Problem # : Sinking Spots And Holes
If a base is not prepared properly, it will be prone to holes and sinking spots. These holes are not visible once the fake turf has been installed, but they may cause future problems because water can accumulate in these crevices. Stagnant water can become a breeding space for insects and can cause drainage issues.
Solution: Install A Membrane
Installing a good weed barrier prevents weeds from growing through the grass. This membrane will kill the weeds before they grow. MegaGrass offers weed barrier in our grass accessories section. We recommend installing the barrier at the bottom layer if you have pets. When you install it on top, theres a chance that it may trap pet urine.
Should I Hire A Professional
To determine if you can install artificial grass yourself or if you should hire a professional, youll need to assess your skills and circumstances. The three biggest factors to take into account when making your decision are the size of your yard, the condition of the soil, and the resources you have available.
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Mark The Seam Location & Joining Turf With Tape
Before you pull back the surface of the turf to expose 30cm of the crushed stone aggregate, make sure to mark the location of the seam. Next, roll the turf joining tape down the seam before applying adhesive onto the joint tape. Then, lay the turf pieces together. Apply pressure to the seam to ensure its firmly connected.
What Are The Drawbacks
- Its not completely maintenance-free.
- It cant absorb and break down pet urine.
- It heats up in direct sun.
- It cant be recycled.
- Some HOAs and municipalities ban fake grass.
Weeds can still grow in the dust or rotted leaves that can accumulate so, youll have to spend time blowing or raking.
If you dont hose off pet runs regularly, theyll stink.
It radiates heat to surrounding people, pets, trees, and buildings. Shade trees, which prevent real grass from growing, will prevent fake grass from getting too hot.
Although the industry is working on ways to recycle old synthetic grass, currently fakes end up in landfills.
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Problem # : Wrong Type Of Fake Grass
It’s just turf, how complicated can it be? What if we told you there were many different variants of artificial grass? Each type is designed for a specific use, with qualities that respond to a particular need. Its common for first-timers to overlook their choices when choosing the right turf. For example, sometimes pet owners order fake grass meant for putting greens. They then end up with stiff grass blades that are uncomfortable for pets.
How To Fill The Turf:
Once turf is tight and secure, power broom before in-filling to get the blades standing up as much as possible. Apply Turf Fill, and Zeolite Odor Control for pet applications, onto turf using a drop spreader. Apply in-fill as needed. If you don’t have a spreader, shovels or wheel barrows can be used – Just be sure and spread the in-fill as evenly as possible. Please contact RCP for the proper amount of infill for your style of turf.
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How To Install Artificial Grass On Concrete
If your backyard has an existing hard surface like pavement or concrete that needs a facelift, artificial grass can be just the solution to turn a plain looking space into a lush backyard.
In fact, artificial grass can be installed on top of concrete, block paving and even patio paving slabs. That being said, there are some problems with laying down turf on these types of solid surfaces, the most common issue being inadequate drainage this can cause mold or mildew issues under the grass since excess water has nowhere to go. Drainage can be improved in a number of ways like adding a layer of sand between the concrete and turf or by drilling holes into the concrete to allow for water to drain into the earth below.
Similar to how to install turf on a soil surface, there are a number of steps you should follow for proper installation.
Wrapping Up Our Buying Guide To The Best Artificial Grass For Playgrounds & Childrens Play Areas
If youre ready to abandon the tedious chore of raking gravel or wood chips back into the playground, check out artificial turf for your play area.
Its less messy and less maintenance than wood chips, gravel, or grass, and it provides a safe cushion for any tumbling feet, knees, or hands.
Whats more youll enjoy the beauty of lush, green grass all year round with almost no maintenance.
If youre ready to install artificial grass under your playground or play area in Texas or Oklahoma, please contact the experts at Ideal Turf today!
We can give you an accurate, free quote for your play area and answer any questions you might have about turf products, features, and the installation process.
Get your FREE artificial grass design & installation estimate by clicking the GET A QUOTE button or feel free to give us a call at .
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A Add Pet Waste Absorbent Infill If You Have Pets
Being a pet owner is a great responsibility and how will you keep your animals from ruining your new artificial turf by keeping them away?
No, Im here to tell you that just like you even your pets especially dogs can enjoy your new artificial turf.
