Replacing Your Lawn with Artificial Grass
So you’ve decided to take the plunge, start saving the environment, make your lawn easy to maintain, green all year round and invest in an artificial lawn. Far from Astroturf, good quality artificial grass is now almost indistinguishable from real grass. The difference is that you never have to cut it, trim it, water it or feed it. Ever. The only maintenance that it requires is the occasional hose down or hoover. Nowadays, you can choose the ultimate in artificial grass and go for a lush spring grass with three different colours in it and the feel of real grass.
How to Install Your New Lawn
What you need:
Spade
Hand Roller/Vibrating Plate
Hammer
Nails
Wood for the border
Spatula
When you receive your new lawn, you can begin the installation process straight away.
For Gardens:
First, you need to prepare your garden. Remove any vegetation and any rocks, so that only soil remains. Then, a layer of sand must be installed. Spread the sand as evenly as possible, either by using a hand roller or a vibrating plate. You should wet this layer a day before you lay the artificial grass. Then, nail a textile weed barrier to this base (having a border of wood helps this part of the process).
If your grass has direction, then make sure that every roll faces the right way. When you’ve laid out your rolls of grass, fold the edges in on themselves. Use the seaming tape to secure the rolls together. First nail the seaming tape to the base, making sure that it is laid centrally between two rolls. Apply adhesive to the seaming tape with a spatula and fold the edges of the grass rolls down and press together so they bond. For the borders, nail the edges to the wooden beams.
For Hard Surfaces:
If you’ve decided to install artificial grass on a hard surface, then all you have to do is give the surface a good clean and remove any surface imperfections. The rolls can be laid loose or secured with a small amount of adhesive.
Brush the grass so it looks its best and sit back and admire your work. Artificial grass can last up to twenty years, so though artificial grass prices may seem a lot up front, they will actually give you great value for money for very little effort.
