It is possible to do your own synthetic grass installation yourself, some artificial grass manufacturers provide a supply only service, cutting the artificial grass to size and delivering it for you. If the area you have planned to be laid with synthetic grass is only relatively small and perhaps straightforward in terms of straight edges as opposed to a curving, uneven border it may be a task you can manage in a few hours.

There are some basic steps that you must take if you are going to attempt to install it yourself.

Note: this is not an artificial grass installation guide. The following steps are merely to give you an idea of what is involved if you decide to take on the job yourself. If you’re looking for advice on how to install artificial grass, it is highly recommended you talk to your artificial grass supplier.

Measuring Up

You will firstly need to know the exact size of the area that you will be covering so a tape measure is going to be essential. You will need to draw the site making note of any impediments or unusual aspects to the border.

An accurate layout should be drawn with all measurements clearly described. This will be crucial to working out how much artificial grass to order so you want to get this right.

Know The Grass Sizes

When you are ordering your synthetic grass you will have to have an understanding of the roll sizes that are available. Synthetic grass is usually available in a set width (around 2 meters) but can be cut to size for length. Understanding the widths will tell you how many rolls you will need.

You are looking to make as few seam joins as possible so you need to plan the combination of rolls with that in mind. Working it out with a crude model first will help minimise the number of rolls required.

Site Preparation

It’s important to have a good solid foundation to lay the synthetic grass on, so the first stage is to put down a gravel foundation layer on your site. The gravel should be finely crushed with no sharp stones in it. A good choice for this is blue metal dust or, if that’s not available then finely crushed granite will be fine.

The top layer of soil and any grass will have to be removed before the gravel can be laid down. You will be removing about an inch from the surface which can either be done by hand with a shovel or with a turf cutting machine.

Once the soil has been removed the remaining soil should be packed down using a vibrating compacting machine. This will make certain the surface is nice and firm and of a uniform smoothness.

Next, spread the gravel to a depth of at least 1 inch over the entire surface that is to be laid and rake it so that it is uniformly smooth. Using the compacter run the machine over the gravel until it has been properly packed down and the surface is smooth.

Installation

Position the supplied rolls of artificial grass where they are to be laid ensuring that, when they are unrolled, the fibers will run in the same direction. Unroll all of the grass that you are going to be installing and commence positioning them by sliding it around into their final position. It is important that you have positioned all rolls into their exact places before starting on the gluing process in case you need to reassess that you have sufficient artificial grass to complete the job.

All rolls of grass must be butted perfectly together within 1-2mm with no gaps showing. When you are satisfied that you have everything where you want it you can start gluing the seams. Position seam tape along the entire length of the seam and then, a small section at a time, apply adhesive along the seam tape working with an adhesive spreader as you go.

Allow the adhesive to become tack dry which will take approximately 5 minutes and then glue the grass to the adhesive tape. Press down firmly on both sides of the seam to ensure you get a good bond with the glue and go over the seam with a piece of timber for added contact pressure.

Finishing Touches

Some manufacturers of artificial grass suggest nailing the grass down along the seams for added strength and immobility. You would use galvanized nails for this process and you should be careful to spread the grass leaves so that the nails are not visible. You also have to be careful not to hammer the nails in too hard because you don’t want them going straight through the grass base matting.

You will also have to trim edges so that the grass fits perfectly around paths and garden edging. To do this you will need a strong pair of scissors or a cutting blade such as a Stanley knife.

For sand filled artificial grass a sand layer will next be spread over the surface of the grass and then swept into the pile using a stiff bristle broom. The sand depth should be around a quarter inch to half an inch deep.

Conclusion

Installing your own synthetic grass is not a particularly difficult job to do but it is important to work carefully using common sense. Any mistakes you make such as poor seam alignment or laying grass naps in opposite directions are going to be glaringly obvious. The DIY process will save you money, but if you are in any doubt it might be more prudent to hire the experts to do it for you.