Removing Sod and Preparing for Pad

[Brookenstein]

What is the best way to go about this?  I'm going to remove a 11x10 area.  We are just putting down the portable pad, but I want to remove the sod, possibly put down sand (tamped) to make sure I have a good solid level surface first.  How do I best remove the grass first?  My husband thought I should kill the grass, but then what?.  I thought maybe there was a tool I could rent from the Depot and peel it off and roll it up or something.  

Any input on the best, easiest, quickest, most cost effective way to do it?  

[Dr. Spaâ„¢ Ret.]

1 stick of dynamite at each corner, and 3 sticks in the middle. Be sure to detonate them simultaneously.

[East_TX_Spa]

If there are any immigrant day laborers in your area, that would probably be the most cost effective way.  I just don't know if there are any in your neck of the woods but you can look around.  That's who we use and they do a good job.

Terminator

[Brookenstein]

I'm the cheap labor.  All money is gone if I get this spa.  Unless my electrical is way cheap I'm going to be over budget as it is.  I was just hoping someone knew the easiest way to remove sod.

[East_TX_Spa]

Oh!

I've seen it done with a shovel.  For no bigger area than you are talking about, that would be most cost effective.  I'm sorry I haven't been more help.  I just sell hot tubs and don't know much else.

Terminator

[Bonibelle]

Brook:  They make a small flat shovel, called a sod shovel
that lets you cut down and then slip the shovel under the sod. You actually are able to remove the grass and the roots in strips and stay relatively level with the ground (unlike if you dug it out with a rounded shovel).   What ever you do, don't just kill the grass because you won't be able to tamp it, the dead grass and roots will be all lumpy.

[ssbraun]

There are special sod cutters available for rental that are gas powered.  I've never used one but my neighbor did and it was a good rig he figured.  He was cutting a larger area than you, though, so a sharp square end spade might be the way to go.  It'll likely be hard work either way, but it WILL be worth it

[ramdom]

We used round spades, a wheel barrow and a semi-automatic (heheh- Terminator). It's lots of labour and it can take about 2 days. Ours took that long and there were 3 of us on a 9 x 8 foot area. It's best to find replacement areas for your sod or have an idea before you start where to put it and the soil, as it adds up.

Build up your garden beds with the shovelled soil or any low areas in your yard. If you live in the woods, heave dirt into the brush - the rain will sort it out.

Dig down at least four inches for your stone dust and keep the dirt base fairly level. Add evenly, rake flat and tamp hard the stone dust, checking frequently with the longest level you can find, attached to a 2 x 4 if neccesary.

Lay out the pads and shim with additional stone dust to achieve perfect level grade. This makes a difference on the entire tub sitting purty and the water laying level inside later.

It's a lot of work but don't get discouraged, it can be back busting (take your time - the tub isn't running yet to ease and massage those tired, sore muscles!) but intersperse well with frequent coffee and hot toddy breaks. Good luck!

[Anoroc]

I just did this today.  Its a lot of work to get the area ready.  I used a spade or I think its a spade.  Its a shovel with a flat edge.  I still had to tear it out in chunks becuse I had trouble rolling it.  I leveled the ground added about 700lbs. of sand and tampered down and placed the interlocking mats.  I got them mostly level but man am I whoooped tired.

Good Luck

[lawdawgva]

I put a patio down which originally served as a hot tub pad before I put it on the deck.

I removed the sod with a coal shovel (much like the sod shovel but takes out much more area at a time) then I put down about an inch or so of sand over the area, just to level it out and on top of that I placed those 18"x18" square precast concrete blocks.  They ran about 3.25 each and you'd need about 50 of them to do a 10x11 area so that comes to about 162.50.  

I'd say adding in the cost of the sand you'd need, you might get away with less than 200.00 by using this method.  Not sure how that compares with what you were planning on using.

[wmccall]

Oh!

I've seen it done with a shovel.  For no bigger area than you are talking about, that would be most cost effective.  I'm sorry I haven't been more help.  I just sell hot tubs and don't know much else.

Terminator

That is how I wife did it, 2 shovels and not much more than a hour or two of work.