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Installing a constructed grass lawn and making it expect practiced takes some patience, but it's well inside the ability of anyone who enjoys a good DIY dwelling project. Read through the whole procedure before you lot begin so yous know exactly which materials and tools to gather. And if you're tired out at the cease of the project, think of all the scorching summertime days you'll go to spend in the shade instead of mowing the lawn!

  1. i

    Dig up grass, weeds, and topsoil to a depth of 1.v–4 inches (three.eight–x.2 cm). The minimum depth for a decent gravel sub-base of operations is 1.five–ii.5 inches (3.8–6.iv cm).[1] If the soil is unstable, or the lawn volition be heavily used, it's best to let enough room for a 3–4 inches (vii.vi–x.2 cm) sub-base of operations instead.[2] To dig upward an existing lawn more quickly and evenly, rent a sod cutter from your local tool rental company or home good store.

    • The artificial turf itself is usually about i inch (2.5 cm) thick.[three] If you want the final lawn to be perfectly level with the surrounding walkways, dig an extra 1 inch (2.5 cm) to allow for this too as the sub-base.
    • Pull upward or cap whatever sprinkler heads. Alternatively, you can keep them installed and gear up them to a low-volume setting to cool the turf on hot days or wash information technology afterwards your pet's used it.[4]
    • If yous are installing the synthetic backyard over a difficult surface instead of over soil, the surface needs to be completely waterproof and damage-resistant. You lot might demand to install a custom drain.[5]

  2. 2

    Install a bender lath border for more than stability. Employ a plastic or metal bender board, which won't corrode like woods. Cull bender board four inches (10 cm) tall for a apartment lawn, or vi inches (xv cm) for a lawn with acme changes. To install it, dig a trench forth the backyard border, nearly three/4 the height of the bender lath. Put the bender board in the trench and continue it in identify with heavy stakes, hammered until their top is below the surface of the lath. Backfill the trench with gravel or dirt and compact thoroughly.[6]

    • Y'all can make a border with decorative stones or bricks instead. Spread a layer of wet mortar around your lawn, place bricks onto the mortar, then tap gently with a prophylactic mallet to make them even. Let the mortar dry for a couple days before standing on the bricks.[vii]

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  3. three

    Lay weed-resistant landscape fabric over the area. You can buy this material from a home improvement store or gardening center. Stretch out the material over the whole area, following label instructions for which side faces down (commonly the fuzzy side), so cut off the backlog with scissors or a utility knife. Blast down the perimeter with 4 inches (10 cm) nails or landscape staples, at eight–12 inches (20–30 cm) intervals.

    • If one roll isn't large enough to cover the whole expanse, lay downwardly boosted pieces with a six–12 inches (15–30 cm) overlap, and then there are no gaps for weeds to grow through. Nail the pieces together the same fashion that you nailed the cloth effectually the lawn perimeter.[8]
    • This barrier helps prevent weeds from growing through your constructed backyard. This is specially important if you previously had a lawn with hardy grasses such as paspalum, zoysia, or bermuda, which may abound back without this bulwark to block them.

  4. 4

    Comprehend the area with a gravel sub-base. Gravel or crushed stone, ideally self-compacting and sized around i⁄4 inch (half dozen.4 mm), adds a firm foundation. This also gives your backyard much-needed drainage, since an artificial lawn can't process water.[9] Add together enough gravel to comprehend your lawn to a depth of at least ane.five inches (3.8 cm), for lightly-used lawns on a firm surface, or upward to 4 inches (10 cm) for heavily-used lawns over loose soil.

    • Skipping this step can lead to sinking lawns and drainage bug, and then information technology'southward not recommended unless the lawn doesn't get much traffic and the existing surface underneath is firm but as well has a adept drainage system installed.
    • I cubic yard of gravel will cover 300 square anxiety one inch thick.

  5. 5

    Use a landscape rake to create at least a 0.v% form. Completely flat constructed turf has a tendency to look fake, and can settle into a pit over fourth dimension.[10] Use a mural rake to spread out the gravel, then use the flat grading bract on the back of the rake to grade the gravel to a slight mound or ridge in the center. Even if your holding is completely flat, you'll want a slight course to help with water runoff, rise from the edge to the centre about ane inch (ii.5 cm) for every ten feet (iii.0 m) of distance (a grade between 0.5 and 1%).[xi]

    • For home lawns that won't be used for sports, feel free to class the area more steeply to match the surrounding terrain, or to straight water to areas with better drainage.

  6. six

    Water the gravel and compact it with landscaping tools. Water the area moderately with a hose. Starting from the exterior in, meaty the gravel with a hand tamper, garden roller, or vibrating plate compactor (another rentable automobile). Subsequently compacting, get over the gravel again with the rake to brush away gravel where it'southward piled up, and to fill in any depressions. Do 1 final pass with a gentle tool like a hand tamper or mural roller.[12]

    • A vibrating compactor is particularly useful for large, level areas.[13]
    • Y'all may need a fine broom to remove the backlog gravel where it'due south piled up confronting the border.

