Case Study: Lawn Renewal in Longueuil

The owner of a 1970s-era bungalow in Longueuil's Vieux-Longueuil neighborhood called us in early May after a particularly harsh winter had devastated their front and side lawns. Large patches of dead grass covered nearly sixty percent of the total lawn area, with the worst damage concentrated along the driveway where road salt had accumulated over the winter months. Snow mold -- a common fungal condition in Quebec caused by prolonged snow cover -- had created extensive grey-brown patches across the rest of the lawn. The homeowner had tried overseeding the previous fall with little success and wanted a professional solution that would deliver a clean, uniform result. Our assessment confirmed that the damage was too widespread for simple patching. The existing topsoil along the driveway edge was heavily contaminated with sodium from years of salt exposure, and the overall grade of the front yard had settled unevenly over the decades, creating low spots where water pooled and contributed to the snow mold problem. We recommended a complete lawn renewal rather than piecemeal repairs. The work began with stripping all existing turf and the top two inches of contaminated soil along the driveway. We brought in fresh screened topsoil and regraded the entire front and side yards, correcting the low spots and establishing a consistent two-percent slope away from the foundation. Along the driveway edge, we added an extra inch of clean topsoil to create a buffer zone and installed a narrow Permacon paver border to separate the lawn from the asphalt, which also helps contain salt runoff in future winters. A balanced starter fertilizer was worked into the top inch of soil before we laid premium Kentucky bluegrass and fescue blend sod sourced from a Quebec farm. Each roll was placed tightly edge-to-edge in a staggered pattern and rolled for full soil contact. The project was completed in four working days. We provided the homeowner with a detailed watering schedule and a seasonal maintenance plan covering mowing height, fertilization timing, and aeration recommendations. By midsummer, the lawn was fully established and the homeowner reported it was the best their property had looked in over a decade.