We know that there are a lot of people who enjoy working in their yards. Whether it’s planting flowers, mulching, or mowing the lawn, there are plenty of folks who enjoy the opportunity to get outside and get their hands dirty.
At Grassperson, we have always been happy to work with DIYers who handle some of their own yard maintenance themselves. But we also always like to be transparent and honest about which tasks can be tackled as DIY projects and which ones are best left to a pro.
In this article, we will explore: Is DIY lawn aeration worth it?
Lawn aeration is one of those tasks that is not only more complicated than people tend to realize but also more labor-intensive. Before you tackle this on your own, there are some really important considerations to weigh. It’s important to come to the decision that is ultimately best for you.
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Determining whether DIY aeration is “worth it” is going to be somewhat of a personal consideration. In order to save some money, some people might think it’s worth tackling this job on their own.
But when considering a core aerator rental vs. professional aeration, it’s important that you’re keeping these important factors in mind.
If you are thinking about DIY aeration, you’re probably looking for ways to avoid common lawn aeration mistakes. When aerating goes awry, you aren’t going to get the results you desire.
Here are a few ways that things can go wrong.
There is no question that the biggest advantage to performing lawn aeration on your own is that you’re going to save money. It is definitely less expensive to rent an aerator and perform this service on your own. The cost to rent an aerator is usually around $100 a day. You may also have to rent a trailer to haul the aerator if you don’t already have one and there can be some gas expenses.
Prices for professional lawn aeration are going to vary by company and are usually based on lot size. In most cases it will be at least double or likely even more than the cost of a rental.
All that being said, for many homeowners, the downsides of performing aeration on their own are often enough to dissuade them from doing it. As we’ve covered, there are many lawn aeration mistakes that can be made. And there are numerous reasons why homeowners don’t feel comfortable doing this service on their own (it’s physical, time-consuming, and a hassle, to name just some).
At the end of the day, the decision is yours. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons and determine what is right for your property. For some homeowners, the savings might make them feel like it’s something they want to try. If that’s the case, read below for some of our lawn aeration rental advice.
If you are planning to tackle DIY lawn aeration, we want to make sure that you’re still making wise choices about your rental. Here are a few of our best tips.
Before we wrap up this article, we wanted to address some commonly asked questions about DIY lawn aeration. If it’s something that you are still considering, these are some of the things you might want to know.
Using a core aerator typically ranges in difficulty from moderate to challenging. A lot of this is going to depend on the state of the equipment. If it is in good condition, it might work better. But if it’s a piece of equipment that has been rented many times and has lots of wear and tear, it may not be running optimally.
Plus, any time that you’re operating heavy machinery, there is always some risk involved. You could end up tearing up your lawn, damaging your irrigation system, or snagging an invisible dog fence line.
There are a lot of ways that DIY aeration can go wrong. Some of the common reasons why you might feel your DIY aeration didn’t work is because you didn’t pull enough soil plugs, you didn’t pull soil plugs deep enough, your compaction was severe, or you did not perform any follow-up care.
A lot of times homeowners get partially into a DIY aeration job when they realize it was more than they really wanted to tackle on their own.
The cost to rent an aerator usually starts around $100 for a day.
An unexpected cost that homeowners forget is the cost to rent a trailer if you don’t already have one. You have to think about how you will get the aerator to and from your house.
At the end of the day, when you factor in some of the considerations discussed in this article, you might decide it’s not really worth pursuing DIY lawn aeration after all. For the amount of time and effort you’re going to put in, you want to see amazing results—but you could be left feeling frustrated, instead.
If you truly care about achieving superior results, then this is a service that should be left to the pros.
At Grassperson, it is our goal to take away the burdens that you don’t want to deal with and help you achieve the great lawn results you desire. When professionally performed, lawn aeration is going to help your lawn roots to grow longer and stronger, which is going to lead to healthier grass.
Soon, you’ll be on your way to having the best lawn on the block.
Ready to get the results that you desire for your lawn in the Flower Mound, Highland Village, or Lewisville, TX area? Get a free quote and then enjoy the best lawn with no worries!