What to do with a compacted lawn
The problem starts when particles of soil in the top 4 inches are compressed, reducing pore space between them and impeding the movement of air, water and nutrients through the soil profile. This in turn leads to poor grass growth, weed invasion and moss colonisation.
Generally all lawns are compacted, as you can imagine, they’re walked on, rolled, and played on. All this contributes to consolidation then the solution is simple: Aerate. This is the practice of physically punching holes in the surface 4-6 inches deep.