Feeling a bit overwhelmed. This is a 34’x20’ space I have gotten the top layer of grass off. It’s a very thick / clay like mud. Unsure on the best next course of action to get this space compacted and level.
I need to level this so I can put a weed barrier down and it will be for my daughter’s playground set that they are coming to build next week. But this has to be a level surface for them to build on. I will put down kiddie cushion mulch after they build the playset…
by bonergainz
2 Comments
Bring in some base like recycled concrete and plate compact it. Drop fabric.
Stop right now if that dirt is sticking to your boots. You are dealing with Southeast Texas gumbo clay and if you try to grade or compact it while it’s this wet you are just making adobe bricks. You need to let this dry out for a day or two until it crumbles rather than smears. Once it creates manageable clods instead of soup grab a wide landscape rake and knock down the high spots into the tire ruts. You don’t need a steamroller flat surface for a playset but you do need to eliminate those ankle-breaking divots before the crew arrives.
Be very careful with your “weed barrier” plan because this is where most DIYers create a disaster. If you dig a pit in clay and line it with cheap plastic weed fabric from a big box store you are essentially building a swimming pool that will drown the playset legs and rot the wood. You need a heavy duty non-woven geotextile fabric. Its main job isn’t just stopping weeds, it is separating your expensive mulch from sinking into that mud while still allowing water to actually drain through.
You also need to think about containment immediately. If you just dump kiddie cushion mulch on a flat pad without a raised border that expensive wood fiber is going to migrate into your lawn the first time it rains or the kids start running. You need a 4×4 or 6×6 timber border pinned with rebar to keep the material inside the play zone. I help people with these kinds of layouts all the time and if you skip the hard border you will be mowing wood chips for the next five years.