Artificial grass is a great way to elevate your outdoor space without breaking the bank. Forget the relatively higher installation cost. Artificial grass is cheaper than natural grass when you consider the other factors. It’s also easier to maintain.
You can even save more money by installing artificial grass yourself. DIY installation can reduce your expenses by 35% to 40%. You’d need a good guide. That’s what this article is for.
Do you want to learn how to lay artificial grass yourself? Then, keep reading. We have prepared a 9-step guide that’s very easy to follow.
Tools and materials needed to lay artificial grass
Materials
- Artificial grass
- MOT Type 1 (granite or limestone chippings)
- Granite dust
- 6″ galvanised steel nails
- Weed killer
- Vibrating plate compactor
- Adhesive
- Joining adhesive
- Timber edging
- Kiln dried sand
Tools
- Turf cutter
- Shovel
- Hammer
- Rake
- A Stanley knife without several sharp blades
- Tape measure
- A stiff brush
Step-by-step guide to laying artificial grass
Are your tools and materials ready? Then, let’s dive right in. Here is how to lay artificial grass yourself.
Step 1: Excavate the site
You need a depth of 75mm to install everything. By the time you lay artificial grass in step 8, the lawn will be at ground level.
For now, it’s time to excavate. First, inspect the area for cables. Hopefully, there won’t be any on the site. If there are, be careful to avoid damaging them. Remember to excavate to about 75mm deep. You will need the spade and turf cutter for this part.
Step 2: Install edging
You can use the edging of the previous lawn. Renovate it by fixing or replacing damaged edges. However, if you want to install new edges, use wood. Timber edging makes an artificial grass lawn look more naturalistic. Other options for edging include plastic, brick, composite and steel.
Step 3: Lay weed membrane
To learn how to lay artificial grass, you must understand the importance of weed membranes. Weed membranes improve drainage and prevent weeds from growing through your synthetic lawn.
Unroll weed membrane all over the surface of the lawn. Let the pieces overlap so weed won’t find a way through. Then, use the 6’’ galvanised steel nails to secure them. Add a nail every 0.75m. You can also spray the site with a weed killer before adding the weed membrane.
Step 4: Build the 50mm Type 1 sub base
The subbase needs to be 50mm deep. It will provide security and stability. As a result, the lawn won’t shift and sink under the weight of people or things on it. In this guide on laying artificial grass, we will use MOT type 1 hardcore for the subbase.
Use a rake to spread the hardcore all over the lawn until it is level. Then, a vibrating plate compactor is used to compact it. The subbase must be level, compact and 50mm deep before you move on to the next step.
Step 5: Build the 25mm laying Course
This step is similar to step 4. Pour the granite dust all over the lawn, rake, level and compact. Make sure this laying course is 25mm deep. It should be level with the timber edging. To help the aggregates bind, spray water on the granite dust with water before starting.
Step 6: Add one more layer of weed membrane
This step just adds an extra layer of protection against weeds. Do what you did earlier. Unroll the weed membrane to cover every inch of the garden room. Overlap the edges. Then, use 6’’ galvanised steel nails to secure the weed membrane. Trim the edges to ensure the weed membrane fits snugly within the lawn’s edging.
Step 7: Lay artificial grass
Now, we are at the most crucial step. Here is what you need to know. An artificial grass lawn always looks best from the direction the pile faces. For this to work, the pile of every roll of artificial grass must also face that same direction.
So, here is how to lay artificial grass yourself. Unroll each roll of synthetic grass with the pile facing the direction of the main house. That’s where the best view should be.
Let the rolls fit in snugly with each other. Then, smoothen the ripples. Take as long as necessary to ensure this before moving on to the next step. It will allow you to get a professional-looking finish.
Step 8: Trim and secure
After ensuring a snug fit and removing ripples, you can trim the grass to size. You need a sharp knife to ensure clean cuts. Whatever knife you use will need to be replaced every 5 metres. That’s why we recommend a Stanley knife with several blades. Change out the blades every 5 metres or so.
After trimming, use adhesive and jointing tape to join rolls of artificial grass together. You can put some weights on the joints to aid adhesion. Finally, use 6’’ galvanised steel nails to secure the edges. Then, wait a few hours before moving on to the next step.
Step 9: Sand dress the artificial grass lawn
Kiln-dried sand allows artificial grass to stand straight and last long. It’s crucial to grooming and caring for an artificial grass lawn. So, you’ll have to refill the sand occasionally. That’s a conversation for another day. Let’s focus on showing you how to lay artificial grass yourself. Here is the final step.
Spread kiln-dried sand all over the surface of the lawn. Ensure the artificial grass is dry before doing this. Then, spread and brush sand into the grass. Brush in the opposite direction of the grass piles. Continue until your artificial grass lawn is standing upright.
Summary
Now you know how to lay artificial grass. What’s next? Well, we hope you understand that this process is only simple in theory. It takes some experience and patience to get it right. So, we recommend hiring a professional if you don’t have enough DIY experience. Your expenses will be higher, but the result should be worth it.
However, it’s not enough to install an artificial grass lawn properly. You also need to know how to care for and maintain it. Synthetic grass is low maintenance, but it still needs care. Good care and maintenance will keep your new lawn durable and aesthetically pleasing for decades.
How to lay artificial grass FAQs
Do I need to use foam underlay for artificial grass?
It depends on the surface. You should use underlay when laying artificial grass on hard surfaces like tarmac, concrete or wood. You don’t need an underlay to install artificial grass on naked soil. For that, you need something else- a subbase.
The conditions between these surfaces are different. Using foam underlay for hard surfaces makes the grass softer underfoot. There is no need for this when installing artificial grass on soil. Instead, you need a solid subbase to make the lawn secure and stable.
What kind of surface can I lay artificial grass on?
You can lay artificial grass on almost any surface, including soil, concrete, tarmac and wood. However, you need to prepare the surface properly. For soil, that means building a solid subbase. For hard surfaces, that means adding foam underlay.
You must first ensure that the surface is stable and secure. Let’s use a concrete surface as an example. You’ll have to fill cracks and potholes as they will affect the finish and stability of the carpet grass. All things considered, you should clear, clean and treat the surface before laying artificial grass.
How long does it take to install an artificial grass lawn?
It usually takes 1 to 3 days to install artificial grass. However, this depends on the size and condition of the lawn. Therefore, installing artificial grass takes longer than three days in some cases.
How much does it cost to hire a professional to install artificial grass?
Professional artificial grass installation costs £45 to £60 per square metre. This estimate covers both the labour and supply costs. However, the price is sometimes much higher due to factors like grass quality.
