What is the difference between grading and leveling a yard?

• <div><p>Grading refers to the sloping of your yard away from your house’s foundation. It’s a landscaping term you probably know well if you’ve ever had to push your lawn mower up a steep slope.</p><p>Leveling is the solution to grading issues since it involves making your yard flat and smooth (and easy to push a lawn mower through).</p></div>

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Q: Should I use sand or dirt to level my pool?

• <div><p>It depends on the model of your pool. You&rsquo;ll always have to level the topsoil, but most vinyl-lined pools require an additional 1- to 2-inch layer of sand to protect the liner. This way, when a foot kicks down to the bottom of your pool, it&rsquo;s not scraping the liner against the hard ground. If your pool isn&rsquo;t vinyl-lined, you can skip this step or add a layer of another base material, like <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/what-is-decomposed-granite.htm">decomposed granite</a>. Always check your manufacturer&rsquo;s instructions before you begin.</p></div>

Q: Is rototilling worth it?

• <div><p>Yes, <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/how-rototilling-can-help-your-plants-thrive-spring.htm">rototilling has many benefits</a>. Rototilling is a great way to aerate the soil in your garden, introduce fertilizer, and remove weeds from your soil to prep it for planting, so it is very often a worthwhile expense. You can get by without rototilling if you&rsquo;re willing to use manual tools, but the work will take much longer and is very labor-intensive. If you&rsquo;re looking to prepare your garden for planting or your soil for new grass growth, rototilling is relatively inexpensive and almost always worth the money.</p></div>

Q: Do installations include grading?

• <div><p>Yes, most services include grading for proper drainage. Confirm with your contractor.</p></div>

Q: Can professionals integrate grading with other landscape services?

• <div><p>Yes, such as sod installation and erosion control for comprehensive site improvement.</p></div>

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Rototilling questions, answered by experts

It depends on the model of your pool. You’ll always have to level the topsoil, but most vinyl-lined pools require an additional 1- to 2-inch layer of sand to protect the liner. This way, when a foot kicks down to the bottom of your pool, it’s not scraping the liner against the hard ground. If your pool isn’t vinyl-lined, you can skip this step or add a layer of another base material, like decomposed granite. Always check your manufacturer’s instructions before you begin.

Yes, rototilling has many benefits. Rototilling is a great way to aerate the soil in your garden, introduce fertilizer, and remove weeds from your soil to prep it for planting, so it is very often a worthwhile expense. You can get by without rototilling if you’re willing to use manual tools, but the work will take much longer and is very labor-intensive. If you’re looking to prepare your garden for planting or your soil for new grass growth, rototilling is relatively inexpensive and almost always worth the money.

Yes, most services include grading for proper drainage. Confirm with your contractor.

Yes, such as sod installation and erosion control for comprehensive site improvement.

Grading refers to the sloping of your yard away from your house’s foundation. It’s a landscaping term you probably know well if you’ve ever had to push your lawn mower up a steep slope.

Leveling is the solution to grading issues since it involves making your yard flat and smooth (and easy to push a lawn mower through).

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