How to install Artificial Grass

Those carefully selected rolls of artificial perfection are not going to unfurl and lay themselves. The low maintenance lawn will need some hard yards to install. Ah! But once done you can pat yourself on the back for an awesome job and regale others for years to come about the time you successfully install a quality Eco Lawn product. Whilst sitting back and reaping the rewards listening to the drone of other neighbourhood mowers coupled with air that can be cut with a knife following inevitable malfunctions and the persistent whine of ‘Does the lawn need to be cut AGAIN?’.

Before embarking on the DIY installation of artificial grass which is the pinnacle of the DIY tasks I must take the time to add the following disclaimer. Eco Lawn artificial grass, whilst it is a quality product, is as only as good as its installation. Whilst installing it yourself saves money in the short time poor installation will lead to additional wear and shorten the life of the product costing you money in the long term. Whilst it isn’t hard to install it is time-consuming, requires physical strength and an eye for detail is certainly required. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail is the term that springs to mind. So in case you are unsure about DIY, please contact us for a full supply and installation quote.

The lecture is now over, it is time now to begin.

Preparation

Take the time to prepare the area well. The success of artificial lawn is all in the preparation of the surface. You can lay it over existing turf only after killing the grass but that is a long and drawn out process with the strong possibility that the natural grass and their parasitic friends called weeds will regenerate and poke through the artificial layer, not to mention a surface that isn’t flat that can shorten the life of your investment.

Unless you have someone that wants your discarded turf then having a hired skip bin on hand would be a valuable investment.

Using a turf cutter will save you valuable time as the existing lawn and soil have to be removed to a depth of 50-60mm.

Weed matting is recommended but is optional. It gives added protection against the regrowth of weeds. Think of it as peace of mind to ensure nothing can interfere with your visual masterpiece.

In areas that don’t drain well, it is recommended to put some form of drainage in however this is really only for extreme cases. The friendly Eco Lawn team can offer advice on whether it is required.

Let the aggregate begin!

Your backyard should be devoid of lawn. Weed matting and drainage (both if required) in place. Now it’s time for the next step which is the laying of the Aggregate. Eco Lawn stocks a variety of Aggregate types but Gap 7 is usually recommended for the urban backyard installation.

Carefully lay this and then compact it using a vibrating plate compactor to a level approximately 5-10mm lower than the edging surrounding the area to give it the finished product the ultra-professional Eco Lawn look.

Lightly dampen with water which will help the Aggregate to bind and assist you in seeing areas which need further filling. Compact once again.

Unfurl the artificial – Let the installation begin!

Ensure the grain of your Eco Lawn turf is running in the same direction when laying your lawn. Do not fold your lawn; ensure that it is rolled up in between uses. Cut the lawn to whatever shape you desire using a sharp Stanley knife. Don’t be stingy with additional blade purchases as you will need a few. A sharp blade means that cutting is easier and more accurate.

With most grass installations joins are inevitable so the seams will need to be cut as close to the grain to allow for seamless placement of the pieces when joining.

A gap of 2mm between the joins will assist towards a more professional result. Eyeball the area well and if it doesn’t look good, fix it because after using grass pins and glueing your surfaces there is no going back! Get it right the first time is the motto here!

Does it look good? Yes? Start inserting grass pins approximately 20-25mm apart but leave a gap of 40cm from each join to allow the turf to be folded back when gluing or using joining tape.

Don’t hammer the pins all the way in in case you wish to make changes after checking that the joins at this stage are ‘just so’.

Next fold back each join about 30 cms and lay the joining tape, which has already been cut to size, down the centre of the two joins. Anchor the tape to make the job a bit easier then daube the tape with the glue. Lay each side of the turf, one after the other onto the glued tape making sure that the grass blades are kept well away from the tape. Now run your hands through the decadent blades ensuring that the join is hidden. Insert grass pins (taking care not to trap any grass beneath) on either side of the join.

Now secure the outside edges and allow the glow of a job well done descend upon your being, not for too long there will be plenty of time later for glow basking! It is now time to fill with sand.

A generous dusting of sand

Now this final step may seem minor but it is an important step as not only will it give an excellent finish to your Eco Lawn product, it protects the backing from the sun and makes your grass blades stand to attention. So let us not skimp – the end is near!

You will need a sand infill that has been washed and dried. This important for a polished finished product. You spread this out over the lawn as evenly as possible. A sand spreader is optional as by hand or a shovel will do just nicely. A 25kg bag supplied by Eco Lawn will do about 2.5 sqm of lawn.