Depending on where you live and your proper time for seeding Fescue, I would just level with pure sand then reseed directly into that. If you do it too early the bermuda will make a happy home in that spot to timing it correctly will help. Avoid using topsoil because it compacts a lot more than sand, that's why you are not seeing good results with the mix. If you were using your current strategy using only sand, results would be more noticeable.

I live in SF Bay Area. It's not that I'm not seeing results, its that I cant tell, and am not sure how to get it that prep'd-level-before-new-sod-laid-over-it look. I will try your suggestion in a couple of months. The reseeding was not as hard as I expected. The biggest challenge was keeping it moist several times a day while being in a drought (dont want neighbors calling the water cops on me for watering in the middle of the afternoon!).

Well now we have a location other questions dome up. Where in the Bay Area, actual city needed - zip code very helpful. In CA we (self included) have been fully sold on Fescue. For most of us is just means a constant battle with Mother Nature and thus paying for products, services, and water - keeping that CA economy growing. You very well may want to consider other grass choices depending on where you live. So many folks from CA have come to these forums this year looking for help with Fescue lawns. Everyone was infested with bermuda. That's the hint, a lawn infested with bermuda may do well with bermuda turf.

This may end up being a process when we get more info.

If your gardener people are scalping when mowing, then they are mowing too low or your have 3+ inch elevation changes in your lawn. A fescue lawn in this area needs to be mowed at 4+ inches and overseeded every Fall. It also need ~2 inches of water per week and "misting" during the day to survive the heat. You can have a good looking fescue lawn but it take a lot of work. I was reluctantly convinced to change my lawn this past May. It was the best decision that was ever forced on me.

In San Jose - 95125. The area I need to fix is only about 4x4 ft. So it's kind of a non-starter to do over as opposed to remedy (and keep vigilant about) the patch of bermuda. Yes, for sure, the elevation change from one side of the mower wheels to the other can be 3", though I think the part that's being scalped the most is where one side of wheels run on the curb and the other is maybe 1" below, but the level of the grass over all is about 1-2" above the concrete pathways.

Our Fescue looked good for the past 7-8 years, but when we cut down the water to conserve water, that's when the bermuda started to get more aggressive, plus my error in using the ornamec too late in the season. :-(

Separately, I have a question on reseeding in fall (which is in my plan). As i look through the lawn, where it even looks great, I notice that I can finger through the blades (because I'm looking for bermuda!) and see the ground below interspersed between the fescue clumps. So I'm wondering, how do you get the seeds to contact the soil? Is taking a rake to it after broadcasting seeds enough? Seems like a lot would get trapped in a root ball/clump, and waste a lot of seeds.

I lived in 95125 a couple years ago, familiar with the area and weather. Since the lawn area is so small you can do it when you want imho. There are few watering restrictions for new seedings and/or hand-held hose watering. Also there is the issue of many areas rescinding their drought restrictions all together so they won't have to submit to increased state mandated restrictions.

The "Fall" and rains start in late November? If so that's the time to do the work if you want to wait. If you did it all now and did not water, the seeds would germinate and grow when the rain starts and the temps get cooler. You have options. Between now and late December(?) is your window of opportunity.

For overseeding it's fairly simple. Mow the lawn as low as possible, bag/rake up clippings, seed, then water. It's a slightly easier process than starting a new lawn from seed. If you are leveling with sand just rake seeds 0.5" in those areas. Since most fescue in our area do not repair themselves well or fill in thinning spots, you should overseed every year. This will help repair the damage from Summer. Increasing the thickness of your lawn will help keep the bermuda at bay.

From there it will be an issue of keeping the bermuda on the run. Mowing high, having thick fescue turf and using your Ornamec should take care of the bulk on the issues.

I'll probably wait until Oct or Nov. The other half of the watering issue is simply not letting it dry out, and cooler, moister weather helps in case there are any unintended/unforseen lapses.

Will take the tips on overseeding. We have gardeners come each week - I usually wait until the minute they leave to put down seed so that it can get a week before they come again. I blocked off the patches when I reseeded last year, and that worked.