The issue around the doors is easy to solve, either simply cut and stick heavily up to the edge or remove the slabs by it and then fill with concrete leaving a lip to cut too bull nose edge , then stick. The kiln sand can be added, but believe me there are always weed seeds in the air and they will germinate in whatever they want to, also adding this will be quite expensive and unless you have a good quality spreader it will be uneven and very lumpy under foot.
So the slabs are all fitted well and the overall area of 49sqm is level with slight incline towards drainage so I thought this was a great starting base, no?
Removing those slabs which are protuding would mean removing them all as thats just how they are designed. My main concern is that if I lay grass on top of the current slabs, will the water not just sit under the grass and take much longer to dry, if ever? If I drill holes, will I not end up cracking the slabs? How far down should I drill? We thought the underlay would assist with making the crevices in the slabs less easy to feel and less visible and help preserve the lifespan of the grass.
Ok, so should or should I not use kiln sand as from reading your installation guides, I had understood that this helps keep the grass held down. Or is it not needed for concrete installations? Finally, I lifted one of the slabs and found what looks like a mortar mix sand and cement.
I then used a 8mm drill bit biggest I had to drill a hole which would only go down as far as 60mm deep. The drill bit came out with sand on it. I presume that the previous owner who decided to slab the whole garden area which used to be natural grass as they had dogs would have prepped the sub base accordingly before slabbing it.
Hi there if you are happy with the slabs levels then by all means drill cores using a 15 mm drill bit and filling with pea shingle, the aim is to get through the base and into the substrate. The slabs may break but as long as they are firm, they are ok ,if not they will need removing and the area filling as explained above.
The whole underlay conversation I suppose is down to each individual , it will not preserve the life span of the grass at all , as the grass will weather in exactly the same way depending on footfall and usage.
The only thing you can argue is the underlay will take the feel of any hard edges away , but if you are putting 42 mm grass pile on it this will too. We only site visit for quotations of jobs we are going to undertake and they also will be vetted and in our area as we are only a small company. Ok, I will drill further down with a longer drill bit and see when I hit the substrate then test drainage and then decide which method to use.
Hi there, times and methods change, as the grass has been developed and installation methods advanced, we have found ourselves using top dressing less and less.
I would plan on adding no top dressing at all unless it sits up and needs some added weight in areas to push it into the slabs. Hi there, fab info, could just do with a bit of advice tho! I dont want to cut corners, but dont want to make work for myself either! The slabs are textured, so not perfectly smooth! As the slabs are only textured and not raised, i dont know if the slabs could be used as the solid sub base and add the limestone dust to create the smooth surface on top of the slabs and under the grass!
I did see info on a previous question about 10 mm foam shockpad underlay over a non even concrete surface as this serves as drainage too, but if this is more expensive than doing a limestone subbase i would rather do the subbase!! Is it ok to drill into the finished product?! I have a small fence i want to put up, of which i require 2 square metal support plates to be screwed down for the fence posts!
Many thanks in advance for your help. I have also attached a picture hopefully of where the water has been holding to see your opinions on if this is a drainage issue or not! Hi there , personally there are 3 avenues to potentially go down. Firstly, the use of a thin shock padding after drilling 15mm cores in badly drained areas and filling we pea shingle. Thirdly removing the flags and using the mortar base underneath as your sub base ie do as above but filling in any areas with type one and smashing through the mortar to improve the drainage.
All these methods have been used successfully and there is no right or wrong way its purely down to budget and work load. Thanks for replying and for the information! At this point is the compacted dust solid enough to be able to drill into to secure my fence supports? I need to try and ensure any water is clearing first.
Ideally I would rather put a sub base down over the slabs if drainage continued to be a problem rather than pulling the slabs up. Budget wise that would be more cost effective than skip etc etc to take the slabs up. If drainage continued to be a problem after drilling holes, by laying a sub base would this be done level or with a slight fall to help with drainage, or does the sub base manage this itself?!
Thanks for your help! Hi there post wise, they would all need to be fitted and secured first before any work on grass starts. The 20 mm lip around the edge using concreted in timbers allows you to build up with granite dust to the top of these levels and makes the area self contained otherwise it would get washed away over time.
Personally there is no point using type one on top of the slabs as they are your sub base, I would only use this type one if you do lift …the idea of lifting the slabs and breaking up the mortar base allows for the water to escape quicker. The issue you have is, if the drainage holes get clogged and the area is self contained around the edges it then becomes waterlogged in times of bad weather.
Being aware of the importance of drainage, I allowed it to rain to ensure the water cleared. Any help, advice and information would be appreciated! Hopefully this will be the last hurdle before getting the grass down!! Hi there, what process did you end up using i. I assume you have gone on top of the flags, did you break them up? If not I would drag back the granno in the area where it dips and smash up the flags or even remove. Then once completed compacted screed to create your finished surface which should be at the same level as the top of the fixings.
