When it comes to installing your brand new, evergreen artificial grass, it’s best to leave to the pros, since there are steps where you could go wrong, which may just result in a ruined turf. Artificial grass fitters, on the other hand, are trained to do their job well, leaving you with just the perfect garden or yard.
Now, if you’re a committed DIY-er, then this article is going to give you a few pointers on how to carry that job out. Of course, after this process is over, the maintenance one begins. Still, don’t worry; carrying for an artificial turf is much easier than carrying for real grass.
The Preparation
The area you want to install your artificial grass should be clear of any type of vegetation, which is why you should make sure to spray it with a weed killer you’ve used in the past and you know works. Of course, for your safety and that of your family, you should be sure to get one that’s non-toxic. This should be done around two weeks before the turf will be installed.
In order to make room for the base, remove the top part of the soil by 3 or 4 inches. Then, make sure there is some form of drainage. If there isn’t, and you’re installing on top of poorly draining soil, be sure to install an effective drainage system. After ensuring that you’ve got this in place, install a waterproof border to ensure that the lawn won’t separate or slump over time. Finally, there’s the optional step of adding a weed barrier, which is not necessary, but it is helpful for ensuring that weeds won’t come through to the surface.
Installing the Base
For this, you first have to figure out which is the best material for your area. Generally speaking, crushed rock, gravel, or decomposed granite and pour it around 3-4 inches as the base. Now, shock and lawn pads are completely optional, but if you’re installing the artificial turf over a hard surface, they may be needed. Plus, if you’ve got children and elderly individuals around, then adding a shock pad is a good idea regardless of whether there’s a hard surface underneath or not.
Next, it’s time to grade the base, and you can do so using a landscaping rake. By using a strong or a bubble level and ruler to get the flat surface to a 2-3% slope. Once you’re done with this, it’s time to ensure that the base is slightly wet, and compacted. Then, as the base dries, it’s time to roll out the lawn on the side. Doing it like this ensures that the lawn will have enough time to get back to its original shape. Once this is done and the base is looking good and dry, it’s time to lay your seam fabric over the base.
Installing the Lawn
Now, it’s time to stretch every strip of turf and place it over the base. Make sure that you’re not dragging the turf over the base, since you may ruin it. Next, you can trim the excess artificial turf with a utility knife. If you’ve got a long cut coming up, make sure you’re cutting it short distance by short distance, to ensure that you’re not leaving gaps. Next, it’s time to peel back a bit of your turf and start applying the glue to the seaming tape in a serpentine pattern.
After that, you can start seaming the strips by using staples or nails, which should be placed about 3 inches apart. Then, make sure to put some weight on it, and leave it to dry for two hours. Once the two hours have passed, use landscaping anchor pins to fasten the artificial grass in place. Then, add infill to it, as this is what will ensure that the blades will stand and that the grass is weighed down.
Between infill applications, be sure to brush the turf to help it get its lovely shape in place. Once you’re done with all the infill applications, water everything down, and that’s it! You’ve got a beautiful looking lawn!
Maintenance of Artificial Grass
As previously mentioned, artificial grass doesn’t need nearly as much caring as synthetic grass. However, there is still some maintenance that needs to be done. You’ll most likely have to rinse it down once each week, in order to get rid of any dust that may have gathered on the grass. Then, once a month, using a stiff brush, be sure to get rid of all the dirt on it. After you’re done with this, use a broom to sweep against the grain of the grass, to help it get back to its upright position.
If you get quite a bit of snow and ice during the winter, the best way of dealing with it is by allowing it to melt away. If, on the other hand, you must remove it, get rid of only the top portion, allowing one inch of snow to be removed with a broom.
