How to install artificial grass in your garden

A garden with grass is very attractive, but sometimes the weather, the location of our home, or lack of time prevents us from enjoying it as much as we would like. For this reason, more and more people are opting for artificial or synthetic grass, a product whose quality and variety have improved significantly over the years and which we can also install ourselves quickly and easily.

Natural grass is the main element that makes a garden require significant maintenance. It must be mowed weekly during the growing season to keep it looking good and watered to enjoy its greenery. Both requirements make it a luxury, as the cost of labor and water for irrigation is very high and unsustainable. Fertilizers, treating weeds, pests, and diseases are endless. As always, the irrigation system breaks down at the most inopportune time, and we find ourselves in dry areas that are beautiful all year round, but in a few hot days, everything is a mess.

With artificial grass , there's no maintenance required; it's green year-round, and your water bill will definitely go down. If you hire gardeners, you can go from that expensive weekly or biweekly contract to a more basic and sufficient monthly maintenance plan, meaning less noise and disturbance for your neighbors, who will thank you for it. The only thing you should know is that during the hottest months, artificial grass can burn if you walk barefoot, so it's a good idea to hose it down occasionally to refresh it.

HOW TO INSTALL IT?

STEP 1: PREPARE THE GROUND

The first step to carry out the installation of artificial grass on a dirt or grass surface It involves preparing the ground. To do this, we'll need to remove all the weeds using a tiller or, failing that, a hoe. Next, we'll spray the entire ground with herbicide to prevent these plants from growing again once the artificial turf has been laid.

The surface must be covered with enough sand or gravel to level the ground. This ensures a flat and level surface, ensuring the final appearance is optimal and there are no holes left under the artificial turf.

Finally, the surface is watered thoroughly and rolled to compact the soil, leaving the surface firm and ready for the artificial turf to be laid.

STEP 2: INSTALLING THE WEED NETTING

In addition to preventing weeds from growing back, weed control mesh promotes drainage of artificial grass, making it an essential material for this type of installation.

Therefore, the next step would be Spread the weed control mesh and secure it with nails every meter so it doesn't move. Fold the edges and make sure they're securely fastened to the ground. For proper installation, it's a good idea to overlap the weed control mesh strips.

STEP 3: PLAN THE LAYOUT OF THE ARTIFICIAL TURF

It is of great importance measure the surface well and plan the layout of the cuts before making them. Therefore, we will begin by spreading the rolls of turf over the mesh, making sure that all the rolls are placed with the fibers in the same direction . If the turf were not laid in the same direction, the end result would not be attractive at all, as the strips would appear to be incorrectly laid and the turf would not look realistic.

Before finally joining the pieces, it's a good idea to trim the edges by cutting a knot on each side (approximately 0.5 cm), eliminating any imperfections and ensuring perfect joints. Next, we place the pieces, leaving a margin of between 0.1 and 0.5 cm, depending on the model, and comb the joint to see if it's actually invisible, since the joints between the pieces shouldn't be visible. This way, we'll make sure the joints aren't visible, as the grass strands will hide them.

For cuts around obstacles, use a utility knife to score every 30 cm and, if possible, use a guide to cut straight. It's essential to measure before trimming difficult areas, such as trees, for example.

STEP 4: INSTALL THE ARTIFICIAL GRASS OVER THE WEED NETTING

Before placing the joining band, we must ensure that the joints of our artificial turf are placed side by side. In this sense, we must avoid either one layer overlapping the other or a slight gap between them. If either of these two things were to occur, we would notice the joints in our artificial turf. For this same reason, it is essential to dedicate ample time to this step to ensure that the gap between the joints of our synthetic turf is not visible to the naked eye.

Once this step is complete, the next step is to place the synthetic turf over the joint strip. To do this, we will separate the joints, place the joint strip on the ground, and apply the line and, subsequently, we will join the joints on the joining band (it is important to carry out this step with zipper effect ). With this last step, we'll achieve a seamless installation that looks like a single piece of artificial turf. In this step, it's also important to nail the joining strip. Watch the video to see how the artificial turf installer does it.

We nail down the turf surface every meter , paying special attention to the joints and edges. This way, the artificial turf will stay firmly attached to the surface, preventing it from separating or peeling.

STEP 5: FINAL INSTALLATION TOUCHES

We spread silica sand over the entire surface and we use the traditional hard bristle brush (or the electric one, like the one in the photograph) in the opposite direction, since it lifts the artificial grass hair and equalizes the amount of sand.

Covering the surface with silica sand is optional, although it certainly increases the comfort of artificial turf, as it makes it more pleasant to walk on. It also provides greater support for the turf, keeping the hairs upright. Finally, Silica sand prevents the grass from getting as hot in the summer, keeping it cool longer, especially if watered.

I hope this guide has been helpful! At Brikum, you'll find everything you need for gardening and DIY. and home !