Hi Gavin, I have built a balcony ontop of a home extension. The roof is 18mm ply with a firestone EPDM rubber ontop. The balcony is 4m wide and drops 60mm from the back to the front as a gradient for water run off.
CanI lay artificial grass directly on this or will the low gradient cause the grass to retain water? If so, can I use a drainage matt below the artificial grass perhaps to allow the water to run off? Many thanks in advance. Hi as long as the water has somewhere to go when it runs off it will be absolutely fine You may need to consider fixing method onto the surface , ie ideally it would be stuck intermittently allowing water to escape from under the product.
Hi I am wanting to fix artificial grass to an ugly 2. Hi there, I would screw a timber baton to the top of the wall and hang it from this, you can also screw in to wall.
Area is 6m x 8m, and the underlay comes in rolls 1. There is a slight decline on the area, I plan on rolling the grass down 2 x 4m width rolls , does it matter if also roll underlay down, or should it be rolled across, or does it really not matter?
You will not be able to glue the underlay as the glue will simply pull the underlay apart due to its strength. We generally leave a 1 inch gap around perimeter to glue the grass directly to surface, leaving gaps again for water to escape. We add weight by brushing in kiln sand into the grass pile which will reduce any puffing caused by the underlay.
Appreciate the response! The idea of gluing the grass direct to surface makes sense, is 1 inch enough of a glue perimeter? One inch is enough, as you will get a slight ridge and you want that as close to the edge as possible. Hi Gavin what would you recommend if we are putting fake grass down over existing laid solid concrete flags in an internal swimming pool surrounding? Hi there , yes this is absolutely fine. I would ask a few questions when buying the grass making sure it is a good quality product.
Prior to laying make sure the area is free draining , if not you may wish to drill 15 mm cores and fill with pea shingle. Hi Gavin I have just opened a dog Day care centre dogs per day. I have managed to artificial grass the areas which were just mud and these are doing well as they are washed down with kennel dissinfectant and obviously drain well.
I have a large bricked area though with a drain in the middle, one small area of the yard collects water as there is a little dip. Due to the ice and heat on the dogs paws I have been using Eva foam mats but these are not suitable in the wind. Would I be able to roll out and tape together artificial grass for a large area like this? Maybe using something to build up that water collecting area first?
There are a few other uneven areas too. Thanks Abi. Hi there , grassing larger areas using tape and glue is fine as it acts like a floating surface. As for the dip , you wont be able to use a fine aggregates as it will move and wash away very quickly. Try using a self levelling compound or cut out the area and re concrete. Always use a very short grass when using the areas for dogs.
Hi Gavin, i have two areas of artificial grass to fit. One is around 5m x 4m and one is 5m x 5m. I was going to uses sharp sand to level as a top, then fit membrane and then the grass, but after reading many of your mails on here that does not seem right?
Alternatively i was going to mix some cement into it effectively creating a solid level concrete base then lay the grass on top, but i do have two dogs so worried about smells? Would you suggest using the granite instead or going with the sand and cement and drilling drain holes? Cheers Simon. Hi Im sorry to say this is recipe for disaster. What you have created is a sand filled bowl which will be full of dog wee. Firstly the idea of putting timber down and using aggregates on top is a huge no ,as the timber will warp and rot quickly as well as retaining the water , secondly if you then drill holes ,the sand will wash through and the grass will sink.
My advise ,is to rip it up and start again from scratch using type 1 as the base to build on instead of timber. My plan now is to buy some kind of drainage mat and put that under the turf, then top with durafill. Will that be adequate drainage if the dogs are peeing on it we would plan to hose it down occasionally and use odour-control spray. Could we put an edging strip in and use pea gravel or similar around the outside edge to weigh it down? Hi the problem will laying on concrete , it will trap the wee and even if you top with a wee odour product the smell will be coming from underneath as well.
Im afraid you need to rethink and lift the concrete if there is no other place to put this. Hi well there is nothing you can do if you do not wish to ruin the tiles. If you are not worried about the tiles you can drill cores in them and add pea shingle , or alternatively you can use self levelling compound to take the dips out. You can simply lay the grass over all of it including the drain and the water will pass through it , again if you do not wish to glue you could heavily sand the grass with kiln to pin it down.
I have a garden patio currently with patio slabs on it. The existing drainage is great, the slabs sit on a mix of stone and condensed sand, and the water runs away lovely with no pooling. Over the last couple of weeks I have killed off the weeds that were appearing through the gaps between the slabs.