But what about the routine dog waste, how do you get rid of that?
Well, the answer is a simple pet infill an infill specifically designed to absorb moisture and neutralize pet urine odor.
So no need to worry about your pets ruining your vibrant turf anymore. Unlike organic grass, all you have to do is wash out the waste with water and a broom, simple as that.
Spike To Keep The Turf In Place
Hammer nails into the ground every few inches. Remember not to trap any grass fibers underneath the nails head. Secure the turf perimeter. Use landscaping anchor pins or 4 6 inches galvanized stakes to fasten the turf in place. Place them just around the perimeter at around 6 8-inch intervals. And also along the seam. Although you need to hammer them flat, you should be extra careful and avoid excessive hammering because it can cause dips in your lawn.
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What Are The Good Points Of Artificial Grass
- It saves water.
- It’s easy to maintain.
- Synthetic grass can be environmentally friendly.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority says a home owner saves 55 gallons of water per year for every square foot of natural grass replaced with synthetic. Plus, some water companies in drought-prone areas will offer a cash rebate for artificial grass, up to $1 per square foot.
Youve got to blow off leaves and other debris, and hose off pet waste. But theres no mowing, seeding, edging, and fertilizing — lawn maintenance chores that take the average home owner about 150 hours per year, says Ted Steinberg, author of American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn.
The Synthetic Turf Council says synthetic lawns recycled crumb rubber infill keeps 20 million rubber tires out of landfills every year.
Installing The Synthetic Lawn
How to lay, align and pin the lawn.
Artificial grass is manufactured with the fibers aligned in a single direction.
It is very important to ensure the grain is running in the same direction when laying out the pieces of lawn.
Invariably there will be joins where the pieces meet. You will need to ensure that the seams are cut as close to the rib or grain to allow for optimal placement of the two pieces when joining later.
First, lay the lawn down and cut around the edges of the area as required leaving about 50mm around all the edges and place the lawn together so that the joins are not visible. Allow a gap of about 5mm between pieces for best results. This can vary slightly from one lawn to another. Stand back and take a look before joining together. Trust your eyes!
When you are happy with everything, follow the joining instructions supplied with your Optiseal joining tape to join your pieces of turf together.
Use a sharp Stanley knife to trim all the edges.
Pin around the outside edges 25-30mm in and 300mm apart around all edges including either side of your new joins.
Also pin the entire turf area at a rate of 1 pin per square meter which will help hold the turf in place as you stretch and remove any wrinkles.
Take care not to trap the blades of lawn under the pins.
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Install & Compact Base Material:
Lay 3″â4″ of either Class II Road Base or Decomposed Granite. Using a plate compactor, compact base to 95%. Be sure base surface is as level and smooth as possible. Create a slight grade for optimal drainage.
PET USE TIP: If pets will be using the area, spread a layer of Zeolite on top of the base at .5lb per sqft, and compact.
Excavate 3″â4″
Compact the Base Material
How Much Is Artificial Lawn Installation
Every year, more and more people nationwide are making the smart choice to invest in residential artificial lawns. These synthetic grasses not only look amazing, but they also save water, they save your money, and they save you from spending your weekends pushing a mower.
Where a natural lawn dies under the strain of high heat waves, and low-temperature drops, its synthetic twin can flourish year-round. That fact alone makes it no mystery why the purchase of these beautiful yards has become even more popular in the sunny regions of the country, such as Houston, Texas, and San Diego, California.
However, the investment youre making, instead of strictly into the synthetic lawn itself, youre also investing in the installation costs. The quality of installation company you choose to work with can help you ensure your beautiful faux lawn looks its best and lasts for decades.
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How To Position The Turf:
Remove all dirt and debris from surface of weed barrier prior to turf installation. Lay turf onto base and position where needed. When positioning, be sure to lay the turf pieces so the grain, or direction of the blades on all pieces face in the same direction. This will help eliminate a patchy look and help hide seams.
Crushed Aggregate/gravel As An Artificial Grass Base
Gravel is used to creating a permeable compact rock base to create the drainage field. For lawn turf installation, minus is used while minus is used for putting green installs. For both types of applications, the gravel is compacted every couple of inches which creates a stable and fast-draining foundation. In general, gravel is a mixture of rocks and pebbles. Gravel can also be crushed stone or other types of aggregates. However, in the construction industry, gravel specifically refers to angular pieces of rock that range 2-64 mm in diameter. The typical size for gravel is between 3/8 and 2. Gravel can be used as a base course, sub-base for asphalt roads, or as a decorative feature to create walkways.
