I doubt I have any more experience or expertise than you do, but FWIW I'd plan to do that renovation just before the bermuda growing season, if that is what you intend to keep as lawn. Would that be Mar-Apr timeframe in your area?

Is your material calculation roughly a cubic yard each of sand and compost per 1000 sq ft?

There is no way in the world 2 cubic yards of sand+compost will cover 1,000 sq. ft. 6-8" deep. 1 cubic yard will cover about 100-125 sq. ft. 2-3" deep.

Skizot--I think you misread the post. The OP said that 12 cu yd would cover 1000 sq ft to a depth of about 3 inches. If my calculations are correct, it's actually closer to 4 inches (12 cu yd * 27 cu ft / cu yd * 12 inches in one foot (givs inches * sq ft) / 1000 sq ft = 3.888 inches).

I expect that if the OP can calculate the amount of sandy loam needed to get 3 inches per 1000 sq ft, the calculation for 6 inches per 1000 sq ft will not be all that difficult.

As a clarification, if you cover it to a depth of 6-8 inches and till the top 6-8 inches, you'll just be tiling the sand, so I assume you mean either that you'll cover to a depth of 3-4 inches and till to 6-8 inches or that you'll cover with 6-8 inches and mix with the top 6-8 inches of clay (for a total of 12-16 inches deep).

I don't have experience with bermuda, but from what I've read, tilling it won't kill it and might encourage its growth. One thing I would do is to make sure you have the lawn graded after tilling. Otherwise, you could end up with a very bumpy lawn as it settles. Since Bermuda likes to be mowed short, you want to make sure it's not bumpy.

As for timing, I'm not sure, but I would think the best time would be when the Bermuda is fully green in the spring (or early summer, depending on your climate). That way, it would have more time to grow and fill in.

bpgreen, I was mainly responding to soccer_dad's post. Also, no where did the OP mention how much area he was covering with it, so the 1,000 sq. ft. in your calculation is purely an assumption. Without knowing how much area he's dealing with, there's no way for a reader to tell. 1,000 sq. ft. doesn't sound like much area for an entire yard + beds.

Can you add 6 to 8" to your lawn without raising the grade above the sidewalk? Are you going to have to remove some clay first to make room? How are you going to spread that much material? Just some things to think about. You could rent a skid steer or tractor if you didnt mind spending the $$. Make sure to till in a transistion zone where you add 3 inches and till it in to the clay and then add the remaining 3 inches. Maybe you could just add 3" of compost and till that into your clay instead of adding 6", I would think that would give you good soil. Good luck.

One more thought, after you till you can go over with a power rake to give a real nice finish grade. To hand rake the lawn would take forever and not give as good results.

"...there's no way for a reader to tell"
skizot, your not fair - I asked the OP first. Your calculations may be right, but that was not the question.

Here is my 2-cents worth as a sod farmer. Bermuda grass is perfectly happy in heavy clay soils. If you do this in the lawn area there is not much to be gained except a lot of weeds and a very bumpy uneven grade. Yes the Bermuda will try to come back, but will never fully recover in any decent time and you would need new sod.

For the lawn area I would reccomend core aeration, remove the plugs, and top-dress with sharp sand, or a 50/50 mix by volume of sharp sand and peat (not peat moss).

I'll second Texas-weed's recommendation.

You didn't include the price of labor, so I'm assuming your plans are to handle this yoursel. So, here's some food for thought:

12 yards of soil is a lot of material to move around. 24 yards is an enormous pile. A yard of soil weighs around 2,000 pounds give or take 500 depending on the type of soil and moisture content. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Depending on the size of your wheelbarrow, terrain & distance, you're looking at 5 to 9 wheelbarrows per yard.

Next year once everything greens up, core aerate, remove the plugs, get a yard or two of 50/50 mix and top dress. I'm sure the results will be fantastic and you'll be so glad you didn't get 24 yards of soil dumped in your driveway.

I've been more toward the direction of aeration over the last few days. I don't see any problem with doing this now, do you? Also, how much sand would I need for about a 2,000 sq.ft. lawn aeration?

how much sand would I need for about a 2,000 sq.ft. lawn aeration?

About two yards.

As far as timing goes, you can generally aerate any time the grass is actively growing and will have time to recover after the aeration.

I don't see any problem with doing this now, do you?

Just caught this statement. Do not do it now. Wait till next spring when the grass is actively growing and fully greened up.

TW, are you sure I can't do this now? We won't get our first freeze until early 2009. Also, just wanted to confirm that you recommend "removing" the clay soil plugs after aeration. Any other tasks that should/should not be done before, during, or after aeration?

Thanks!

Are you in Florida? If so yes you can probable still get away with aerating now. Yes remove the plugs assuming you are top dressing and filling the voids.

Ok -old post but it is bubbling inside me because I am searching a list related to amending Alabama clay lawn soil prior to renovating and keep reading time and time again advice to add sand. DO NOT DO THIS. You will make concrete when the clay seats itself tightly in between the sand grains. Ok do it and don't believe me...then realize as you walk on your newly formed driveway that the only fix is mad quantities of organic matter.

Yep, bad idea. Clay+sand+water =adobe bricks

Concrete is made by mixing sand, water, gravel/rocks, and CEMENT. Without the cement you cannot make concrete. Clay particles in soil are already seated closely with themselves. As was mentioned, adding sand is not always a cure, but it's not necessarily bad.

Adobe bricks are made by mixing low sand content soil with grassy stuff (like straw), plenty of water, mixing it vigorously to drive the air out of the mix, and letting it dry into brick forms. Driving out the air is important to the adobe process.

Good soil is often a mix of clay, sand, and loam. But as for the clay, chances are very good the original poster did not have clay at all. We've learned a lot on the various lawn forums in the 9 years since this post was started. It is much more likely the OP had an imbalance of salts creating clay-like conditions. Adding silica sand does not change the salt balance. Adding limestone sand can make it worse or better depending on the chemistry of the original soil. Today we would have suggested the OP get a soil test from Logan Labs and post it here before adding sand or anything else.

I think different cultures have different "recipes" for making adobe bricks based on what's locally available. My grandparents made them out of clay and sand with some added horse dung and chopped straw. They said the horse dung strengthened the brick somehow. I never seen them use dirt, though I suppose that could work. Anyway, that stuff was hard as a rock once dried in the sun.

Lol ok ok you guys win. Stand up and spin around so we can see The Light Of The Internet reflect off of your hats.

I won? What's the grand prize?

Around here I think it is some good dirt..oops, I mean soil.