While someone driving on your lawn accidentally or even intentionally sometimes is a common issue for homeowners, it isn’t a crime.
Luckily, the damage isn’t extensive in most cases unless it rained previously and the soil is still wet, but you need to know what to do to fix the problem.
Before fixing the issue, make sure you assess the situation intensively to determine if the rut is shallow or deep and adopt the most appropriate solution.
What To Do If Someone Drove On Your Lawn
If someone drives on your lawn and the damage is extensive, just get an estimate, then contact them and request that they pay you. They can do so on their own or they can contact their insurance and let them handle it.
Alternatively, if the damage isn’t extensive, you can fix the ruts left by someone after driving on your lawn by loosening, lifting, and leveling the soil if the ruts aren’t deep. However, for a deeper rut, get rid of any grass, put soil into the rut, then replace the sod grass.
As mentioned, someone driving on your lawn is a common occurrence that occurs intentionally or accidentally. The outcome of this is some damage to your lawn, but it is not a problem you can fix with the right tools and know-how.
Your neighbor could miss the pavement and drive on your lawn while driving into or out of their home. In such a case, they should realize their mistake swiftly, and the ruts left by the car tires don’t go deep.
Read More: Best Barriers To Keep Cars Off Grass
If this happens to you, give your grass a few weeks to grow back, and you can help speed up the process by leveling the soil.
On the flip side, someone could drive into your lawn intentionally. This could be someone with a grudge against you for many reasons, like a dreaded ex-spouse or an angry co-worker.
Moreover, drunk teenagers or adults can also cause significant damage to your yard since their judgment is compromised. However, you can rectify the physical damage on your lawn if a car leaves deeper ruts.
In addition, you should also consider finding a permanent solution to prevent such incidences. This will help keep your grass in excellent condition and save you time and money.
Read more: Scarified Lawn Looks Terrible
How to Keep Neighbors From Driving on Your Lawn?
You can keep neighbors from driving through your lawn by erecting a fence, making a hedge, placing parking posts on your lawn, putting a flag, using a concrete pyramid, or even a huge rock or boulder. Alternatively, install a netted driveway guard, spike strips, or a parking post.
1. Install A Fence
Fences come in different forms, including aluminum fences, traditional metal rail or wood fences, vinyl fences, and chain-link fences. While a traditional will do the job, it’s not usually weather resistant or highly durable.
On the other hand, a vinyl fence is an excellent alternative to traditional fences, and it’s long-lasting, serving you for about ten years.
If you don’t want a permanent fence, you can choose a retractable safety fence in the color of your choosing to suit various landscape aesthetics. Moreover, you can paint your fence for a more refined curb appeal.
2. A Huge Rock or Boulder
You can put giant boulders or rocks in strategic areas on your yard’s edge to discourage drivers from driving into your lawn. This solution will keep unruly neighbors from ruining your yard because the rocks or boulders can damage a vehicle’s undercarriage or bumper.
3. Netted Driveway Guards
This is a safety netting type you can mount on your driveway to keep vehicles off your lawn. You can adjust this retractable netting sideways to achieve the appropriate width.
Moreover, you can install it at your yard’s edges supported by sticks. Also, remember that netted driveway guards are available in multiple colors, with bright ones more visible, even at night.
4. Hedges
These keep cars off your yard and improve your lawn privacy. You can choose a natural hedge/living fence for a beautiful natural look, but it will take time to reach maturity, or an artificial hedge that is more affordable and offers instant protection.
5. Parking Posts
Also known as bollards, they feature strips in reflective colors to make your lawn more visible at night. If you choose a steel and metal parking post, you will have a sturdy barrier against vehicles.
6. Concrete Pyramids
A concrete pyramid has a spiky base that forms a strong barricade by hooking to the ground. You can get it in reflective colors, usually white, making them highly noticeable, but keep in mind that they are costly.
7. Spike Strips
A spike strip will deflate a car’s tires the moment it steps into your yard, which is enough to warn vehicle owners from your lawn. While it’s effective and you can paint them a color of your choosing, check with the neighborhood residential association to see if they allow their installation.
