We recommend having the artificial grass laid by a professional team such as Avengrass. If you still want to lend a hand, you will find the following step-by-step instructions helpful, checkout here. The steps to laying artificial turf:
- Measure meadow area
- Obtain the necessary tools for laying
- Prepare the substructure
- Layout geo-fleece
- Install artificial turf
- Glue the joints of the rolls together
- Apply sand backfill
Step 1: Measure the meadow area
To determine the necessary number of square meters of artificial turf, you have to measure the area of the meadow. When ordering, it is advisable to request 10 centimeters more than the measured length and width – to compensate for the centimeters lost when cutting. The artificial turf is supplied as standard in 2 or 4 meter wide rolls, each of which is a maximum of 25 meters long. If the area to be covered is smaller, this simplifies the installation process. If the area to be covered is smaller, this simplifies the installation process, as stated by theturfgrassgroup.com.
In that case, there are no seams. For all surfaces more than 2 or 4 meters wide, you have to decide where the seam need to be. Let us assume that you have to cover an area of 10 x 6 meters. You could then order a 4 × 10 roll and a 2 × 10 roll.
Step 2: Get the necessary tools for laying
You must have the following tools and materials available for installation:
- A self-adhesive seam tape is only required if the lawn needs to be glued together.
- Paving sand/grit
- Boundary board
- Soil and concrete rammers
- Geo-fleece (stabilizing cloth)
- Self-adhesive seam tape
- Sharp carpet knife
- Tape measure
- Ground anchor
- An electric roller brush
- Litter sand and gritter
Step 3: Prepare the substructure
Before laying the artificial grass, it must be ensured that the substructure is stable, level, permeable to water, and load-bearing. We recommend applying a 10-centimeter thick layer of filling or crushing sand or grit instead. For a structure with sand, it makes sense to mix the sand with cement in a ratio of 1: 5 (cement: sand). The substructure is then leveled with paving sand. The height of the sand layer depends on the length of the artificial turf. If there is no edging yet, you are able to use boards or hardwood boards to create the border that is going to hold the lawn in place. You are able to compact the sand/grit with an earth and concrete rammer. Please moisten with sand.
Step 4: Lay out geo-fleece
Geo-fleece is a stabilizing fabric that additionally supports the artificial turf and protects the substructure during the installation process in artificial turf construction. In addition, the subsurface is completely sealed with it. The so-called root barrier prevents weeds from growing through the drainage holes.
Step 5: Install artificial grass
We recommend starting cutting from the back of the lawn carpet. This is going to avoid cutting off grass fibers. You are able to also use the stitch pattern on the base course as a guide for straight cuts. Hold the cutter at about a 45-degree angle as you cut the carpet. If only a piece of artificial turf needs to be laid, follow the instructions below:
- Roll out the artificial turf.
- Make sure that the lawn protrudes about 10 centimeters at the edges.
- If too much carpet protrudes at the edges, it is going to be difficult to pull the artificial turf taut. In that case, you need to cut off the excess material so that only an overhang of 10 centimeters remains.
In another case:
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- Roll out the artificial turf. Start with the largest piece.
- To cut, fold up the edges of two adjacent rolls and cut along the second row of fibers. Cut so that the distance between the rows of grass fibers at the joint is the same as for the rest of the carpet. You can do this by cutting both rolls against the direction of the pile and keeping a piece of the black backing material on one of the two edges. Always cut the artificial turf carpet from behind!
- When rolling out the grass carpet, don’t forget: Artificial turf always looks best in the direction of the pile.
Step 6: Glue the joints of the rolls together
This step is only necessary if several pieces of artificial turf are to be laid next to each other. Before you cut off the overhangs on the edges of the artificial turf surface, you need to glue the central seam. Follow the instructions below:
- Fold around a 30-centimeter strip of the two artificial turf strips at the joint.
- Place the artificial grass seam tape with adhesive or the QuickSeam Tape (QST) in the middle of the seam between the two folded-up artificial turf strips.
- Then fold the strips back down piece by piece.
- When you have glued the two strips over the entire length, press the seam firmly again. For this, you can, for example, put a board on the seam and walk around on it. Do not open the seam afterward!
Step 7: Apply sand backfill
This has several advantages:
- The sand weighs down and fixes the lawn.
- It extends the life of the artificial turf.
- The sand provides additional stability.
- It supports the fibers on the foot, which means that they stand upright longer. This has the advantage that you don not have to brush the artificial turf as often.
The sand need to only be applied when dry. It is then worked into the carpet using a broom with stiff bristles or a roller brush.
To sum up, after the cleaning the floor from the dust and dirt with the help of a damp cloth, you are able to start the flooring process. You need to apply the adhesive that comes with the artificial turf to the ground in detail way. Then you need to stick the strips you laid side by side using industrial adhesives. After a while you need to rest for a while to wait for the adhesive to dry in this process.