Rate the turf job

[GregK2]

Looking for opinions on this job. New build purchase going through for property that is still being finished, turf has only been laid in last week or 2 and it currently looks like this. Looks like it has suffered a bit in the recent dry spell, but also doesn't appear very level.

[General Price]

I'm getting the word,water.

[Bill]

Unless they used doormats??!?

[Easternlight]

That's a shocking job.
Needs to be replaced and watered!!

[Monkeylegend]

I would check the house very carefully if the turf and fence are anything to go by.

[Monkeylegend]

Reminds me of the joke re Paddy laying turf in his garden and Murphy shouting to him from the window "Green side up"

[The Three D Mucketeer]

Very poorly laid, should lay turf like bricks with a half overlap. Obviously not been watered and that rear corner of the fence would do my head in .
Makes me wonder how much builders rubble is underneath it. Not usually for builders to sell with the back garden turfed in my experience only the front.

Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Tuesday 27th May 09:04

[Simpo Two]

Builders don't do green things. They build. Green things just get in the way.

[Huzzah]

That'll be coming up and redone.

[Cow Corner]

Would be a laugh to see what’s under that…

[GT03ROB]

Most new build sites are dire for the amount of crap thats just below the surface. In an ideal world that needs taking up, the top layer of soil needs diggiing over, the rubbish dug out, then new turf going down and water every day, either rain or sprinkler

[John D.]

Simpo Two said:

Builders don't do green things. They build. Green things just get in the way.

Keeping turf/planting alive and watered prior to handover in the summer can be problematic that's for sure.

Few years ago we managed to get limescale stains on the black cladding of the building from the sprinklers. Grass was lovely though!

[V8 Stang]

Cow Corner said:

Would be a laugh to see what’s under that…

If its anything like the turf ive just dig out of mine, its laid straight on top of rubble and clay.

Certainly no topsoil in sight.

[Byker28i]

I live in a close of 6 houses. We bought into the close, the first of the houses to be sold 30 years ago. One of the neighbours happily said as he was first in, he went around and took most of the top soil from the other houses for his garden.

30 years on, I'm still digging out bricks and clay if I go down 9 inches or more for planting in the front, despite many attempts at improving.

[toughmat88]

Garden in general looks in a shocking state, poor turf and dont get me started on the fence, its laughable.

I would 100% get the rest of the property checked out as i would assume they have cut corners somewhere.

[Chucklehead]

i have direct experience of the same thing. If you water the living daylights out of it, it will probably come back, though mine wasn't quite as bad as yours. However, the shrinkage won't, so you'll be left with a grout line effect of weeds in short time.

If it were to happen to me again, I'd get them to lift and dispose of the turf and you can inspect what's underneath. Chances are you won't like that either.. Then request they put down 3" of screened top soil and you'll seed it yourself.. or turf it if you really want.

[Chucklehead]

sorry to pick further holes.. but what is the span between those two posts? 3m? they look like 4x100mm posts and 100mm boards. I don't build fences for a living, but i've done plenty for friends and family and would never try to span more than 1.8M maybe 2M max. I'm sure others would say up to 2.4M is fine, but there's no way 3M is acceptable. I think they already know that with the weird rail supports they've put in halfway along coming out the ground.

And is that two posts together?

Plus, i'm guessing your inspection ditch was taken out where the blue circle is. That dent doesn't go away, it just gets worse. It needs filled and levelled properly.

[zalrak]

That fence would drive me mad. There's another thread that that belongs in...

[mcelliott]

It’s possible to rescue it if you water the st out of it, then if it shows signs of survival put a layer of top dressing over it and especially the gaps, then borrow a heavy roller to help level it, this may work, but as said a fkin awful job.

Edit
Not sure if you’ve checked what’s underneath but if the builders way of hiding a load of unwanted hardcore completely ignore what I have said!

Edited by mcelliott on Tuesday 27th May 11:29

[TA14]

Chucklehead said:

sorry to pick further holes.. but what is the span between those two posts? 3m? they look like 4x100mm posts and 100mm boards. I don't build fences for a living, but i've done plenty for friends and family and would never try to span more than 1.8M maybe 2M max. I'm sure others would say up to 2.4M is fine, but there's no way 3M is acceptable. I think they already know that with the weird rail supports they've put in halfway along coming out the ground.

And is that two posts together?

Plus, i'm guessing your inspection ditch was taken out where the blue circle is. That dent doesn't go away, it just gets worse. It needs filled and levelled properly.

You make many good points but what struck me the most was that the fence is not at one level. I assume that the natural ground level falls towards the left and that is why there is a slope and lower fence on the left but with the grass/lawn being level the fence should also be level around the whole of the perimeter. It's like they made the fence out of a load of left over bits.