In principal, do you think this will work? Just rolling over the existing slabs? Thank you!! Hi well as long as there are no pot holes etc it should be fine , you may wish to fill any with some type 1 to create a rock hard surface that is free draining. Sorry, when you say fines, is that a typo? We have an area approx 4. The area previously had slabs on it for a number of years.
Because the sand is already quite flat as is, I was just going to treat the existing weeds, level the sand and lay the grass straight on top, pinning the grass at the perimeters with the sand? As the base is currently sand and stone, I think the drainage should be more than adequate as is, unless you think I still need to take action?
My real question is, should I just lay the grass as is, or should I add some newer sand to the existing compacted sand, and should I use a weed membrane? Also, will pinning the perimeters work by pinning directly into the sand? Hi there, sometimes it is simply about working with what you have. What I would suggest is to spray all weeds off with Round Up weedkiller. Around the edges I would make a 3inch by 3inch channel and put in a concrete fillet mix of cement, ballast and water , simply smooth it off so its completely level with the top of your base.
Once happy your base is as flat as you can get it simply roll out grass, cut in, join etc and then stick it around the perimeter on your dried out fillet. This will stop any issues occurring around the perimeter as time goes by. If you wish to add a membrane before you lay the grass this can simply be added, however it is more hassle than it is worth on top as it causes issues with the grass when fitting.
We are looking to lay artificial grass on a flat concrete square essentially, 4. Previously there were 1ft square slabs that have since been taken up, and the area has been cleared of debris, and weed killer has been applied. I intend to drill approx 12x 16mm holes and fill with 10mm shingle just to be safe with the drainage. You can usually tell, as recycled underlay is normally made up of several types and colours of foam bound together to create the underlay.
Water does eventually get through it and drain away, but it acts like a sponge. This will not only cause damage to your grass, but the underlay will also absorb and hold nasty smells, such as dog urine. We strongly advise using a good quality, free-drainage foam such as this 10mm artificial grass foam underlay which is perfectly acceptable for practically all applications.
If large pieces of play equipment will be placed on the lawn and there is a significant risk of head injuries from falls from play equipment then we would recommend considering a 20mm artificial grass foam underlay. We always advise using a professional to install artificial grass, as their experience will result in a better finish. However, it is reasonably quick and easy to install artificial grass on concrete and if you have some DIY ability, you should be able to carry out an installation yourself.
Next, measure the length of any joints required. This time, you only need to allow to glue the artificial grass joints together. A 5kg tub will cover approximately 12m, spread at a width of mm. A 10kg tub will therefore cover approximately 24m.
As explained earlier in the article, in some exceptional circumstances, you may need to apply a self-levelling compound — for example, if you have large cracks over 20mm in your existing concrete.
Before this is installed, we strongly recommend thoroughly cleaning the concrete so the artificial grass adhesive will properly bond with the concrete. If weeds are a problem with your existing concrete, we recommend applying a weedkiller, such as Roundup , beforehand. Although not essential, a jet wash will make light work of this stage.
Cleaning your concrete or paving is also a good opportunity to assess how well water drains off it. The holes can then be filled with 10mm shingle.
Once your concrete or paving has thoroughly dried, the next step is to install the artificial grass shockpad. Starting at one end of the concrete, and ensuring the foam goes right up to the edge, roll out the first piece of foam and cut to the required shape. Tip: As the foam comes on a roll, it will naturally try to roll itself back up as soon as you let go of it.
To stop this from happening, place a heavy object on each end to hold it in position. Work your way across the entire width of the concrete until each piece of foam has been cut to cover the entire area. A drill and paddle mixer will make light work of this. Then, using a filling knife or stripping knife, apply the adhesive to the concrete or paving at about mm wide. The easiest way to complete this step is to just glue the joints at this stage and then leave the glue to go off, before gluing the perimeter.
After the glue has cured, we can begin our next step — securing our artificial grass to the foam underlay. Ensure that the glue runs continuously along every part of the perimeter, without leaving any gaps. These gaps will be potential weaknesses where it may be possible to lift the grass.
If you have any artificial grass offcuts left over, you could use this time to do something useful with them. For example, you could cut the offcuts into a doormat, or a mat for budding golfers to practice their chipping off, or for covering shelving in a greenhouse, or even covering old garden tables and chairs.
Secondly, while our Feelgood technology is great at keeping your lawn cool during the summer months, if your artificial grass does not have this innovative technology, it can become hot to touch during summer. However, a sand infill will help dissipate heat and prevent the artificial fibres from becoming hot. Finally, kiln-dried sand also helps to protect the fibres and ensure they remain in an upright position.
Every artificial grass has a very slight pile direction and this step should be done by brushing into the pile, which will lift the fibres. Installing artificial grass on concrete may just be the perfect way to give your tired looking garden a facelift. We hope that this guide has inspired you to think about the many benefits a fake lawn would bring to your existing garden. And that our step-by-step guide has helped you understand the correct way to install fake grass on concrete.
