A Guide to Artificial Grass

Artificial grass is becoming more and more popular in gardens across the UK. It is a practical way to enjoy having a pristine lawn all year round, without the tough maintenance of a natural lawn. There is no need for constant mowing, watering and mopping up dirt dragged inside. Instead, you have a beautiful garden without any of the hard work and long hours spent working on the garden that typically comes along with it.

Artificial grass has the look, touch and feel of a real lawn, so you don’t have to worry about it not having that same feel you look for in your lawn. Its durability makes it especially great for kids’ play areas, around swimming pools and heavily used gardens. Waterlogged lawns won’t ruin your plans, our artificial grass will drain away the rain, giving you a garden that will withstand the British weather.

Why choose artificial grass?

  • Low-maintenance - stop watering, feeding, weeding and mowing your lawn. Artificial grass comes with the look of a perfect lawn, and you don’t need to do anything to make sure it stays alive. All you have to do is wash it down to keep it fresh and clean, rather than having to work with temperamental grass and weeds.

  • Hard-wearing and durable - artificial grass can take a lot, which means you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged from daily activities. This makes it perfect for people with children or pets.

  • Long-lasting and fade-resistant - take the stress out of keeping your lawn looking green and healthy all year round. Unlike natural grass, your lawn will stay the same colour throughout the year despite the ever-changing UK weather. 

  • Easy to clean - ideal if you have children or pets. Simply water it lightly to remove any spillages or mess to keep your artificial grass fresh and clean.

How to choose your artificial grass

Pile Height

When you think of the perfect lawn you think of a lush-look of thick green grass that is the perfect length. When you are aiming for this look with artificial grass, it is essential to consider the pile height. We recommend going for a pile height of between 35 – 40mm. Anything higher than this and you risk having flat-looking grass. The reason for this is the longer the blade the heavier the blade will be and the more likely that gravity will bring it down leading to flat-look, rather than lush-look grass. Too short and your grass will look like it's been cut too short and carpet-like.

Colour

Of course, grass is green however, there are a few different options for you to choose from when it comes to your artificial grass. For the perfect artificial grass that gives off the natural appearance, you need the right shade of green that has the perfect amount of brown fleck that is often referred to as a ‘thatch’ or ‘brown root zone’. This helps to replicate the look of real grass, rather than being too artificial and the ‘perfect green’. Greens come in different shades; olive greens, darker greens and lime greens. Which you opt for very much depends on personal preference.

Installing artificial grass

Underlay

The installation process of artificial grass depends on where you are laying it. If you are installing it on concrete, decking or paving, you will need an underlay. This masks any unevenness from the surface below leaving you with a much softer feeling of your grass.

When it is laid onto previously soft ground, for example where the existing lawn was laid, it is essential that you fit a weed control fabric before laying down your new lawn. This prevents any weeds from growing up under the grass and disturbing your new lawn. After all, you want artificial grass to be less maintenance, and dealing with weeds can definitely be a difficult challenge.

Fitting the grass

If you need to join pieces of grass together, you should use a self-adhesive joining tape to hold the seams in place and tightly together. The perimeter of the lawn can be fixed down a number of different ways, it depends on your personal preference and the tools you have available. Edges can be either nailed to timber battens or secured down using grass pins that are made to fit artificial grass. Alternatively, the edges can be glued down to a concrete edge or base with artificial grass adhesive.

Some grasses require a thin layer of kiln-dried sand to be spread over the grass. This isn’t required with all artificial grass, so definitely find out from your supplier if this is needed. Typically, this is recommended with grass that has a pile depth of 30mm or over. The sand is there to help lift the pile while also giving the lawn additional weight to help its stability.