Diagnose before you decide. Most patchy lawns are patchy for a reason that new turf does not touch.
Repair where the problem is the grass — thin, mossy, weedy, underfed. Scarifying, aerating, feeding and overseeding fixes those for a fraction of the cost.
Replace where the problem is the ground — uneven levels, dead lawn, wrong shape — or where you need an instant result.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Repair or replace? |
|---|---|---|
| Moss throughout | Compaction, shade, wet | Repair |
| Thin and pale | Underfeeding | Repair |
| Weedy but level | Neglect | Repair |
| Worn on a route | Traffic | Neither — a path |
| Bumpy and uneven | Settlement | Replace |
| Bare in the same spot yearly | Something buried | Dig out that area |
| Boggy patch | Drainage | Drainage first |
| Thin under a tree | Shade and root competition | Rethink the area |
| Dead throughout | Various | Replace |
Tell us what you need and we will arrange a free quotation.
There is no rule saying it must be all or nothing. Returfing the worst area — the part you actually look at, or the bit that has genuinely died — while renovating the rest is often the sensible use of a budget. New turf and established lawn do differ in colour for a season or two, but they blend, and it costs far less than doing the lot.
See what our turfing service covers in Hengrove, or read more about the service across the areas we work in.
Repair where the problem is the grass — thin, mossy, weedy, underfed. Replace where the problem is the ground: uneven levels, a dead lawn, or the wrong shape.
Scarifying, aerating, top-dressing, overseeding and feeding, repeated across a season. Aerating usually does the most.
Levels, deep compaction, drainage work beneath the surface, soil depth, buried rubble, and the lawn's shape or position.
Because the cause was never addressed. Compaction, shade, drainage, roots and buried rubble all persist beneath new turf.
No. You have improved the ground you will eventually lay onto, so the work carries forward.
Yes, and it is often sensible — returf the worst area and renovate the rest. Colour differs for a season or two, then blends.
That is drainage, and neither repair nor new turf fixes it. Address the drainage first.
Deep shade under trees, permanently wet ground, heavy traffic routes, steep slopes, or where nobody will maintain it.
Need tree surgery, hedge maintenance, fencing, garden clearance, turfing or power washing? Complete the form and tell us what work you require.
