How to install artificial grass yourself [Step by Step]

Artificial grass is a product that provides a comfortable, visually pleasing and appropriate space for numerous sports and leisure activities, in places or conditions in which natural grass cannot be sustained.

Additionally, it has certain advantages over natural grass, some of which include significant water savings, which can also mean significant economic performance and less environmental impact.

Steps to install artificial grass

Although most commercial artificial grass products have good permeability and drainage capacity, it is important to take into account some useful aspects for the installation of your artificial grass, among them the following:

• Previous review of the place: It is necessary to evaluate and prepare beforehand the area where the artificial grass is going to be installed. Pay close attention to the places where the water runs and remove any object that could hinder the natural drainage process.

• Use quality materials: Both in the selection of artificial grass and in the selection of adhesives, nails, staples and other fixing materials. This prevents degradation due to the action of water or humidity and increases the useful life of your artificial grass.

• Perform a quality installation: A professional installation job decreases the probability of flaws in the finished product, which can facilitate the formation of puddles or pockets of retained water above or below the artificial grass when it rains.

• Use crushed silica sand: The correct installation of artificial grass requires the use of a material, generally silica sand, which is spread over its surface to compact the grass and give it better performance. This sand should not be rounded, but crushed, to prevent the water from dragging it when it rains.

• Protection against erosion: When artificial grass is installed directly on the ground, the soil is being protected from the erosive action of rain and from degradation by other climatic and biological agents.

• Immediate availability: In the case of applications with a high intensity of use, such as sports fields, due to their high permeability and drainage capacity, artificial grass systems are available for use as soon as the rain stops.

Uses of artificial grass

The requirements for the artificial grass installation will depend, to a large extent, on the type of purpose it serves (residential, commercial, institutional, recreational, landscape, etc.), on the dimensions of the area or surface to be covered, on the usage intensity and climatic factors.

For example, in places where there is abundant rainfall, or on large surfaces, guaranteeing a good drainage system becomes more important. To achieve this, it is often necessary to do additional work on the ground, adding special pipes and channels for drainage, as well as a layer of special geotextile mesh.

Other specific uses include school, municipal and professional sports fields, public spaces (such as squares, parks, children’s play space, etc.) and infrastructure works such as the space between highways, or strips of land between airport runways. Each of them has special requirements according to their specific activities.

• Sports pitches: Many different sports associations, including FIFA , UEFA, NFL and the International Rugby Board, have affiliated teams that manage or use sports pitches equipped with artificial turf. Other sports that use artificial turf fields include baseball, tennis, and cricket.

Sports fields have specific requirements for artificial grass, according to the nature of the sport, and each sports association establishes its minimum requirements, especially in terms of drainage and maintenance facilities. This may mean additional work at the base of the fields or the use of geotextiles.

• Airport facilities: In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the government’s entity responsible for air operations, and establishes mandatory standards in that country, which are often also adopted by many others.

In this sense, the FAA has established regulations for the installation of artificial grass in airport areas that include, in addition to the necessary works to guarantee adequate drainage, the use of special materials, for example, a Velcro designed to facilitate access to electrical installations covered by artificial grass.

What base should be put under the artificial grass?

At least one base material must be placed under the artificial grass, generally a geotextile, which provides adequate drainage. However, requirements may increase depending on the location or anticipated usage pattern of this product.

Most of the artificial grass systems that are installed today include in their design and manufacture a multilayer support system, which serves as a base for the fibers of the artificial grass, as well as an internal layer of porous material to facilitate drainage.

If the artificial grass is going to be installed directly on the ground, then it will be necessary to place a special anti-weed mesh under it, as well as the application of chemical products (herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc.) to prevent the proliferation of plants, insects, fungi and other potentially dangerous or harmful biological agents.

What happens to artificial grass when it rains?

The artificial grass is made with synthetic materials that do not degrade with water. Additionally, artificial grass systems are designed and manufactured in such a way that they can dislodge rainwater quickly, preventing it from accumulating.

Commercial artificial grasses have holes drilled into the base of the material, which allows them to drain between 40 to 80 liters of water per square meter per minute, depending on the quality of the product. Most artificial grasses can dislodge at least 50 to 60 liters of water per square meter per minute.

How to install artificial grass on land?

Installing artificial grass on land is a process that is carried out following a series of relatively simple steps, but which can increase in complexity according to the state and dimensions of the land to be covered.

