Artificial grass installation

[Sats]

As most of my household suffers from hay-fever the wife and I have looked into revamping our garden. The previous owners paved the back garden and put bushes and small trees lining it. Honestly looks awful (uneven slabs and the bushes need upkeep - weary) and is terrible for the kids. I hate gardening with a passion and wondered if anyone has put in artificial grass and whether they done it themselves or paid for it. I've looked on You Tube and it's filled with companies that make things look really complicated. Is it going to cost ££££ or can it be done easily and relatively cheap?

 

[Wildboy370]

I got some at my daughters house, all be it a small section with walls all round. Make sure you got plenty drainage underneath. Then a good layer of sand whacked down flat. Then just lay like carpet, fixing down with pegs which should be available where you get grass from. Be aware you definitely pay for what you get, cheap stuff looks cheap and is no where near as good.
I bought mine from local carpet shop and they were very helpful on how to fit so maybe worth asking when you go get quotes etc.

 

[Jamesbrown]

for a 5x5 garden it cost me roughly £700. A further £200 to get a professional in to resolve my cock up.

 

[hovis]

do not use sand. After a year or two the rain will either wash it away or soften it up and cause lumps. a fine road stone wacked down will be fine. i dug 4 inch down, laid a membrane, 3 inch hardcore with 1 inch fine road stone. all framed with treated wood. I laid it myself but got a friend in the industry to join the two lengths for me.
if you haven't got pets I'd pay the extra for the soft underlay too.
also worth mentioning that after a while you might notice weeds. they are not punching through. the seeds actually grown in the artificial grass. just use weedkiller.

i was quoted £2100 for 10 meters by 8. I done it myself for about £1200. however, it was a ball ache

 

[VVega]

i was quoted £2100 for 10 meters by 8. I done it myself for about £1200. however, it was a ball ache

What company quoted you? A friend just had a quote from Easigrass for about 10K for a putting green of the same size as yours

 

[pokerjoke]

I have done my back garden with artificial grass 3.5 x 7.5 and it’s so nice.
I have no experience so you-tubed what to do.
I payed 29.99 a s/m as I recall so went for a good quality.
Preparation is so vital so get that right and jobs a good un.
If I do get a soft spot all I do is brush some really fine sand into the grass and it’s good again.
Good luck

 

[hovis]

What company quoted you? A friend just has a quote from Easigrass for about 10K for a putting green of the same size as yours

putting greens are alot more expensive i know that because I wanted a 8 meter section down the side. my quote was trulawn

 

[VVega]

putting greens are alot more expensive i know that because I wanted a 8 meter section down the side. my quote was prolawn

Thanks! I agree they are somehow but for no valid reason imho. Afterall it’s just a short pile (15mm) grass as any other. No extra special backing or anything else. The installation method is exactly the same but a few holes cut in.

 

[hovis]

Thanks! I agree they are somehow but for no valid reason imho. Afterall it’s just a short pile (15mm) grass as any other. No extra special backing or anything else. The installation method is exactly the same but a few holes cut in.

I suppose the only addition would be to ensure a flat surface. I'd probably have added a skim on cement on a putting green

 

[VVega]

I suppose the only addition would be to ensure a flat surface. I'd probably have added a skim on cement on a putting green

Apparently they don’t put any cement and not much into levelling either. The quote was to 10cm skim, fill w MOT 1, membrane, lay grass, edge. Pretty basic it seems.

 

[PJ87]

Definitely worth it. We had it installed in our garden after our wedding.

Garden looks good all year round with zero effort

 

[Orikoru]

We want to redo our garden with new patio at the back, shorten the patio at the front (extra hour of daylight as the sun comes over) and grass replaced with fake grass in between so we don't have to keep cutting it. We got some quotes.. cheapest was around £4000. But the crux of that was on the taking up and laying of paving I think.

My wife has looked at a lot of fake grass and she reckons the stuff they sell in Costco is the best she's come across, and not the most expensive either. So have a look at that if you can.

 

[Dando]

I had quotes for articifial turf about 2 years ago but didn't get it done and now I wish I had as my lawn is awful.

might have to get some new quotes

 

[PJ87]

We love our fake grass. Little to no effort and looks freshly cut all year round

Namgrass I believe was the company that supplied the grass to the guy who fitted it. He did all the garden for us including new fence , garage doors, back gate etc few years back

Saves mud from the dog for sure

 

[Orikoru]

I'm going to have to show that to the wife Paul, it looks quite a bit like what she was planning I think! Ha.

 

[PJ87]

I'm going to have to show that to the wife Paul, it looks quite a bit like what she was planning I think! Ha.

when we moved in 5 years ago it was paving basically where the grass starts with decking all way from the back door completely across blocking one of the doors to the garage.. it got horrid in the winter... the tumble dryer lived in the garage at the time and taking washing out there in the rain meant you risked falling over

we put potted plants all over the garden I remember clearly the mrs making me spend a few hundred on plants only for the dog to arrive and dig them all up when he was a pup.

so that was that.. decided that we needed a complete new garden and we both hated the decking anyways so paving and fake grass.. best of both worlds..

fake hanging baskets. fake plants now.. very low maintance lol ..

one day will prob bother with plants again when the kids are older and can get them into it with us but until then its just another job I dont need in my life

 

[Orikoru]

when we moved in 5 years ago it was paving basically where the grass starts with decking all way from the back door completely across blocking one of the doors to the garage.. it got horrid in the winter... the tumble dryer lived in the garage at the time and taking washing out there in the rain meant you risked falling over

we put potted plants all over the garden I remember clearly the mrs making me spend a few hundred on plants only for the dog to arrive and dig them all up when he was a pup.

so that was that.. decided that we needed a complete new garden and we both hated the decking anyways so paving and fake grass.. best of both worlds..

fake hanging baskets. fake plants now.. very low maintance lol ..

one day will prob bother with plants again when the kids are older and can get them into it with us but until then its just another job I dont need in my life

Yeah decking is cheaper than paving apparently but I'm not keen, just seems like something for mice to live under. She is on about adding planters for flowers as we currently have zero flower beds - but I said only if she's the one watering them. Gardening is not for me, seems silly to take away the grass cutting chore but then add a new one.

 

[Orikoru]

@pauljames87 I'm pretty sure your table and chairs are exactly the ones we have as well.

 

[PJ87]

@pauljames87 I'm pretty sure your table and chairs are exactly the ones we have as well.

Well not exactly otherwise get out my garden lol . Pretty popular set that I believe lol

Yeah decking is a pain and you have to look after it

Fine if it's down bottom of garden and it's something you use in summer for like a sitting area

Not great if you have to walk over it to just get out house

Moss and ice never good.combo

 

[williamalex1]

We had artificial grass installed about 13 years ago after our new pup started doing her business leaving bare brown patches then digging up the rest.
We have decking at the back area but covered it with artificial grass, because it was like a skating rink when wet.
As said earlier preparation is the most important part. Anyone that does mono block or paving work should be able to level and do the ground work. Shouldn't be too difficult as you already have a prepared base, just needs levelling and a timber grounding round the 4 sides to fix the turf onto.
Lots of tutorial videos on YouTube to watch, but personally I would employ someone, and watch/supervise them

You can send for turf samples and buy it yourself online .
We actually vacuum and brush ours , it comes up like new.