Common Mistakes to Avoid with DIY Artificial Grass Installation

Thinking of fitting your artificial grass yourself? Then you’ll need to be careful to complete the job without mistakes.

Although we recommend hiring a professional installer to fit your artificial grass, we know that some of you will choose to go down the DIY route. That’s why we’ve put together the following list of common mistakes people make when installing their own fake grass.

Learn from the mistakes of others, and make sure to avoid these common errors when fitting artificial grass.

Laying the Artificial Turf on an Uneven Surface

It’s important to assess the surface on which you plan to lay your artificial grass. It should be an even surface without imperfections such as tree roots or cracks in concrete.

While these imperfections may seem minor now, they’ll stand out a lot more once you’ve installed your nice smooth lawn on top of them.

No Drainage

Without proper drainage for the artificial turf’s base, you’ll end up with pools of water where it’s been installed. Drainage is vital to avoid this waterlogging.

The base should be deep and filled with cut stone to allow water to pass through. A gentle slope on the lawn will also work well. By constructing a drain around the edge of the lawn you can control where the run off will go.

Laying the Artificial Grass the Wrong Side Up

The two sides of the fake turf may have different shades of green. You’ll need to decide which side you wish to be visible, and ensure all rolls of turf a laid the same side up so that the colour is even across the lawn.

No Weed Barrier

Weeds can still grow beneath the surface of the artificial grass. Without a weed barrier fitted, these will be able to push their way through the turf and spoil the weed-free lawn you had expected from a fake lawn.

Unsecured Edges

While the artificial lawn may look neat and smooth initially, unsecured edges will soon curl up and people could trip over them. You should ensure you secure all the edges to avoid this from happening. Nailing them to a wooden frame is an effective method.

Uneven Joins

Gaps between the rolls of artificial turf will ruin the look of your lawn and are difficult to try and put right afterwards. You need to be careful when laying the rolls that joins between them are smooth and tight.

Throwing Away Leftover Artificial Turf

Your DIY artificial grass installation may look like a success upon completion. However, over time areas may get damaged and need replacing with a new patch. If you haven’t saved any leftover turf, it could be difficult getting the exact same turf further down the line.

For this reason, we recommend not throwing away any of the leftover turf you may have left over from your installation.

These common mistakes should help you understand what to avoid when fitting your own artificial grass.

Unreal Lawns will supply artificial grass for your DIY installation if this is the route you have chosen to go down. Click here to see our range of artificial grass products.