/50 mix is perfect, I use the same here in the UK 🇬🇧
I have to add...as soon as I mentioned the UK 🇬🇧 in my comment the heaven's opened with a downpour 🤣
A Tiller would break that clay sand mixture up, and then you add in the top soil and level and it would produce a great soil mixture base for seedlings. I love the board trick though.
Oh wow. Great idea. Thanks for sharing!
OK, well my husband passed away in 2016 n then I realized that our yard needed leveling. Tired of hurting my knees with the sudden jerk of bumps while mowing the lawn. Thank you so much for this much needed information. Sorry it rained on you.
Thank you for watching. Give it a little time and effort in your lawn will be back in shape in no time!
Great video. Do you also use a lawn roller (the drum that fills with water and roll) to compact the top soil down a bit (so that it won't wash away during rain)?
Great job!👏
Thank you for the video, now I feel I can do it
Your voice is so soothing.
Thanks Kiah
Thank you! So simple
He has a soothing voice...
This is awesome! I did a 20x24 crushed granite pad this way. made a 24' long wooden "I beam" with a level pad in the middle. Filled with dirt, leveled, vibratory compacted it, then crushed granite, leveled, compacted. Looks awesome. Nice video!
Thanks Steffen! Sounds like your project turned out nice too?
Thats clever af😂 thanks dude!
good job bro! how many types of soil do you used ?
Awesome way to level the dirt! I would recommend throwing down some gypsum before and after to anyone who is doing something like this. Also, that added soil will go down a lot so you'll have to add more down the line.
True. Thanks, Cesar. Lawn leveling is definitely NOT a “do-it-once” activity. Over time, tweaking will be required.
Great content ❤
Of all the things I wish I could afford to pay somebody to do, leveling and grading large areas would be the one thing I would pay somebody to do. I’m prepping a large area for pavers, and it is a BEAST
Yes. Hopefully you’re not in the same time. Be safe and good luck!
Loved the ending 😂
That's brilliant! Thanks!
Thanks a lot Elijah! And thanks for watching!
GENIUS!
Hot damn...wonder why I didn't think of this :) Great Video!!
I’ve honestly never seen someone screed dirt before but this is a good idea if someone can’t see or rake level by eye.
Simple but brilliant idea . I would have been there for hours trying to rake it level and still have waves
Jason!! You are the man
No!! YOU are the man!! You are doing well I see!!!
Very well done and video well put together my friend
Thanks!
Very smart 👌🏽
This is brilliant idea.
Thanks Sam!
Awesome brother....keep it up
Thanks!
That dirt prob smelling real nice in the rain. Thanks for the video and thunder
Thank you for this video. I have a large but irregularly shaped area to level and I was confounded by the task. Your method is so simple. I also appreciate the videography and the editing. The shot at the window looking at the rain made this a step beyond the average guy You Tube Video and I thought it was cool that you included a storytelling element!
Thanks! The goal isn’t just to educate but also make it entertaining if possible. Thanks for the appreciation!
@@jasongarringer12what seed did you throw?
Great video! Does the climate of the state we are in matter if we put it down in the fall? We are in Illinois
well done
Cool a lot heavy labor involved 👍
I have a slopped front yard. Is there away to keep it from run off from rain to get it established? Just recently had a huge oak tree on my HOA side that messed it really up, too.
Do you have to remove the poor soil first? Also if I want to give my mom a whole new lawn, do I have to remove weeds? Or can i simply put 3-4 inches of topsoil down and smother them out?
Brilliant wow 😳👍
Love the video!! Quick question - what would I do if the lawn ALREADY has grass? My garden is really uneven and I want to get it sorted for the summer, but the grass is completely fine. It’s just really bumpy
you've probably already finished this project. But 1 solution would be to get a good sharp shovel and cut the grass out in strips roll it out level the ground and then put the grass on after. But realistically grass seed is very cheap it won't hurt to just dig up the grass and start fresh.
I find the extended viewing time of watching you put on your gloves fascinating.
🤣
You know you're going to lose the cul de sac lawn battle when dude brings entire new soil in every year.😅
Damned weather!!!
Awesome
Do you have a reference to figure out what seed someone who lives in Aledo, TX area would need and when to seed? I have Bermuda grass.
great job
Thanks!