8. Flags
Line your lawn’s corners with flags for a straightforward, temporary solution.
How To Fix Grass That Has Been Driven On
Fixing grass that someone drove on is annoying, especially after working hard to grow a healthy lawn, and time-consuming. However, it must be done to help restore your lawn appeal, and you will require the following tools:
- Spade fork
- Garden spade
- Sod knife if necessary
- Watering can or garden hose
- Sand, compost, and grass seed
The damage will likely be shallow ruts, usually 1 to 3 inches deep. You may be tempted just to overseed the damaged areas, but that will be a mistake since the car tires will compact the soil.
Therefore, do the following instead:
- Loosen The Soil
First, locate the tire marks edge, then use a spade fork or shovel placed at an angle of 45-degree into the rut to loosen the soil. You don’t need to dig too deep.
- Lift The Soil
Level the ground by lifting the soil up to 1 or 2 inches above the grass and let it settle. This should be enough to correct a minor rut.
Note
It would help if you waited until your grass growth spurt begins to fix tire ruts which typically occurs in early fall or late spring, depending on your grass and climate. For Instance, warm-season grasses such as Buffalo, Zoysia grasses, and Bermuda growth spurt happens in late spring.
On the other hand, cool-season grasses like Tall Fescue, Fine Fescue, and Kentucky Bluegrass are best repaired in early fall.
How To Fix Deep Tire Ruts In Lawn
Deep tire ruts are caused by driving through the lawn with force, heavy machinery, or driving on it when the yard is wet. It’s more complicated to fix them than the shallow ones, but you can successfully do it by doing the following:
1. Remove The Grass
Cut the sod edges with a shovel or a sod knife and dig up the grass found in the rut. Ensure you remove everything, including the roots, to make sure you can re-install it later.
2. Loosen The Soil
First, lift the compacted soil, then loosen it using a spade fork driven into the rut at an angle of 45 degrees. You will likely need to dig much deeper in this case.
3. Fill The Rut
Use equal parts of sand, compost, and soil to fill the rut to help grow deeper roots and topsoil to achieve a much better result. Ensure the new soil is 1 to 2 inches above the current soil level.
4. Grow The Grass
Put the soil you removed earlier back into place if it’s still intact. However, install new grass if the sod was damaged or there are sparse areas, but ensure the grass seed you use is the same in the entire lawn.
Patching the area with different grass will result in a mismatched lawn that looks unappealing. Lift the grass gently and add soil underneath the sod if the depression still exists a few weeks post-installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Tire Ruts In Lawn Go Away?
Shallow tire ruts will quickly go away if you raise the soil, but deeper ones (over 4 inches) require aggressive treatment. In fact, some experts suggest replacing sod or reseeding, but that isn’t necessary if you have an average lawn.
Is It Illegal To Drive On Someone’s Lawn?
It’s not illegal to drive on someone’s lawn, but most jurisdictions treat it as a civil matter. While you can report the offender to the law enforcement authorities, it falls within the discretion of whether to pursue the incident or not.
You have the right to sue if the offender causes property damage with the case going to small claims court.
Will Driving On Grass Kill It?
Generally, driving over grass doesn’t kill it, but doing it with substantial force or frequently will damage it. The car tires compact the soil lowering the amount of water and air reaching the roots of your grass.
Conclusion
Vehicle tires don’t have any business on your lawn, so you should do everything to prevent people from driving on your lawn. While you can fix the damage caused by the tires on your grass, you are better off keeping the cars out entirely.
If someone drives on your lawn and the damage is extensive, just get an estimate, then contact them and request that they pay you. They can do so on their own or they can contact their insurance and let them handle it.
Nonetheless, it’s wise to know how to rectify tire ruts because some situations are unavoidable.
Hey there, I’m Derek Schew, a writer for Lawnholic.com, where we cover everything and anything related to lawns. As someone who’s spent countless hours tending to my own lawn, I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge and helping others achieve the perfect yard. From lawn care tips to product reviews, I’m committed to providing our readers with the most accurate and up-to-date information available. So whether you’re a seasoned lawn enthusiast or just getting started, I invite you to join our community and discover the joys of a lush, green lawn.