Topsoil replacement?

[kittygilchrist]

I'm south of 466a with what is mostly clay for topsoil. Am considering replacing 50 or so linear yards of topsoil.
Where do I start? Anybody done this? Ballpark for cost? how deep to replace?

[Bogie Shooter]

Check with Dirt Cheap for delivery.

[FLSun]

Pretty certain that soil near your foundation has the termite treatment. Is that what you were planning to replace?

[kittygilchrist]

Pretty certain that soil near your foundation has the termite treatment. Is that what you were planning to replace?

thanks for the heads up. I'll keep that in mind. Well worded post to get the msg across.

[mulligan]

The new construction termite treatment is no longer applied to the soil, but rather to the lower36" of framing. The former soil treatment was found to release radon into the homes. Go ahead and replace the soil, but be prepared to pay a premium for good topsoil, because there isn't much in Florida. There is also some prohibitions against moving soil from county to county in some parts of Florida.

[Villageswimmer]

I'm south of 466a with what is mostly clay for topsoil. Am considering replacing 50 or so linear yards of topsoil.
Where do I start? Anybody done this? Ballpark for cost? how deep to replace?


If you amended existing soil with compost, vermiculite, peat, etc. (You'd want a soil test first), would that do the trick? Actually replacing soil seems like a major undertaking. Just MHO. Good luck.

[kittygilchrist]

It is major. Clay is clay.

[Bogie Shooter]

The new construction termite treatment is no longer applied to the soil, but rather to the lower36" of framing. The former soil treatment was found to release radon into the homes. Go ahead and replace the soil, but be prepared to pay a premium for good topsoil, because there isn't much in Florida. There is also some prohibitions against moving soil from county to county in some parts of Florida.

I had the soil treatment from Massey last year on my renewal.

[mrfixit]

.
Try Adam...We and several neighbors had good luck with him.

He is located on Hwy 42 just North and West of the Villages.
You do not have to go to his facility...they come to you....

..................................... at 855-COW-POOP.
..........................................855-269-7667 ?

......or.................................855-WE-AERATE
..........................................855-932-3728 ?

......or..................................352-615-4775

They Manufacture Black Kow soil and compost additives,
....... (kinda like black dirt ).


He can bring a small ride on machine to thinly spread it on your lawn.
for you. You can buy as many layers as you wish

You can also have a load dumped on your drive or lawn.....do not do this ....way too much work compared to the little extra he
charges to spread it for you.

Have regular compost....and...Cow Manure...and...Mushroom Compost.

They do aerating of your lawn.

They also sell pine needle bales....delivered at 4.75 a bale
................................or....delivered and installed at 6.75 a bale.

We also used his Mushroom mix Compost when planting a lot of shrubs.

[Uptown Girl]

Good advice in the above post!!!

I had clay soil in Illinois. I enjoyed perennial flower gardening there.
Anything and everything I planted got amended at planting time, and top dressed seasonally.

Black Kow and Mushroom compost were my never- fail products.
I always had outstanding results.

[Bonanza]

If you amended existing soil with compost, vermiculite, peat, etc. (You'd want a soil test first), would that do the trick? Actually replacing soil seems like a major undertaking. Just MHO. Good luck.

Forget the vermiculite.
It doesn't add anything to the soil and
doesn't break down into anything good.
Vermiculite does hold water,
but that shouldn't be a reason to use it.

[Bonanza]

The new construction termite treatment is no longer applied to the soil, but rather to the lower36" of framing. The former soil treatment was found to release radon into the homes. Go ahead and replace the soil, but be prepared to pay a premium for good topsoil, because there isn't much in Florida. There is also some prohibitions against moving soil from county to county in some parts of Florida.

I'm not sure wht you mean about termite treatment being applied to the lower 36" of the framing in our houses. The majority of the framing is steel and not porous.

I believe the soil is still treated, but not with chlordane which was banned in 1988. I'm not familiar with what is used today. If you are referring to chlordane emitting radon, with all chlordane's issues, I have never heard of that. Radon IS naturally released from granite, which many of us have in our kitchen and bath countertops.

I cannot imagine that a company cannot bring good topsoil from one county to another between Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. If they were confined to their own county, I'm sure they would be out of business lickety-split. That isn't something that the general public needs to know. The onus would be on the seller in a situation such as that. They know it if the law pertains to them.

[mulligan]

I'm not sure wht you mean about termite treatment being applied to the lower 36" of the framing in our houses. The majority of the framing is steel and not porous.

I believe the soil is still treated, but not with chlordane which was banned in 1988. I'm not familiar with what is used today. If you are referring to chlordane emitting radon, with all chlordane's issues, I have never heard of that. Radon IS naturally released from granite, which many of us have in our kitchen and bath countertops.

I cannot imagine that a company cannot bring good topsoil from one county to another between Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. If they were confined to their own county, I'm sure they would be out of business lickety-split. That isn't something that the general public needs to know. The onus would be on the seller in a situation such as that. They know it if the law pertains to them.

Take a ride and look at the new construction. The green spray you see on the lower part of the walls is termiticide. The soil is NOT treated. Just because you cannot imagine regulation of soil movement from county to county does not mean it does not exist. I have personally dealt with this issue in South Florida.

[gomoho]

My soil was also treated last year on the re-treat for termites.

[mulligan]

My soil was also treated last year on the re-treat for termites.

I believe the OP was referring to the pre-construction soil poisoning that used to be done prior to pouring the slabs.

[e-flyer]

The interior wood treatment only last about 7 yrs. Most companies that apply a treatment around the foundation use a product called Termidor. I believe it's available at most hardware stores as well for the do it yourself folks.

[Bonanza]

Take a ride and look at the new construction. The green spray you see on the lower part of the walls is termiticide. The soil is NOT treated. Just because you cannot imagine regulation of soil movement from county to county does not mean it does not exist. I have personally dealt with this issue in South Florida.

You indicated that the termite treatment was on the lower 36" of the "framing." The framing is mostly steel, as I mentioned. You are speaking about wallboard. I am not familiar with what the laws are regarding termite treatment in new construction within the Villages, but I gather you are??? Or are you basing what you've said upon what you've seen?

I did not say that laws regarding moving soil from one county to another don't exist. I specifically made reference to the three counties right here, not south Florida. I lived in south Florida for over 25 years and had topsoil put down on a couple of occasions. I was never informed that where it came from was an issue, and it wasn't. I paid -- they delivered. . I simply said that the burden of that "law" is on the supplier, not the homeowner. That is the point I was making.

[mulligan]

Nuff said on the dirt. I asked the question specifically of our builder before closing on our home, and his reply was that the soil under the slab is no longer treated pre-construction for the reason stated above. The lower 36" of framing are sprayed with termiticide before insulation. The spray has a green trace in it so the inspectors can see where it was applied.

[Susan G]

I'm south of 466a with what is mostly clay for topsoil. Am considering replacing 50 or so linear yards of topsoil.
Where do I start? Anybody done this? Ballpark for cost? how deep to replace?

Hi Kitty...sent you a PM. Be careful asking for "topsoil" around here. You'll end up with a load of mostly sand with ground mulch/bark mixed in, and heaven knows, we have enough of that already!:duck:

[JP]

Yes, the soil around here is horrible but before I replaced all of my topsoil, I would first try thin layers of Black Cow manure applied multiple times. I have a feeling it would work very well as it would add both organics and fertilizer to your lawn.