  7. seven

    Add a shock pad if you want a cushioned feel. This optional footstep makes your backyard feel more realistic, and makes it a more comfy play surface for children and athletes. To install information technology, only cutting the pad to the shape of your backyard and lay it down over the gravel.[14]

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  1. 1

    Unroll the synthetic turf sections so the blades face the same direction. The synthetic turf usually comes in standard sizes, for instance 15 ft 10 20 ft in the United States, or 4m x 25m in the UK. Unroll the sections across your lawn side-past-side, facing the same way.[15]

    • For example, if your surface area is xx anxiety (6.1 thousand) past 20 feet (6.1 m) and yous are buying turf in standard US sizes, for example, yous will need ane 15 ft wide section that is xx ft long, and a second section that is five ft wide and xx ft long. Unfortunately, the remaining x ft broad by twenty ft long section volition go unused.

  2. 2

    Cut the turf where sections touch with a utility pocketknife. Extend the blade far enough to reach past the blades and cutting directly through the bankroll. Start at the seams where two turf sections touch on, and cut along the whole edge to remove two or three rows of grass tufts from each section. Repeat at each identify where turf sections meet, and so adjust their position to cover the whole backyard.[16]

    • The terminal couple rows of grass tufts tend to bend outward. Cutting these off where they touch on another section of turf will make information technology and so the grass blades stand upwardly direct and parallel to each other, instead of awkwardly pressing against each other.[17]

  3. 3

    Cutting off extra turf with a serial of small cuts from below. At present that everything is in place, utilize the utility knife to cut off extra turf where it goes past the edge of the lawn. Where the turf hits a wall, lift it back and brand a cut from the underside about half-dozen inches (15 cm) long. Lay information technology back down confronting the wall to check your cut is aligned correct, then lift it again and repeat. Cutting with these minor, patient cuts helps avoid mistakes, especially if the edge of the lawn isn't a perfectly straight line.[eighteen]

    • If you lot have a large backyard that needs several pieces of turf to cover it, you might want to delay this step until you've finished connecting all the turf together.

  4. 4

    Nail each section of turf downward for a quick and like shooting fish in a barrel installation. Line upward the seams perfectly, so bulldoze them into the ground with a mural fasten at least every 2 feet (0.61 m). Smooth out the turf earlier placing each spike to avoid wrinkles.[xix]

    • This approach works, simply it risks creating wrinkles or an imperfect seam. It's also not platonic to go out nails in the turf if children will be playing on the lawn.

  5. five

    Utilise seaming tape instead for a more professional backyard. Line up two pieces of turf together, then fold each edge back so you have room to lay a piece of seaming tape down the length of the gap between them. Use a trowel to spread the mucilage over the tape in a thin, fifty-fifty layer, then fold the turf sections back over the tape.[xx] Weigh down the turf with sandbags or annihilation else heavy to go along it in place while information technology dries.

    • Your seaming record should come with instructions that tell y'all how long it takes the glue to cure, or (if information technology didn't come with gum), which type of adhesive works best for that product.
    • Gluing the sections of turf together with professional seaming record takes more piece of work, merely makes a less obvious seam and doesn't leave any nails in the middle of the lawn. Information technology also lets you stretch the entire lawn out afterwards for a smoother, less wrinkled surface.

  6. 6

    Stretch the turf and nail the edges. Smash the edge of your turf forth ane of its shorter sides with 6 inches (15 cm) nails, spaced roughly every two.5 feet (76.2 cm).[21] Stretch the adjacent 3 feet (0.9 m) or so of turf by hand or using a rug kicker. In one case it's stretched out and gratis of wrinkles, blast down that section. Repeat until the bogus turf is completely stretched out. Once the nails at either end are in, you can remove the nails in the centre and cutting off any excess turf.

    • If the area is nether 400 foursquare feet (37 one thousand2), you tin can become away with stretching simply in the longest management. For larger lawns, stretch both lengthwise and widthwise.
    • To employ a carpet kicker, put the teeth of the tool onto the edge of the lawn, without pushing deep enough to cut through the turf. Kick the padded cease with your knee until the turf is stretched out evenly.[22]

  7. 7

    Add infill betwixt the blades of grass. Silica sand is a good, cheap infill selection for near dwelling house lawns.[23] Prep your lawn outset with a power broom (or a heavy duty push-broom and lots of elbow grease) to make the blades stand upright. Then utilise a drop spreader or a flat shovel to add the sand infill to the turf at a rate of 1.5 lbs per foursquare foot (7.iii kg per square meter), or in the amount your grass manufacturer recommends. Afterwards applying, brush the backyard again until the infill is evenly distributed.

