The first time I did some DIY retic I tried to install my kerbside sprinklers by digging along the line of the kerb.

Big mistake!

After 10 minutes I had all but given up. You see the soil along the kerb is actually roadbase. It is hard and rocky and not easy digging. If you want to install sprinklers along the kerb then dig a trench one metre away from the kerb and parallel to it and then ‘t’ off to the point where you need sprinklers. You will still need to do some hard digging but it will save you a lot of effort and you will do the job right.

The other tip with kerbside sprinklers is to make sure they are well below kerb height – because they will get driven over. If you’re lucky they won’t get damaged, but if they are even sticking up a little bit then expect to replace them regularly.

I get calls from one client a few times each summer to replace the same sprinkler. Personally I reckon it would be easier just to sink the sprinkler a bit lower…

The short answer is ‘yes of course’.

The longer answer is ‘why would you?…’

Obviously budget is a consideration, but if you are going to spend a lot of money on earthworks and turf then it only makes sense that in a climate like ours you make watering your turf as easy as possible.

If you lay turf in Perth then you can ring 131039 to get a watering exemption and that will allow you water 3 times a day for around 30 days. In summer this is essential. Obviously its less of a consideration in the cooler months, but I often tell people that the only thing that will kill a new lawn is insufficient water. (Not strictly true – but let’s assume it is pest free)

I have laid a couple of lawns without retic only to be called back in a month or so and asked to install sprinklers. If the lawn hasn’t taken it is actually a much harder (and more expensive) job because it involves lifting the new rolls of turf, digging where they were and then trying to get the ground level again. Its much easier just to pull a trencher thru a fully established lawn, so if you have to go this route then wait around 3 months to be safe.

So if you are considering laying a new lawn then please please please… make sure you have reticulation!

There is no ‘warranty’ with new lawn as it is a living organism and will only respond to whatever nourishment it receives from the owner. We do guarantee to lay it correctly and provide it in excellent weed free condition, but after that it’s up to you to make sure it is kept healthy.

So if you’re considering just wacking down some lawn to make things look better then think again unless you have functional sprinklers…

If you are using miniscape / netafim sub-surface irrigation then you need to know the following:

a) The pipe (brown stuff) should be laid at correct spacing – for example some miniscape is rated at 30cm intervals and it needs to be laid accordingly.

b) It needs to run for around an hour to apply the correct amount of water.

c) The picture above is of the line flushing valve. When you turn the system on this will release water for around 30 seconds. It can look like your retic is ‘leaking’ but its not. Its normal.

d) You shouldn’t have more than an 8m run of brown pipe before it plugs back into the poly. You will lose too much pressure otherwise.

e) You should have a vacuum valve at the higest point of the system

f) You can also add filters to ensure the water is free from contaminants

I have a friend who lives in Quinns Rocks and is on a shared bore. In the last year we have replaced 3 solenoid coils on the same valve because they have corroded and become stuck open.

I haven’t seen this happen before, but it seems that the minerals in the water (or perhaps the salt) may be corroding the solenoid piston and causing it to fail.

At the moment I don’t have a suitable solution, but it may be that we need to find a solenoid that does not have any metallic parts. You obviously can’t change coils every few months so there must be a better way to hit the problem.

If you have had any similar problems then I’d love to hear about it

If you live in Two Rocks then you’d know that it didn’t get its name for no good reason. There are plenty of rocks around up there and it makes digging trenches a hell of a challenge.

If you are planning on some DIY retic then I’d suggest you consider hiring a Groundhog Trench Digger like the one in the picture above to give you a hand in getting through the worst of it.

I’ve done a few jobs in the area and if it wasn’t for the trencher I’d probably still be digging today.

You can hire them for around $170/day. Alternatively call us and we can do the work for you and save you both time and physio bills!

You can lay turf on ‘dirt’ but we don’t recommend it.

Usually it is best to get a bobcat in and excavate the dirt and replace it with decent soil.

At least 20-4ml will give your turf a good start and it is also a lot easier to screed than dirt and rubble. If you’re on a really tight budget then you can skip this, but having seen the difference in lawns with good soil v dirt… I’d recommend you don’t.

Here are some images of the retic and turf going in. It was Sir Walter Buffalo.

Solenoids

Trenching the easy way

laying pvc

Sir Walter Turf

Compacting to complete the job

I regularly get calls from all over the city – often south of the river.

As a rule we will not work south of the river as it gets too difficult to honour our warranties when a job is too far away. Recently I have returned to several jobs where the problem was apparently my worksmanship, but in reality it has been user error or another issue altogether. When its a local job I’m happy to come back and make sure all is well, but that becomes problematic and costly with greater distance.

At Brighton Retic and Turf we take our warranties seriously and know that service once the job is completed is as important as doing a good job the first time round. For that reason we prefer to work in the far northern suburbs of Perth, but we will work as far south as Trigg/Scarborough.

Ideally we would come and check it out with you and discuss your needs, but in the first instance we can look at your home on www.nearmap.com and talk with you on the phone about what is required.

If you are happy with the ball park figures then we can meet you and discuss things more fully.

Most nearmap images are up to date to within around a month and can be used to give a good guide to what work is required. We work anywhere from Two Rocks down to Scarborough and would be happy to quote on your needs.

You can and it would be very effective but I’m not a fan personally.

The Advantages:

a) You will save around 40% in terms of water usage.

b) Your lawn will be easier to mow and will look great

The Disadvantages:

a) It can be impossible to really know if its not working. You can install signal flags in the line, but you can only use so many of them before it looks odd.

b) Locating problems can be difficult and requires digging up your lawn to make repairs.

c) Its more expensive

So – yes – you can do it – but I wouldn’t want to be maintaining it!