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Old 04-26-2007, 07:05 PM
 
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We are wondering how many of you have a sprinkler system down there and how useful it is. We have an opportunity to have one installed before the sod is put down but it is expensive compared to what they go for here in the northeast. Just wondering how many of you have one and if you think it's a benefit or a waste of water.
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Old 04-26-2007, 07:15 PM
 
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An irrigation system is the best money that you can spend on your lawn in this area, IMHO. The important thing is to make sure that a reputable company installs it. That will make the difference of how well it performs.
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Old 04-26-2007, 07:23 PM
rfb
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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We faced the dilemma in our last two homes, and chose to bite the bullet and get the sprinkler system installed. In my opinion, it is well worth it. In a few years, the pain of paying for the sprinkler system will have disappeared and you will be very happy you did it.

Summers are usually hot, and we can sometimes have dry spells that last several weeks. If you are having the sod laid down anytime between late March and late September, then you will definately want the sprinkler system. New sod requires a lot of water since the grass roots aren't deep yet. I've seen newly sodded yards die in just a few days due to lack of water.

Even after it is established, if you want to your lawn to remain green through the summer you are going to need to water it. Unless you have a very small yard, trying to move sprinklers around to get coverage can be difficult to impossible.
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Old 04-26-2007, 09:36 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colby1911 View Post
We are wondering how many of you have a sprinkler system down there and how useful it is. We have an opportunity to have one installed before the sod is put down but it is expensive compared to what they go for here in the northeast. Just wondering how many of you have one and if you think it's a benefit or a waste of water.
We currently live in Oregon where mother natures over waters for 9months a year. And then completely turns off the rain for 3 months. We have a small city lot and have inground sprinklers w/ a rainbird timer. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. When we were gone for 3 weeks last summer my lawn, flowers, and tomatoes thrived! It has paid for itself for us... we basically got the money back during resale. But I don't know if that would hold true there.
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Old 04-26-2007, 09:40 PM
 
Location: Wake Forest
2,834 posts, read 12,002,054 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colby1911 View Post
We are wondering how many of you have a sprinkler system down there and how useful it is. We have an opportunity to have one installed before the sod is put down but it is expensive compared to what they go for here in the northeast. Just wondering how many of you have one and if you think it's a benefit or a waste of water.
Coming from someone with sod and no irrigation, I would certainly spend the extra money before the sod is put down. I have to move sprinklers all over the place all afternoon long............not fun.

Spring for the irrigation system

Leigh
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Old 04-26-2007, 10:17 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Years ago, the builders didn't use sod so a sprinkler system wasn't called for. They would just throw out seed and grass grew, with regular watering. If grass died, you just re seeded.

Now with sod being so expensive, more people want sprinkler systems.

Vicki
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Old 04-27-2007, 06:41 AM
 
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Thanks you for your input, we are going to definately get one put in.
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Old 04-27-2007, 06:46 AM
 
Location: Asheville, NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VickiR View Post
Years ago, the builders didn't use sod so a sprinkler system wasn't called for. They would just throw out seed and grass grew, with regular watering. If grass died, you just re seeded...
What's wrong with the old days? I think sprinkler systems are a waste of water. We get 3-6 inches of rain EVERY month here, and it's not that hard to set out a movable sprinkler for the week or two during the summer when you might need it. Especially with the small size of today's lots.

Save the money (and our water) and skip the sprinkler system.
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Old 04-27-2007, 08:11 AM
 
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Actually having a sprinkler system is not always a bad choice for the enviroment. If you put out a sprinkler and then get busy you could actually over water more than you need. With a system you can time it or like PDX said get a rain sensor and then it will only come on when there has not been enough rain. These take the guess work and risk of over watering out of the equation.
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Old 04-27-2007, 10:13 AM
 
Location: North Raleigh
578 posts, read 3,074,847 times
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A killer movable sprinkler system is the Rain Train. Literally looks like a train that has a sprinkler on top. You lay out a run of house around the property, hook the train to the end of the hose, turn the water on, and the train follows the "track" of hose you laid out. When it gets back to the beginning it shuts off automatically. So it moves itself, you don't move it like a stationary sprinkler. Plus it looks cool! We used to use them on landscaping jobs. It did get bogged down in particularly soft dirt/mud when laying seed on bare dirt. But on sod or existing lawns it should do fine. Not sure how well it'd work on slopey lots but probably fine you lay out the house so the train travels a slow horizontal pitch instead of trying to drive straight up a slope. I think they're $70 or so, plus the hose.

For those with stationary sprinklers you can get 9V powered water timers from Walmart for $15 I believe. Lets you turn the faucet on manually and have it shut off after a set period of time. Or you can even set multiple on/off cycles throughout the day. Beats forgetting to turn off your sprinkler and wasting 1,000 gallons flooding your yard.

The in-ground irrigation system would be the best overall option though. But obviously not the cheapest.

Gotta love technology!
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