How to Lay Artificial Grass: A gardener’s guide

Transform your tired turf into an artificial lawn of dreams. 

If your lacklustre lawn has you panicking at the prospect of garden parties and al fresco dining then knowing how to lay artificial grass might be the quick fix you need. 

Artificial grass used to have a bad rep but things have moved on dramatically in this field (excuse the pun!) and gone are the days when the only options were unrealistic looking, lurid green sheets of spiky plastic. Nowadays there is a huge selection of low maintenance, artificial grasses available and styles to suit all budgets.

Low ongoing maintenance (no need for lawn food or fertilizer) is just one of the advantages of artificial grass, it’s simple to lay, more cost-effective than real grass in the long term, great for pets and children and you don’t have to worry about those pesky areas which are just too challenging for real grass to thrive in eg poor quality or alkaline soil, or areas which are very compacted. 

Artificial grass can be laid on most surfaces and here’s how to do it…

How to lay artificial grass on soil

Difficulty: Easy, suitable for DIY novices

Time: Depending on the size of the area being covered, this project can usually be completed in a day or two.

Cost: (For a 4m x 4m area) £200 – £1000 depending on the quality of the artificial grass.    

What you’ll need

Tools

• Garden spade
• Rake
• Hammer/mallet 
• Spirit level
• Wheelbarrow (if replacing a large area of lawn)
• Tape measure
• Wacker plate (recommended for a superior installation) – can be hired from tool shops
• Extra strong scissors or Stanley knife
• Piece of timber to level the sand
• Turf cutter (optional but recommended for larger areas, can be hired)

Materials

• Artificial grass

• Joining tape (if joins are required)

• Artificial grass pins

• Sharp sand

• Weed resistant membrane

• Decorative edging material (optional) eg stones/slate chippings
  
• Timber stakes and edging boards (optional) 

Top tip: Preparation is key. The final look of your artificial lawn is dictated by the effort put into preparing the ground beforehand. Hiring tools like a whacker plate and turf cutter will make your life easier and mean you are less likely to encounter issues.  

1. Prepare the ground

• Remove grass (using a turf cutter if you have one) from the area you wish to cover.

• Remove the topsoil with a spade or shovel, to a depth of 100mm and load it into a wheelbarrow for relocation/disposal. 

Tip: If your lawn has straight edges, you might choose to install timber edging boards (instructions below). Alternatively, you can use existing garden structures to form the perimeter, for example, a garden path, fencing or the edge of a patio, as shown.

To install edging boards

Firstly, dig soil around the lawn perimeter approximately 20mm deeper than the middle. Hammer wooden stakes into the corners and the sides at a distance of 1m apart. Once the stakes are in place, stand the edging boards in position and attach them to the stakes with screws. 

• Rake the soil in the area you have just excavated, checking that there aren’t any visible roots, weeds or stones.

2. Create a base

Cover the area with the weed-resistant membrane. If using more than one piece, overlap the edges by at least 150mm.

Cover the sub-base area with sharp sand, fill to surface level and rake.

Level the sand by pulling the side edge of a piece of timber over the surface. 

Compact the sand. Using a wacker plate is recommended, they can be hired from tool shops and will produce a superior finish. As I was only covering a small area I used a mallet and piece of wood to compact the layer of sand.

Check the area is smooth and level. 

Top Tip: Allow the artificial grass to sit for a couple of hours after it has been unrolled so it can settle before being laid.

Lay the artificial grass

Measure the area you are covering and calculate where to cut artificial grass. 

Cut the artificial grass to size using a Stanley knife or strong scissors.

Lay the artificial grass over the prepared base.

Hammer in the ground staples/artificial grass pins around the edges and at regular intervals across the artificial lawn area.

Joining strips of artificial grass

To join strips of artificial grass (if the area is wider or longer than your roll)

• Line up the pieces you are joining into position and measure their length. 
• Cut the required length piece of joining tape.
• Rollback the sides of both joining pieces and position the joining tape where they will meet.
• Secure the joining tape with ground staples/turf pins to allow you to continue the installation while the glue is adhering without risk of disruption to the seam. 
• Once the lawn is secure and all joins have cured, brush silica sand into the surface (going against the pile) of the artificial grass. 

Top tip: Use a stiff broom or artificial grass rake to protect the fibres, do not use a metal or wire brush. 

How to lay artificial grass on hard surfaces

Artificial grass can be fitted over concrete, decking, slabs and other hard surfaces. It is recommended that foam underlay be fitted under the artificial grass for a more comfortable feel. 

Application over decking requires staples or nails at intervals of not more than 500mm.

Artificial grass adhesive can be used on concrete or patio surfaces where nailing would not be possible. You will need to glue the foam underlay down first and allow the appropriate drying time. Adhesive can then be applied around the edge or over the whole entire underside area of the artificial grass to adhere it to the underlay.  

Top Tip: If installing artificial grass over areas of concrete ensure there is adequate drainage in place (a slight slope will be fine as long as its ratio is correct for the size of the area.) If the area doesn’t drain well you risk surface water on your artificial lawn, in this case, small drainage holes should be drilled and filled with gravel before laying the artificial grass.