Back in the early days, gravel was used to create a strong and stable foundation. In fact, when building a house, it is required that you build the footings below ground level before applying any concrete. Because of this requirement, people started implementing gravel as a base course for their houses foundations. The use of gravel spread throughout North America and the rest of the world, where it is now used to create a strong base course for highways and driveways. It also provides a natural look for any surface that requires an appearance similar to dirt or grass.
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Research Artificial Grass For Playgrounds
To the untrained eye, all turf products may look the same: green, fluffy, and grass-like.
However, there is a wide range of durability, features, drainage, and other factors that differentiate the various types of artificial grass.
Not all types of artificial grass will make a base for your playground or play area, so its important to choose a variety with the ideal features to provide the best experience.
Doing your research will help you hone in on which type will best meet the needs of your play area.
To help with your research, weve published several blog posts that you may want to check out.
Join The Pieces Of Artificial Turf
One of the most important steps in making the fake grass look like real is to ensure proper joining of the separate pieces.
Make sure that the separate pieces of turf are as close as possible. Its important that they dont touch and dont overlap. A small gap is more than enough.
Roll out the turf tape through the whole length of the fake turf. Once youve set in place the turf pieces and the artificial grass tape, pill the adhesive protection of the tape and place the tape in place throughout the entire length of the joining. In order to make sure everything is secured in place walk a couple of times on top of the joining spot.
Depending on the artificial turf brand and the brand of the tape, you will have differences of adhesive and installation. The tips above are generalised, so its best if you read the instructions coming with the products, or check if they have a website with instructions in order to make sure your installation is the most suitable for the products you use.
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Can You Lay Artificial Grass On Natural Grass
You might be wondering if you can just lay down artificial grass on top of natural grass. Simply put, the answer is, yes. However, just like any shortcut, there are pros and cons.
While laying artificial grass on top of natural grass can save you some money and time spent in removing your existing lawn, theres also a chance that youll run into some issues down the road when using this method. Review the pros and cons below of laying down artificial grass on top of natural grass.
How To Install Synthetic Grass Videos:
The wide world of turf installation can be boiled down into a couple of basic steps. These steps along with other factoids about synthetic grass are captured through our professional install videos. Want to understand when to use a Wonder Edge tool? Or how to apply Envirofill? All of these questions and more are answered through our video library.
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What Exactly Is Artificial Grass
Fake grass consists of filaments threaded into a backing that lets water through. The backing is laid on a drainage layer, usually compacted gravel, and fastened along the perimeter. Then its filled with recycled crumb rubber or sand to keep it from blowing away in a stiff breeze.
Todays synthetic grass is made of nylon, polyethylene, or polypropylene thats colored to look like various species.
Synlawn, one of the largest manufacturers of synthetic grass, offers: SYNBermuda, SYNFescue, SYNZoysia — you get the idea. Some grasses even have a thatch layer that makes a yard look less Stepford-like and more realistic.
Installing Your Artificial Grass
Caution: Artificial grass should be rolled out under the sun at least 1-2 hours before installation. This will allow the turf to acclimate and make it easier to work with.
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How To Connect Turf Seams:
Where two pieces of turf meet, fasten together the seams using nails spaced 1″-2″ apart. Seaming tape, such as Jiffy Seal, can also be used to secure seams. To apply seaming tape, apply tape lengthwise to bottom side of turf, leaving 3″ stuck to turf and 3″ hanging off. Lay turf back down Secure opposite piece of turf to tape. Be sure seams are tight and precise, and that the grain of your turf is all facing in the same direction.
Securing the Turf with Nails
Securing Seams with Turf Tape
Protect And Sand The Turf
Small things add up to natural looking turf. Around 12kg of sand will be needed per square meter of fake turf.
Gently spread the sand throughout the artificial piece of grass. Use the rake to gently spread out the fine sand and make sure its even throughout the whole area.
You can also use a seed dropper to spread out the sand. However, if youre working on a larger area we advise you to rent a sand spreader.
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