Residential Lawn Renovation

Lawn drainage and renovation – Radlett

Sherriff were contracted to undertake an extensive residential garden lawn renovation project for a private residence in Radlett, Hertfordshire. The property featured a large, raised lawn to the rear that required a complete renovation due to surface water accumulation. The objective was to achieve an immaculate lawn surface which would be easier to maintain in the long term.

Contract for private garden lawn renovation

A landscape gardening company was employed by the property owner to undertake the garden renovation works. As part of the extensive garden renovation, they needed a full lawn renovation to bring their garden lawn back to life.

The landscape company felt that the lawn element of the project needed to be carried out by experts. It was at this point that they contacted us to deliver the lawn renovation works required.

Our team visited the property, along with the landscaping company, to assess the current conditions and then advise on the best approach for the lawn renovation. Following the site visit, we advised that the best solution would require a full drainage system to help prevent water collecting on the surface.

During these initial visits our team also assessed the surrounding areas that would need to be protected from potential damage risks when using the heavy machinery needed to complete the groundworks. This included protection of the existing patio tiles, additional raised flowerbeds and the main driveway.

The lawn renovation solution

The early challenge for this lawn renovation project was to ensure we had suitable access to the site. A range of our specialist heavy machinery needed to traverse the route from the front of the property to the raised lawn at the rear. Protecting the property and existing landscaping was both essential and challenging.

To achieve this, strengthened metal track mats were installed, complete with an underlayer of strong plastic, along the existing patio and driveway areas to protect the expensive paving. The metal mats were carefully positioned to ensure that it created an equal weight distribution to help prevent any damage to the patio tiles and resin gravel driveway.

In addition to the metal mats, our team also built a temporary scaffold ramp to enable the machinery to easily access the works area from the lower-level patio. It was another careful construction to avoid any potential damage to the property’s flowerbed, or tiles at the weight bearing base of the ramp.

Expert lawn renovation and drainage services

Once the extensive protection had been installed, the existing garden lawn was excavated to a depth of 50mm and spoil removed from the site. After the excavation had been completed and the area cleared, the lateral drainage was installed using 80mm perforated pipes, spaced every 2 meters, with a main 100mm perforated drain installed to the centre of the lawn.

These drainage runs were backfilled with Lytag 0-4* to ground level. By using this product, the moisture level is maintained helping to keep the high quality of the lawn during dry conditions. It also assists in reducing the possibility of the drainage lines appearing within the lawn.

Gravel banding inserts were then installed using a chain trencher at 500mm intervals at 200mm deep and back filled with 4-10mm Lytag. This banding carries the water to the main lateral lawn drainage system.

To complete the high-end drainage system, a sump pump was fitted to the base of the drainage works to pump the water to the existing outlet to the edge of the property patio. This then flowed into the property’s main drainage system.

Following all initial groundworks and drainage system installation, a specialist mix of 50/50 rootzone and topsoil was imported.

The soil was then cultivated using a Blec Pedestrian power box rake and levelled across the area, ready for the laying of new turf.

The new turf was carefully laid to ensure a flat and even finish was achieved, with clean and straight lines along the adjoining patio tiles and existing flowerbeds.

Throughout the works, consideration for surrounding properties was always an important factor for the team. Any disruptions from the project were kept to a minimum and the team kept open communications with all stakeholders, so everyone was up-to-date with the progress.

Additional to the lawn renovation works

As our team were already on site for the lawn renovation, we were asked to assist with some additional works. This included the excavation and removal from site of some existing Buxus hedging along the rear of garden and the removal of some existing soil and concrete edgings.

The removal process needed to ensure a 1,000mm wide by 450mm deep trench remained. The trench was then refilled with 28 tonnes of Bourne Amenity TS6 Premium Topsoil and then consolidated to finish.

The property owner also requested that a new play area be installed for the re-positioning of an existing playhouse. This works included supplying a granite sub-base with suitable membrane. The paly area was edged with timber at a 200mm depth to accommodate premium play bark to finish.

This was a large-scale lawn renovation project that needed careful planning to ensure it was delivered on time and to budget.

*Lytag is a by-product that comes from the fly ash produced from coal fired power stations.