Sod anatomy and the brick-stagger laying pattern
A piece of sod is grass over thatch over a ~¾″ soil layer, laid on a tilled 4–6″ bed. Lay the longest straight edge first, stagger the seams like brick, and butt pieces tight — no gaps, no overlap — then roll and water.
What this diagram shows
Two views. On the left, a cross-section of one piece of sod from the top down: grass blades, a thin thatch layer, and a roughly three-quarter-inch soil-and-root layer (the TPI cut thickness), sitting on a prepared 4 to 6 inch tilled topsoil bed. On the right, a plan view of sod laid in staggered courses like brickwork: pieces start against the longest straight edge, the seams of each course are offset at least 6 inches from the course above, and pieces are butted tight with no gaps and no overlap because sod shrinks as it dries. The finished lawn is rolled and watered within 30 minutes.
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