We all love shortcuts, especially when it comes to dirty, backbreaking tasks like grass sod installation. You ponder how to wrap up the sod installation service in Rochester quickly and be done in time to grab a barbeque dinner. 

But the confusion lingers over installing new sod over the existing grass. Is it possible?

While this may seem like a pretty sweet shortcut, we highly recommend against it. Here is why!

5 Disastrous Effects Of Sod Installation Over Existing Grass

Improper Rooting

New sod laid on top of grass gets no space to take root. Instead of good soil-to-sod contact, the roots will have to contact old grass blades. 

Even if the new sod attempts to send out roots of his own, the existing grassroots will cause a hindrance. This makes it difficult for the new sod to get a foothold. As a result, the sod won’t remain in its place or be able to capture water and nutrients.

Dry And Dead Sod

New sod installation over existing grass is extremely prone to drying out and dying. This problem goes hand-in-hand with the first point. 

Without a healthy established root system, the new sod fails to pull moisture from deep soil layers. Instead, it has to depend on the thin layer of soil that comes with the sod. All you need is a blazing hot day to bake the new sod dry and kill it instantly. Even laying sod over your existing lawn in winter can’t stop the new sod from drying out and dying.

Invasion Of Weeds

Sod installation on top of an existing lawn is the perfect recipe for enticing pesky weeds. The dehydrated and poorly rooted sod will shrink eventually, creating patches between the pieces of sod. This is the area where weeds and remnants of your old lawn thrive on. Soon it will convert your mesmerizing lawn into a patchy, weedy yard.

Slimy Turf

Your old yard won’t quietly decompose under the weight of the new sod installation. Instead, the turf under the sod will turn yellowish and die. Gradually it will form a slimy texture that shelters fungus and grass disease. 

This infested grass will infect your new sod, thereby ruining and killing your lawn. Additionally, the sod slides on top of the slimy grass, making walking across the yard a hazard.

Flooding

Laying sod over existing grass adds 1-1.5 inches of height to the lawn. This makes your yard higher than the paved areas such as walkways, driveways, and patios. It surely seems like not much, but it can cause major flooding issues. Water can flow from the grass to these hardscaped places and flood them.

The flooding caused by the new sod on top of old grass can also direct water toward foundations. This can undermine your home’s structural foundation. 

Can You Install New Sod Over Crabgrass?

Just like lawn grass, do not go for sod installation over crabgrass. Crabgrass is an annual grass weed that is extremely flexible. It can’t be stopped with the sod. Instead, it will sprout through the cracks between the pieces of sod.

Hire Gorski Landscaping To Install Sod The Right Way

Having a beautiful lawn is certainly every homeowner’s dream. And with the team of Gorski Landscaping, it’s attainable too. We avoid cutting corners (because we believe it affects the quality).

Our team starts the work by removing the existing grasses first and then laying over the new sod. With our sod installation services, we guarantee you will save time, energy, and money in the long run.

Hire our sod installation team today!