First of all, you must have the appropriate materials and tools. At a minimum, you must have:

• Artificial grass rolls of your choice (according to the intended use)
• Compaction material (silica sand or some other equivalent)
• Knife or some other appropriate cutting instrument.
• Self-adhesive strip or bonding tape.
• Ruler or some other measuring instrument.
• Herbicide, pesticides, and fungicides products.
• Anti-weed geotextile mesh .
• Fixing nails or staples.
• Hard bristle brush.
• Hammer.
• Spatula.

Once you have the appropriate materials and tools, and you have selected the place where you want to place the artificial grass, you will surely wonder how to install synthetic grass. Here are the basic steps to install your artificial grass:

Preparation of the land to install artificial grass

The preparation of the land, which is the phase prior to the installation of the artificial grass, is very important. It is necessary to remove every object that may affect the installation process, such as stones, grass, fungi, among others.

For this purpose, the ground must be cleaned and leveled. If necessary, add gravel or sand to cover holes and obtain an even surface. Then, the corresponding chemical products (herbicides, fungicides, pesticides) must be applied to prevent the proliferation of weeds, fungi or insects after the installation of the artificial grass.

At this stage, water runoff conditions should also be considered. If necessary, works must be carried out to guarantee adequate drainage of the water so that it filters under the artificial grass, including the installation of pipes, geotextile mesh, etc.

Placement of the anti-weed geotextile mesh

Once the ground has been prepared, the anti-weed geotextile mesh is installed on the surface where the artificial grass will be. To do this, a measurement of the planned coverage area should be made.

Geotextile meshes normally come in rolls. These are deployed in the form of bands along the ground to be covered. The geotextile mesh bands are overlapped at the ends, at a rate of a few centimeters (10 to 20 cm) to obtain a better finish. The meshes are then fixed to the ground using the hammer and nails or fixing staples.

Artificial grass installation

Finally, the artificial grass is installed. To do this, the surfaces to be covered and the amount of material to be used in each section of the land are measured. Like geotextile mesh, artificial grass comes in rolls of different dimensions.

Once the measurements of the terrain and the material necessary to cover are ready, each segment of artificial grass is carefully unfolded and cut, paying close attention to the edges. The edges of each segment must match exactly the edges of the next segment to ensure a quality finish.

It is very important for the final finish that all artificial grass segments are placed in the same orientation. Otherwise, the result will be very obvious and unsightly. On the edges of the covered ground, the artificial turf must be fixed with special care.

Finally, the compacting material is added, either silica sand or any other equivalent. Then, the artificial grass is brushed so that the sand is evenly distributed over its entire surface and the synthetic fibers adopt the required position.

What are the best surfaces to install artificial grass?

In addition to being applied directly on the ground, it is possible to install artificial grass on a large number of surfaces, such as floors, patios, walls and terraces. Here are some of the most common options.

How to install artificial grass on concrete?

To install artificial grass on concrete, the same procedure is followed as for the installation of artificial grass on land, with the advantage that it is not necessary to use the anti-weed geotextile mesh, nor to use chemical herbicides, pesticides or fungicides.

However, the same steps and relevant recommendations must be followed, among them: study the drainage and runoff system very well before installing the artificial grass, measure the spaces and the artificial grass panels that will be used to cover them, use quality materials, etc.

How to place artificial grass on walls?

To place artificial grass on walls and walls there are two alternatives. 

• The first is to fix the artificial grass for walls on a wooden base, horizontally, following the same procedure described above for concrete. Then, the wooden bases are fixed to the walls using traditional anchoring mechanisms, with drills, screws, bolts, etc.

• The second option is to fix the artificial grass directly to the walls, or facades using quick-drying and highly resistant glues or adhesives. This method requires the use of very good quality fixing materials to prevent the artificial grass from detaching and falling under its own weight.

Architectural uses of artificial grass

In addition to all the applications already seen, artificial grass is currently being used, with increasing frequency, for a number of architectural and landscape uses that seek to enhance the beauty and comfort of residential and public spaces. 

Some of these uses include balconies, decorations and gardens made with artificial grass, both in interior and exterior spaces, of houses, buildings, shopping centers, museums, squares, etc.

Nowadays, many manufacturers have developed product lines that offer, among other options, artificial grass for decks, for patios and for floors, in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Summarizing, quality materials should always be preferred, both in the selection of the artificial grass and in the products necessary to install it. In the same way, it is recommended for the installation to be done by professionals with experience in the area, to guarantee the highest quality of the finished product and obtain the maximum benefit from the artificial grass system.