"Artificial Lawns"! A Guide to Installing It Yourself.

Are you considering the possibility of installing an artificial lawn for your home?  Here is a guide to how an artificial lawn is installed.
 Synthetic lawns should last 15 to 20 years. It is important that the installation process and materials are of the highest quality and that you know the proper procedure to install your artificial lawn.

Here are the procedures for installing an artificial lawn.

• 1. Excavation: First excavate the area to a depth of 3 ½ to 4 inches. If you are going to use a contractor, removing the soil should also be part of the installation cost. If you do not need any excavation, a per square foot price reduction should apply.
• 2. Bender Board Installation: Install a bender board that should measure  3 ½ by 1½, not 3 ½ by ¾  around the entire perimeter. This provides a secure edge  to staple the grass to. Galvanized staples placed at three inch intervals should be used.  Use plastic stakes, not wooden stakes to secure the bender board in place as  the wooden stakes will rot over time and the bender board may capsize, ruining your lawn.
• 3. Substrate Installation:  Use crushed granite that is raked out and compacted to 100% compaction. This provides excellent drainage for your lawn. The crushed granite should be installed in such a way that there is a slight crown in the middle which insures proper water run-off.
• 4. The Turf:  Artificial lawns are basically large carpeted areas. The synthetic grass comes in 15’ rolls and has a variety of backings.
• 5. Artificial Lawn Installation: Roll out the artificial lawn and install it with some of the same tools that a carpet layer uses. Cut and fit the lawn to the designated area  using a carpet knifes and carpet kickers.  Staple the perimeter  in place with a pneumatic staple gun and galvanized staples.  Anchor  the area in the middle in place with six inch galvanized foundation spikes placed at one foot centers. T
• 6. Blooming: Once the lawn is in place,  use power brooms to ‘bloom’ the fibers to get them to stand up straight. If you have purchased a no-fill product, this is the final step. If not, you will need to fill in between the blades with sand and a top coat of rubber granules made from recycled tires.

Once your lawn is installed, the only tools you will need to maintain it is a nylon rake  and perhaps a leaf blower.
To find out your options of Artificial Turf available when installing lawns, visit Artificial Greens & Lawns. Many of the Synthetic Turf products used come as a kitset with a DVD showing step by step instructions on how to install it.