Preparation is the most important step in getting an artificial lawn created. There are not any shortcuts. In this article, we will be outlining the steps that need to be followed in order to assess how suitable your ground is and get it prepared for the installation process. Tha includes assessing ground conditions, taking accurate measurements, and removing the current layer of lawn grass.
1. Measuring
Mark the area that needs to be measured. Using sand or spray paint to mark the area off can be helpful. When measuring it is very important to have a 100mm overlap over each of the edges to cover the timber perimeter. There is artificial grass available in 4 metre and 2 metre wide rolls that can be supplied in the lengths that you need. It is critical to accurately measure to calculate the exact width and length that you need.
2. Survey the Ground Conditions
Make an assessment on whether or not the ground terrain is susceptible to poor drainage. In these situations, to make sure that the base is satisfactory, measures need to be taken to install appropriate and adequate drainage.
If you have a new sub-surface built for artificial grass, you should have a slight fall incorporate to help with drainage (1:200 is perfect). Open textured (porous) Macadam is well-suited to use as a sub-base for all different kinds of Artificial Grass.
Using paving slabs as a base is not satisfactory since after some time the pattern on the slabs will show up on the grass surface. You should cover or remove the slab using a thick coarse sand layer.
Unbound aggregate stone bases that are well compacted are ideal. If you are building an artificial lawn from scratch, then it is recommended that you use this kind of base. However, any type of unbound surface, which is reasonably level, stable, and drains, is completely satisfactory. If you have too rough of a surface, you can screed it using sharp, coarse sand before you lay the grass so that a smooth flat layer is produced.
Although you can lay artificial grass directly on top of an existing lawn, as long as there is satisfactory drainage, over the long run, that is not always the best thing to do. It will cause the natural grass to die and the roots to decay, which will cause the surface to become uneven. Removing the grass and compacting the result soil base will help to overcome the problem, especially if you cover the soil with a compacted grit sand layer.
3. Removing Lawn Grass
The grass sod, as well as any other materials and vegetation, should be removed by hand or a turf cutter can be hired to save effort and time. Grade the soil to approximate levels. Remove any big protruding stones and compact the soil firmly. If necessary, install drainage and then use a vibrating plate to compact the soil. Equipment hiring companies have them available for hire.
Once you have completed all of the preparatory steps above, you can then move onto installing an artificial lawn. We will be covering the steps involved in the installation process in our next article.