Want to keep your garden green all year ’round but could do without the added expense of hiring workmen so soon after Christmas? What if we told you that you could have a lush landscape in under two days? No workmen required! Installing artificial grass is one of the quickest and easiest home DIY projects and it leaves you with a beautiful garden whatever the weather. Find out how to lay artificial grass in six simple steps with this handy guide from Artificial Grass Direct.

What you’ll need:

• Artificial grass (enough to cover your desired area)
• Sand (enough to cover your desired area in a 35mm layer)
• A shovel or builder’s plank to compact sand (or a vibrating plate compactor for larger gardens)
• Weed membrane (enough to cover your desired area)
• Fibreglass backing tape
• Multi-purpose adhesive
• Craft knife

Step one: Measurements

Work out the size of the area you want to cover with artificial grass in square meters and remember to leave space for features like ponds, so you don’t end up with too much artificial turf. Make sure you allow some extra lawn length for a small amount of wastage depending on the design of your garden and how the rolls are laid.

Step two: Preparation

Never lay your artificial grass on top of natural grass as this can cause rot and leave you with an unsightly and uneven artificial lawn! For best results, we advise laying your artificial grass on a layer of compacted sharp sand. In smaller gardens, sand can easily be compacted with the back of a shovel or a builder’s plank. For larger areas you try using a vibrating plate compactor (available to rent at most garden equipment hire centres).

Step three: Weed membrane

Next up, you’ll want to lay a layer of weed membrane over the sand to stop any pesky seeds finding their way in whilst you continue your installation. This will prevent any new vegetation growing underneath your artificial grass and ruining your garden. Overlap the weed membrane by at least 100mm and take it right to the edge of the area to ensure full coverage.

Step four: Let it settle

This next step is super simple. Just lay your artificial grass on top of the membrane and leave it overnight. You’ll want to allow 50mm of artificial grass on all sides to trim for the perfect edge. Letting the artificial turf settle helps avoid creasing and wrinkling.

Step five: Joining

Now your artificial grass has had a chance to settle, make sure you’re satisfied the lay by butting any edges together for the perfect fit. Next, peel the grass back and lay the fibreglass backing tape under the join. Apply the adhesive to the tape using a spreader before folding the grass back into place. Take care not to be too heavy handed so as not to squeeze the adhesive up on to the grass strands.

Step six: Trimming & fixing

The last step is trimming and fixing the edges for the perfect garden. Using a sharp craft knife, cut and trim your artificial grass, making sure there are no gaps between the walls and grass. A sharp blade is a safe blade so make sure you change your blades regularly as blunt blades can cause accidents. Once you’ve trimmed your grass, secure the perimeter using ground pins. Nail these into the ground at an angle, spaced out at intervals of roughly 200mm.

_{AUTHORS NOTES:
By Ieuan Nicholls, Marketing Manager at Artificial Grass}

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