Natural lawns do look great in your garden but they require a lot of maintenance and can end up looking shabby if you do not keep on top of it. For those who do not have time to keep their natural lawn looking great, artificial grass will give you a stress-free way to enjoy your outdoor space.
In addition to the fact that artificial grass is easy to look after, you can rely on it to look good all year round, no matter what the weather is like.
If you have been turned off by the idea of artificial grass because of plastic looking bright green materials, you should rest assure that technology has come a long way since it first became available. Today artificial lawns look just as good as the real thing.
If you are interested in investing in artificial grass for your garden or outdoor space, read on to see exactly how it can work for you and how easy it is to install.
An Alternative to High-Maintenance Lawns
As we have mentioned, real grass does look and feel great, especially during summer. While you may benefit from the aesthetics of real grass, it does not come easy, as a lot of work goes into maintaining its look. You will need to take into account the weather, the amount of footfall that the grass has to endure, the hours spent weeding and the cost of the upkeep of real grass. However, when it comes to artificial grass, you can explore weather resistant options and choose styles that have as little maintenance as possible.
Unlike real grass, there is no need to water artificial grass and it will not dry out during hot summers. When it is raining, you will not need to worry about unsightly mud patches or stains on your carpet. You will be able to simply sit back and enjoy the perfect view.
The Benefits of Artificial Grass
We have touched upon some of the benefits of artificial grass, but, in case you are not convinced, we will run through the most advantageous aspects:
- Low-maintenance – no need to feed, water, or mow
- Hard-wearing and durable
- Fade-resistant and long-lasting
- Safe to install and to walk on and is very easy to clean
- Drains easily due to state of the art technology
- Can fit into any space no matter how large or small
- Offers a smooth surface so it is ideal for ball games and kids play games
Where to Lay Artificial Grass
There are few limitations when it comes to laying artificial grass, as it can be installed on both hard and soft areas. Whether you want to replace the traditional lawn in your garden or you want to replace a concrete play area with something more suitable for children, an artificial lawn will work.
Is Artificial Grass Safe?
Artificial grass does contain latex and it should be kept away from fire, which means care needs to be taken wherever you place barbeques and fire pits when dining outdoors. If you are allergic to latex you will need to evaluate whether artificial grass if the right option for you, depending on the severity of your allergy. While those with an allergy to latex may suffer, hay fever sufferers delight in the ability to enjoy outdoor living without suffering from their allergy.
Artificial grass is also safe for children to play on, as it will not create muddy patches that kids can slip on and it offers a soft landing when they fall over.
How to install Artificial Grass
The first stage of installing artificial grass is to prepare the area where it is to be installed by carrying out the following steps:
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Remove existing turf
Start by removing the existing turf from your garden. For small areas you can do this with a spade, but if you have a large area to clear, hiring a turf cutter can make this job a lot easier and faster. Ideally, remove a depth of about 40mm.
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Add a base layer of sand
Spread out a layer of sharp builder’s sand to a depth of 35mm as a base to the artificial turf.
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Level the surface
Level and compact the sand evenly across the area to ensure a firm base below the grass. You can use a builder’s plank and heavy hammer to compact the sand and then smooth the sand down. The ground doesn’t need to be entirely flat and can include gentle slopes or mounds.
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Add a membrane layer
Roll out a weed membrane over the top of the sand and make sure it overlaps joints by 300mm.
Once you have prepared the area you should follow these steps to lay your artificial grass:
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Roll out the artificial grass
Artificial grass doesn’t stand perfectly straight, it has a slight angle to it, and you should lay the grass with the pile leaning towards the house. By doing this you ensure that the grass has a full, natural look when you’re viewing it from your home.
Roll out your artificial grass to cover the area, but make sure that the ends of the grass rolls are staggered so they don’t end in a line. Trim the edges of the artificial grass rolls with a craft knife.
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Join the artificial grass
It is important to make sure the grass rolls are laid in the same direction and that the blades of grass all point the same way. Lay the rolls directly next to each other with no blades caught in-between.
Now that the artificial grass has been laid, it is time to fix the grass and make it look neat by flowing the steps below:
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Fix the rolls together
Once you have rolled out all of the artificial grass, the different rolls need to be glued together. Use the jointing tape – rough side up – and spread it along where the rolls would join. Add adhesive to the tape and place the edges onto the tape, making sure no blades touch the glue.
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Create a seamless effect
Once two rolls are joined, ruffle up the grass fibers at the joints to disguise the seal and use pins to fix down roll edges. Fix down the edges of artificial grass rolls by using ground pins every 20cm, again ruffling the grass over the pin heads to disguise the fact that they are there.
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Make your lawn look neat
Finish off by brushing the grass pile with a stiff brush to make it look fuller and more natural.
We hope that this handy guide to artificial grass has given you insight into just how easy it is to install and manage.
