We are currently in construction for our inground vinyl pool, and for now have decided to hold off on installing a patio outside of the 3-ft concrete deck surrounding the pool. We don't have a lot of impervious area left according to the township, so we would like to see which areas of the yard we would enjoy using as a patio before we commit to anything, and will most likely build it next year.
We hit quite a bit of stone during the dig so this is not really soil that I want to use for grading because of the amount of clay and rock in it. PB said that he will grade with topsoil that I order if this is the route that I want to take, and will haul away the rock-ridden soil that I don't want. Since we plan on seeding with grass, I figure that I will have a really hard time trying to grow anything with the amount of rocks that we have to deal with, and I would need a layer of topsoil for the grass seed anyway. I think doing it this way will save me some money when I have my landscaper seed the yard (or sod, haven't decided yet), since it will already have a good layer of topsoil.
I am going to be calling around to see what sort of prices I can get for topsoil. But, how thick does it need to be? The concrete decking is about 4" thick - how far up do I need to grade for seeding with grass? Should I plan on 4" of topsoil and whatever is under that (clay & rocky) can stay? Or do I only need to go about halfway up on the concrete decking, so 2" thick? I have no idea how much topsoil a newly seeded lawn would need. Any help would be appreciated!
We hit quite a bit of stone during the dig so this is not really soil that I want to use for grading because of the amount of clay and rock in it. PB said that he will grade with topsoil that I order if this is the route that I want to take, and will haul away the rock-ridden soil that I don't want. Since we plan on seeding with grass, I figure that I will have a really hard time trying to grow anything with the amount of rocks that we have to deal with, and I would need a layer of topsoil for the grass seed anyway. I think doing it this way will save me some money when I have my landscaper seed the yard (or sod, haven't decided yet), since it will already have a good layer of topsoil.
I am going to be calling around to see what sort of prices I can get for topsoil. But, how thick does it need to be? The concrete decking is about 4" thick - how far up do I need to grade for seeding with grass? Should I plan on 4" of topsoil and whatever is under that (clay & rocky) can stay? Or do I only need to go about halfway up on the concrete decking, so 2" thick? I have no idea how much topsoil a newly seeded lawn would need. Any help would be appreciated!