Forum

Replies

• 

  Tim Wallach May 25, 2018 at 1:51pm

   is the climbing frame/slide fixed or has it gradually been moved along?  Playing kids can create a lot of wear.  Sometimes those TP slides have an extension that completely wipes out the grass underneath.   Currently the slide ends in an oddly perfect patch of grass.
  • 

    Ashley Norman > Tim Wallach May 25, 2018 at 2:01pm

    Thanks for the reply Tim .

    Good spot but he hasn't moved the slide at all. Where the playframe has been directly underneath it there is barely any grass at all. Although like you say the grass at the end of the slide is perfect so wonder if he may have turned it around? 

    I'm at a loss with it. 
• PRO

  Neal Barker @ Etesia uk May 25, 2018 at 2:07pm

  If the customer is willing to pay for redoing the lawn then i would say the customer can be trusted with there response to questions so ask them first about the kids frame and if this is moved up and down this side of garden as i think Tim is about spot on with his reply,

  if you look at the photo it looks as though the worst damaged areas are almost the exact size of the base to the kids frame where it would block all light etc

   

  next thing to think about is grub damage so do some digging in the patches

  while digging some areas for grub investigation it might be worth just taking some of the soil and putting into a container and adding some water and leave for an hour or so, this will let any oil contamination if there is any leave a skin ontop of the water which will look like a rainbow as you tilt in the light, this will let you know if its down to the old owner driving cars over the area which had oil leaks etc and has contaminated the soil
  • 

    Ashley Norman > Neal Barker @ Etesia uk May 26, 2018 at 5:58am

    Hi Neal,

    Thanks for the informatice reply. I think I may do what you have said an take a soil sample and check for oil. If there's no trace as others have suggested I think It could be compaction. 

    The only reason I was doubting contamination is because I moved some of the soil and put it the other side of the lawn. 

     

    Thanks Ash 
• PRO Supplier

  Progreen Weed Control May 25, 2018 at 4:42pm

  I would favour the car - compacted soi - contaminated soil angle. Its pretty consistent with the width of a vehicle - the stretch against the wall is ok which further supports the theory..I would dig a couple of test holes and check the soil profile - layer by layer  - for compaction and/ or contamination evidence.

  It will need machine aeration, I would apply a good wetter to flush the toxins down into the soil and follow up with regular seaweed sprays to improve soil micobial content and likely an overseed but it should recover quickly .. 
  • PRO

    dan > Progreen Weed Control May 25, 2018 at 4:52pm

     

    marks look consistant with heavy traffic points at base of slide and rear ladder 

    i reckon hes turned it 90 degrees counter clockwise and repositioned it -- looks like it could have been base of picture and been pulled down twice - theres also a wierd faint white line half under the slide that could have been a drag mark ? 

    it was certainly hot enough for traffic damage last few weeks and minor heat wave month ago or so 
    • PRO

      dan > dan May 25, 2018 at 4:58pm

      looks like you might be able to measure distance between ladder and slide exit -- and compare against the  points of worst damage to ground - he may have only moved it once 
  • 

    Ashley Norman > Progreen Weed Control May 26, 2018 at 6:07am

    Thanks for the reply.

    I think it could be soil compaction after reading this although I am going to check the soil.

    I think the customer would have said to be honest if he had caused it as he is willing to pay for it regardless. Turning the frame round is a possibility although his lad is only coming up to 4 years old and I would be disappointed with the quality of our materials if he had caused the yellowing of the grass by playing on it. 

    I'm thinking if someone was pushing cars up and down there for years on end then it could cause some major compaction below where we dug out too.

    So would it need some deep aeration to loosen up?

    By the way the faint line going up to the slide is the track our measuring wheel left.

    Thanks Ash 

     
• PRO

  mark thomas May 25, 2018 at 6:39pm

  I'd say defernetly compaction of children playing I've noticed the goal net at the bottom of garden do they play there at all,
  • 

    Ashley Norman > mark thomas May 26, 2018 at 6:08am

    I couldn't tell you where his lad plays football but he is only coming 4 do you think he could have caused the compaction? 

     

    You can't really see in the picture but the yellow grass goes past the slide at the same width all the way down to the building at the bottom of the garden.