This is amazing as i am currently leveling out my lawn. My question is what is the definition of leveled soil? Is it when the soil is loosely laid down? When i lay soil down it looks leveled them of course when you step on it in and pack it in a little it will easily not be leveled, pact on a little naturally, but not to hard that seedlings cant grow through it. Then you could easily add a little more soil and repeat that process. So at what point in the soil laying process are you checking for leveled?
Genius Method!
Thank you James!
nice cart
Gorrilla Cart from Home Depot
You said after first layer you were gonna wet it lol. Jk. You did a good job. Hopefully husband can level our yard accurately for our pool lol I hate sand so top soil is what we are using. Then in fall.. Plant seeds :)
You could put two eye bolts in the end of the 2x4 and just use maybe less stakes...
Great idea. Hey thanks for watching Joe!
Thanks for teh video =)
Dang! That easy!
I'm at a lost of what to do. My front lawn is exactly like yours... But my Live Oak tree roots stand higher than my driveway. So essentially my grading would look opposite to yours, where the water would drain to the driveway
Thank you for the great video. When is it necessary to dig up old grass or a weedy lawn before putting down the fresh topsoil? What is the best way to do that? I noticed in your video that your front yard was fairly bare but the back had some patchy grass.
Great question! If your adding lots of topsoil in the fall, (AND you have a warm season grass like me,) it’s usually advised just to simply scalp the grass down to the dirt level and lay the soil directly on top. The reason is because in the fall, temperatures are getting cooler, and the warm season grass is about to go dormant anyway. Dormant grass that gets covered with topsoil will just be smothered away. It will save you a lot of work tilling up the soil and removing the grass. The most common warm season grass includes Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, buffalo grass, and Saint Augustine. If you have any other type of grass, like the kind of grass that stays green in the cold, let me know and I can give you more advice.
Genius
Can this be done with pea gravel? Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I suppose it is possible. Seems like it would be too heavy to move around. And hard on the knees (uncomfortable)
that intro made me feel like i was watching tv
Thank you!
I unfortunately bought a house with the yard having multiple grass types growing and uneven patches all over. I don't know if I should level it or hire someone to put new sod on. I just don't want to spend a ton of money if I can take care of it with some leveling and possibly reseeding.
Hi Jason, great video. What wagon are you using to dump your soil?
It’s a gorilla cart from Home Depot. It’s the 7 cu. ft. version. I put black tape over the logo for most of the video because I didn’t want people thinking I was sponsored. Lol
Effing Genius!
Hi Jason, you do know how to do gardening. i am on board for my very first one and i was wondering when do one needs to use a roller to compact the soil before seeding? The top soil you used is very fluffy and soft, wouldnt it become unlevelled with people walking on it? much appreciate any help / guidance. thanks
Thanks for the question. To help the soil settle, I turned on my irrigation sprinkler system 5 times over the course of the next day. The goal was to apply water, and let it soak. Apply water again, let it soak in again. This method ensured that the new soil was thoroughly settled and was no longer light and fluffy. Since my soil was composed of 50% compost, (sticks, leaves, bark etc.) my soil never became muddy. So another day passed and then I rolled the soil to compact the seedbed slightly. I believe the roller weighed around 300 - 400 pounds, but I’m not exactly sure. I was pleased by how stable the ground was, so I proceeded with seeding and covered the seeds with peat moss. To keep the seeds wet during the germination period, I applied irrigation for 5-6 minute sessions 3 times per day. Short cycles just to keep the seeds from drying out. Skip forward 14 days, and at that time the seedling roots began to lock the soil in place. This is the key. As the turf grass thickened, all of that soil became interlocked with the root system and now I can walk on it freely. I have even pulled my cart around on it, loaded with dirt which weighs a lot. And it doesn’t form ruts. After the seeds were planted I did stay off the landscape for around 2 weeks to prevent footprints or damaging the seedlings, but afterwards I began to feel comfortable walking on the new turf especially as the root system matured.
@@jasongarringer12 thanks for replying. I didn't know this tip. It will help.
Bro best video
Thanks!
As others have said, really unique and interesting. Thoughtful content, really enjoyed. Once you run the irrigation, did you notice any settling or spots that needed more soil/grading?
Thanks Lawn Mavrik. There was a spot by the tree that needed a little bit more. But overall, not much settling really. Thanks for the complements!
Nice soil 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
We need an update, please