Agreed, but I was really referring to xeriscaping. Ann 02 and I live in the high mountain deserts. It is a very arid climate but with large amounts of snowfall during a long winter. Still Jul-Sep are blisteringly hot with almost no precip. Wild temperature swings of 40-50deg each day. 100F during the day and a cold 50F at night is normal. So there was, and still sort of might be, a heavy trend toward xeriscaping like you see in AZ and NV. Crushed stone, bark, etc... But in the end we do have enough access to water because of the snow pack that the conditions are good for growing KBG and fescue. Almost everyone I know who decided to go the xeriscape route has begrudgingly ended up going back to a nice KBG lawn in the end. They always find out that the only real advantage to xeriscaping is a lower water bill. Other than that it is actually more work than a nice lawn. Still, they usually wish that the lawn didn't require quite so much nurturing to keep it healthy during the hot months. The ironic thing here about xeriscaping to save water... most people are charged for a minimum water usage and unless we are in a drought, they don't pass that minimum. So xeriscaping increases the maintenance and they get no cost savings.

I do it all the time in my semi-arid climate with the thought it might help it keep from getting a little sun-scalded if it gets hot and dry after the mow (even the next day). I can't say for sure about the last idea, but, I can say for sure watering right after a cut has never seemed to have any detrimental affect in my area. That said, the usual suggestions about watering at times that won't contribute to fungus and disease should always be kept in mind, regardless of cutting schedule. Here most suggest watering cool season grasses in the early morning so as to not add moisture to the lawn during the heat of the afternoon and evening. Suggestions vary depending on local climate.

Zach, you are not the first person to write in here with a lawn that looks like garbage. I've been reading here for 10 years and have been a moderator on three other internet lawn forums since 2003. Logan Labs has emerged as the premier soil test lab in the country. It stands head and shoulders above the second best professional lab in Texas. The same test that LL charges $20 for would cost $100 at the Texas lab. These pro labs serve farms and orchards around the world. With their high volume they can cut their prices. Only one of the university tests (U Mass) even offers what the pro labs offer. The university tests give you pH and the soil macro nutrients. The pro labs give you that plus buffered pH, micro nutrients, CEC, the salt components and their ratios. There are a lot more people who write back to say, "I should have gone to Logan Labs the first time," than those who write in to say, "I'm really glad I went with my local county extension service." Seriously, tilling is a huge mistake. It will not do what you want and it will bring new seeds to the surface to sprout. It will take 3 full years to settle and in the end it will be very bumpy. If you want to freshen your soil, the best thing you can do is cover it in 2 inches of shredded tree (or chipped tree) mulch for a month or two. By covering it with mulch it holds the soil moisture more constant and allows the soil fungi to multiply inn population. The beneficial fungi are what make soil healthy. Bacteria is a secondary player along with protozoa and microarthropods. Earthworms are nice but even they could not survive without healthy fungi. Once you get the mulch down, the improvement happens in a huge hurry. Have you ever seen how fast a bag of bread can turn into a bag of green mold? That's how fast it can happen in the soil. However I would argue that you don't need to do that. You can get the same effect by spraying any clear shampoo on the soil at a rate of 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Do that twice separated by 3 weeks and your soil will improve surprisingly well. Kill the weeds by spot spraying with Weed-B-Gone. The way you remove all the old grass is with a tool called a verticutter, power rake, slit seeder, or any (rented) tool with vertically rotating blades. You can adjust it so it just touches the soil. It will take all the plants out. Rake or blow the old grass away before seeding. Seed directly onto that soil and roll the seed down with a rented roller.

You'll want to use glyphosate (brand name roundup, but any will do) to kill it. Just make sure you don't use something that has extended control or you won't be able to seed. Also, you're probably running out of time on doing this, so get started fast. You say you plan to seed heavily, but don't seed more than the recommended rate. If you seed too heavily, too much grass will grow and will be competing for resources, so it will end up not being healthy and possibly dying off. For Ohio, you'll want Kentucky bluegrass. If you're killing it all and starting over, you may as well go with elite cultivars (and insist on sod quality seeds). You won't find that at a big box store, but may find it at a local nursery. If you Google "kentucky bluegrass seed selections ohio" (without the quotes) you'll find some recommendations tailored to your state.