Synthetic turf installation is a handy-family dream job, but there are a few tips to follow to ensure get the job right on the first roll:
- Choose infill & turf based on its application
Synthetic turf is typically made of nylon, polyethylene and polypropylene. And whilst nylon is the softest material used, it’s also the least sturdy. This is in complete juxtaposition to polypropylene, which is stronger but less realistic. Polyethylene creates the ultimate balance, as it is easy to clean and maintain, making it the best choice for pets.
Another important consideration for your application is pile height: you should consider at least two to three inches pile height when laying in high traffic areas as this makes it easier for playing and walking. A pile of height of ½ to 1 ½ inches is better for low-foot traffic, low-play areas as well as being easier to maintain! If you ask DIY artificial grass installation specialist, he will be happy tell you and show.
Infill is the material spreaded across the turf once you have installed it that works to assist in mitigating the plastic blades’ heat retention as well as hold down the solution.
Crumb rubber, a product manufactured from recycled car tires, is the most popular infill variety found on the market. Another popular option is silica and acrylic coated sand, with zeolite being another eco-friendly option that is a good option for homes with pets as it is easily deodorised.
- Kill your previous grass safely
If you’re replacing an old and tired lawn, ensure that the lawn is dead before overlaying porous turf. The best way to do this is a process known as “solarisation”, which is essentially covering the lawn with black plastic so that the sun can cook it to death, as well as any weeds that may be growing – this process takes about four months to complete.
Another process you can undertake is to simply dig up the old lawn, removing at least four inches of topsoil to ensure you rip up all the roots – this is heaps of soil, so be sure you can get rid of it all in an eco-conscious way before going to work.
- Prepare the best substrate
Naturally, you can lay synthetic turf right onto the ground. However, it won’t look like a proper lawn in a garden as all the small depressions and bumps will catch the eye of even the most novice lawn enthusiast. This is why it’s imperative to install a class-2 road base rock as a four-inch base before compacting it into one solid surface.
The next thing to do is to follow this up with a ½ to one-inch layer of decomposed granite or compacted sand to provide a nice underlay. If digging down that deep isn’t your thing, a one-inch layer of decomposed granite or compacted sand is the very least you should do for ensuring proper drainage, comfort and uniformity.
Grade the underlay as you continue the process, with flat areas containing a minimum slope of ¼ inch per foot up to a runoff point to stop water from pooling under the solution and ruining its quality.
- Ensure that blade is uniform
Synthetic turf comes in a wide variety of rolls that can be hard to carry and roll individually. Like professional carpentry, it’s much easier (and safer) to have two people carrying and positioning the rolls. Once you have the rolls in the region of installation, allow them to sit out in the sun for an hour pre-unroll as this will help them lay out flatter as well as be more pliable.
When you have to combine two sections of solution next to one another to cover a wide, ensure both pieces’ blades are rolled in the same direction, as doing the opposite will ruin its uniform aesthetic!
