Sod Installation in Columbia, SC

It isn't a good idea. New sod needs direct contact with loose, prepared soil so its roots can grow down; laid over existing grass and thatch, it sits on a layer that dries out and decomposes underneath it, and the old turf and weeds can grow back through. The reliable approach is to remove or kill the old lawn, loosen and grade the soil, add amendments if a soil test calls for them, then lay sod and water it in. Site prep is often most of the work in a sod installation.

Columbia lawns are mostly warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, centipede, zoysia and St. Augustine, and their sod roots in fastest when the grass is actively growing — from late spring through summer. Sod can be installed in early fall, but it has less time to establish before it goes dormant. In Columbia's summer heat, new sod needs frequent watering for the first couple of weeks, often daily or more on the hottest days, then gradually less as roots take hold. Avoid installing dormant sod in winter unless you can water it consistently.