Are you a Sydneysider and keen for a lush green lawn all year round? Not a bad idea especially with the long intensely hot summers we’ve been seeing. You may simply not have the time to keep up the maintenance needed for a beautiful green yard. If you’re making artificial turf installation your next DIY project, be sure to check out our list of common errors, and know the ground rules before getting started…
Poor quality products
When using raw, low-grade materials, it often results in a lawn that falls short of the mark you envisioned. Poor quality products tend to be manufactured in a low grade way, with cheap heavy metal materials.
These poor quality products tend to be imported from overseas, and only result in a low-quality layout, and due to the nature of manufacture, can pose health risks to those using it. It’s recommended to use fake grass in Sydney. To have a lawn of premium aesthetic it’s vital to have premium raw materials.
The grass truly is greener with Australian artificial turf. We see lots of vested interest here to produce professional, lush, authentic-looking green grass, which will withstand our hot often bone-dry summers.
No solid foundation
The first building block to top-tier fake grass in Sydney is indeed the materials used to construct this turf. The next most important step is of course to lay an even, solid foundation.
Not having this is like building a house on stilts. It will inevitably collapse, and damage to its structural integrity will be incurred. Such damage will be exacerbated by water and the list goes on when it comes the consequences of not getting the foundation right.
So, how do you make sure of this? Here are our essential steps…
Know your ground type and soil type/condition
Remove organic material including roots
Dig out area to 70mm and fill this with sand or sand-based soil material to 50 mm, doing so to about 80kg per square metre, with the key being to ensure all is even.
One of the best materials for this is blue metal dust.
Compress this material to form a stable base for your fake grass in Sydney
Add geotextile layer above or below the 50mm of sand material
Poor drainage
The right drainage mesh is essential to create the right absorption capacity and stop water accumulation on your fake grass in Sydney. This can lead to an increased lawn soaking, deterioration, deformation, and it may lose its structure and character.
For good drainage…
Turf should be entirely permeable
Insert percolation holes in mesh at regular intervals
Intervals between holes will vary depending on materials used
Wrong tools
The appropriate tools to install your fake grass in Sydney depend on the soil conditions and climate you’re working with.
For example if the soil is sandy, using a heavy roller to compact the sand won’t go very far – your turf will sink when wet. In the same token, nails will break and fail to hold down the turf when conditions reach freezing.
Do your research on what’s best to use when.
Moss & weeds
Despite being ‘artificial’, fake grass in Sydney is not 100% free of organic material. This is a common misconception.
Keep an eye out for moss, and use a leaf blower or brush to remove it, before it’s given the chance to accumulate over your artificial turf. The same goes for weeds…
Even though you may have done a solid job of laying it down, you can still find weeds growing through. A good way to reduce this is by fixing timbers.