    • Use a specialized infill sand but, since other types of sand can damage your turf. You lot tin can also look into alternative infill products. Some are designed specially to handle pet urine. Others, similar crumb rubber or coated safe, are often used for athletic fields, simply can be more expensive or harder to maintain.[24]

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Add New Question

  • Question

    What kind of constructed grass should I go if I accept pets?

    Benjamin Hansen

    Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a bazaar landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. With over 12 years of feel, Benjamin specializes in transforming properties into aesthetic, functional, and drought-tolerant oases. Benjamin uses color scheme, dimension, and water conscious spaces to inspire the pattern and installation of soft scape, hardscape, patios, pathways, irrigation, drainage, fencing, concrete, lighting, and electrical work. Artscape Gardens covers all areas of the C-27 landscape contractor classification.

    Benjamin Hansen

    Licensed Landscape Contractor

    Expert Answer

    Y'all want to get pet turf. It has holes in the actual turf that allow yous to launder it. You'll need to be able to easily wash the turf since your pets volition be going to the bath on it.

  • Question

    Is constructed grass more expensive than existent sod?

    Benjamin Hansen

    Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a boutique landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. With over 12 years of experience, Benjamin specializes in transforming properties into aesthetic, functional, and drought-tolerant oases. Benjamin uses color scheme, dimension, and water conscious spaces to inspire the design and installation of soft scape, hardscape, patios, pathways, irrigation, drainage, fencing, physical, lighting, and electrical work. Artscape Gardens covers all areas of the C-27 mural contractor nomenclature.

    Benjamin Hansen

    Licensed Landscape Contractor

    Expert Answer

    Yeah, it'southward much more than expensive than sod, but there's no need for irrigation or maintenance actually, and so you salvage on that in the long run. At that place'due south also usually a warranty of up to sixteen years for most manufacturers.

  • Question

    If nails rust, aren't the nails no longer holding the turf?

    Community Answer

    Become rust-proof nails.

  • Question

    I have an area which I would like to lay grass on. Is it best to lay a weed mat on this first?

    Community Answer

    Yes it is, as with the weed mat you accept less take a chance of weeds growing through your turf. Information technology is optional; still, it will be a benefit to you to employ it.

  • Question

    Do nails need to be put in the centre of the grass or only along the perimeter?

    Community Answer

    Only along the perimeter unless yous are NOT using seam tape and glue. If you lot don't have seam record and glue, you will need to nail down the seams.

  • Question

    What kind of nails should I use?

    Community Answer

    Apply 5-inch, un-galvanized nails. You want the nails to rust to prevent them from being pulled out.

  • Question

    Exercise you need to have the existing lawn dice before installing bogus turf?

    Community Answer

    Yes, but not expressionless and buried, dead and gone. Any grass, weeds, roots, wood, etc. that would rot demand to be removed.

  • Question

    Must I accept a border betwixt artificial turf and basis cover such equally granite, and if and then, why?

    Community Answer

    No. Borders make an easier seam betwixt the two materials (turf and granite) but it is not necessary if you pay shut attending to the seam and have intendance during the install.

  • Question

    Should I use a weed mat if I have pets who might pee on the grass? I'1000 worried about the urine odor?

    Community Answer

    Landscape cloth or "weed mat" is designed to allow fluid penetration so any pee would go through the material. If yous are worried about odors, set up a sprinkler arrangement that will water one time or twice a week for a couple of minutes to dilute the urine and allow it to deeper into the ground so there is no or less smell.

  • Question

    Which do I install first? The weed barrier, the weed mat or the decomposed granite?

    Community Answer

    It'south best to spend a little fleck more for extra protection. Weeds would ruin your new turf. In order: 1. Weed killer on the virgin soil. 2. Weed barrier. three. Base material. 4. Weed barrier again (in instance weeds take root in base material). 5. Turf Simply ask yourself, is it worth spending $50-100 for the peace of listen to accept no weeds? For me, that answer is yes.

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Things You'll Need

  • Shovel or sod cutter
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Bough lath, heavy stakes, and sledgehammer
  • Trench excavation tools (for instance, trenching pick and trenching shovel)
  • Gravel
  • Grading rake
  • Paw tamper, plate compactor, and/or landscape roller
  • Shock pad (optional)
  • Synthetic turf
  • Utility knife
  • Bogus grass infill (circular silica sand)

  • Before starting whatever digging projection, make sure you know the location of buried power lines and pipes. In the United States, you can call 811 a few days in advance to ask for this data.[25]

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References

About This Article

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Reader Success Stories

  • Bill Haskins

    Bill Haskins

    Apr 18, 2022

    "It'south quite helpful. I'k currently installing some turf on one of our rentals and calculation some rock in some other area. "

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