Dirt Screening

[Mavwreck]

Not sure if this is the right forum, so apologies if I'm off base. Anyway, I just put a good-sized patio in my backyard, leaving me with approximately 4 yards of dirt on the remaining lawn. I can use this to grade the surrounding areas, but since it's chock-full of roots and other debris, I want to screen it first. Any suggestions as to a screening mechanism I can cobble together with reasonable expense/effort?

[Stonehenge]

I find the things on the ends of my arms work pretty well for that. ;)

For 4 yards of dirt it's likely not worth spending much time screening the soil; just place it where you need it, possibly till it, then rake away whatever debris is floating on top.

If it was 400 yards, might be worth building something - but not for 4.


Moved to homeowner forum

[Bamboo]

Originally posted by Mavwreck
Not sure if this is the right forum, so apologies if I'm off base. Anyway, I just put a good-sized patio in my backyard, leaving me with approximately 4 yards of dirt on the remaining lawn. I can use this to grade the surrounding areas, but since it's chock-full of roots and other debris, I want to screen it first. Any suggestions as to a screening mechanism I can cobble together with reasonable expense/effort?
Get a wheel burrow and a expanded metal screen to fit over it and start shakin the screen while your helper shovels the dirt.
This should take about 5 hours.

[Stonehenge]

Originally posted by Bamboo
Get a wheel burrow and a expanded metal screen to fit over it and start shakin the screen while your helper shovels the dirt.
This should take about 5 hours.

That's a pretty good idea for the project in question. :)

[Mavwreck]

That does sound like it should do the trick. And, it's simple enough that I feel foolish not having thought of it myself, so it must be right!

Thanks Bamboo!

[Pelican]

A minor improvement over this method would be to make a quick 2 x 4 box frame for your screen, it will help keep your material in place and keep the screen somewhat rigid.