Questions regarding placing backyard paving with turf (lawn)

StandingInTheSun

We're in the middle of buying at the moment and just thinking a bit ahead. The backyard of our house-to-be is entirely paved and while we go into that with our eyes open and it suits our needs now, in the long run we would like to replace at least some of it with a lawn for when kids eventually come along a few years down the line.

It is not a big space - I don't have the exact measurements but I'd hazard a guess at around 20ft X 10ft, and we wouldn't be looking to lay turf on all of that.

How big a job is this exactly and roughly what sort of costs would we be looking at? Is there any merit in laying down AstroTurf instead of ordinary turf as I understand this can be done over the paving without needing to dig it up?

AnotherJoe

This should be posted in the DIY forum.

Assuming DIY, cost would be low, turf doesn't cost much, seed even less, the main cost would be getting rid of the slabs and underling sand and rubble. My experience is you can get rid of the slabs easily, just advertise them for free collection.

AIUI can't just lay astro turf direct on slabs (well, you can but not advisable), you'd need an underlay to make it soft, maybe even sand or something similar.

jackieblack

Which direction does your garden face?

I took up some paving slabs a few years ago and laid turf to increase the size of the lawn - I’d completely forgotten that we laid the slabs originally because the garden is north facing and that end of the garden never gets any sunlight as it’s in the shade of the house all year round...
I was so proud of that turf when I’d laid, it looked brilliant that first year, now all the grass has died and I just have a large moss patch 🙁

oystercatcher

Also bear in mind , a lawn needs regular mowing, do you have apace to keep a lawnmower etc?

StandingInTheSun

jackieblack said:

Which direction does your garden face?

I took up some paving slabs a few years ago and laid turf to increase the size of the lawn - I’d completely forgotten that we laid the slabs originally because the garden is north facing and that end of the garden never gets any sunlight as it’s in the shade of the house all year round...
I was so proud of that turf when I’d laid, it looked brilliant that first year, now all the grass has died and I just have a large moss patch 🙁

It is definitely not North facing, I think maybe south west? It does get sunlight and there used to be a lawn there so that should be OK.

oystercatcher said:

Also bear in mind , a lawn needs regular mowing, do you have apace to keep a lawnmower etc?

Yes that'll be no problem.

dimbo61

If your dealing with a small area and thinking kids then maybe astro turf would be a good idea to replace the paving slabs