As always, we advise hiring a professional to install your grass, but you should now have a better understanding of the work involved. Have you installed artificial grass on concrete before? Do you have any tips or pictures of your DIY installations to share with us? Looking forward to this project!
Unfortunately, I am in the United States, but am still so grateful for this helpful guide. Great information here im just wondering what to do with the edges.
We are thinking if doing half our back slabs.. Great guide. Can you please advise if the kiln dried weed free sand you recommend is the same sand as used for block paving? I cannot seem to find sand specifically for fake grass?
In my garden I have a Tarmac tennis court m2 that we no longer use. Regards Gerry. Afternoon Gerry, Yes, it would be absolutely fine to convert to a putting green using the same methods as we suggest for laying grass on concrete. You find your nearest approved Sussex artificial grass installers here. Too old to do this now,have you a registered installer we live near Chichester West Sussex We have a Yorkshire Slab Back Garden in pretty good order The foundations being in excesses of 8 inches we have 5 small dogs so good drainage is a must Size in the region of 20 x 14 Look forward to hearing from you.
Sorry for the delay in responding. When it comes to laying artificial grass on concrete when you have pets, this should all be absolutely fine provided you have plenty of drainage through the base. Is their any product such as a diminishing strip that can be used as a non-trip between the grass and existing patio? I want to part grass my existing patio, however im concerned after adding underlay and grass there will be around a cm trip hazard..
Any advice much appreciated. Yes there are diminishing strips that can be used in conjunction with artificial grass. However, I would suggest speaking to a carpet supplier who should be able to point you in the right direction.
Good afternoon, Thank you for your inquiry and apologies for the delayed response. When installing on concrete you generally just glue the grass straight down on to it or if you need a foam underlay going down first then you would glue the underlay followed by gluing the grass on top of that. Really not sure why your installer has a layer of soil followed by a layer of sand??
Kind regards, Wendy Beeching. Good afternoon, Thank you for your inquiry. This is only a 22mm pile but is extremely dense and very contemporary looking. There will of course be shipping to be added on top but we will quote for this if you are happy to continue further at all.
Kind Regards, Wendy Beeching. Good morning Graeme, Thanks for getting in touch with us. You can indeed lay the grass on a pebblecrete slab but we would definitely suggest you put down some underlay down first.
We stock two different thicknesses, a 10mm and a 20mm. Kind Regards, Wendy. Sorry if this seems like a silly question…We have a roll of the blue 10mm thick underlay with a flat side, and a side with cross pattern cut into it as per your pictures …but unlike the stuff that is shown being actually stuck down, it does not have a white backing which also has the grooves cut into it..
We are fitting over paving stones. So my question is, do we have the criss cross side upwards, which it looks like it should be, and looks like it would drain away better or downwards which I imagine would take out the ridges in the slabs more effectively? Good morning, Thanks for getting in contact with us. You need to get in contact with the company that you bought it from. Thanks- I think was an underlay you supplied- but was being a bit dim…once we unrolled it, we realised it was the same on both sides!
Now down and looks great! Hi Does the glue easily come off of paving slabs as we are in a rental property and would need to remove the Astro turf if we were to move out. For a temporary installation, we would recommend using a Rubber Bevel Edge Trim to secure the perimeter of the grass. I though your instructions were very clear and straight forward.
The area I am looking to cover is paved with Yorkshire type pavings which are not smooth. Rather than covering the area with self leveling compound or lifting all the pavings I was planning of covering the area 30 sq m with about 75 — mm of sharp sand and then wack it down before laying the turf.
There is plenty of drainage as I will first remove the 25mm morter between the pavers. Would this be a suitable base and if so how best to secure the edges to stop them curling. The area was a sunken garden and has walls on all four sides so once wayed the turf has no were to move.
I would definitely recommend using a 20mm foam , rather than the 10mm , to cover the undulations. See here for further information on laying courses. After laying my 10mm foam then my artificial grass. Is it necessary to cover this grass in sand. What are the benefits? Whilst they can all easily be answered, it can often be difficult to find the right answers in one place. Of course, you can do some research, but there are so many different answers that you may not know which one to believe.
So, to help you out, we have created a guide that will not only tell you how to lay artificial grass on concrete but will also inform you about all the benefits of this. If not, it can be costly to repair. If you were laying artificial turf on soil, you would normally need to strip away all of the grass, weeds and vegetation to prepare the ground for the grass to be laid.
But, for concrete, there is no need to remove it as you can simply lay on top. However, you will need to check that the concrete which you are laying the grass on drains water properly. This is important as it will help to prevent any issues arising surrounding the drainage of water from the artificial grass which could result in damage to the grass.
After the holes are made, they should be filled with pea gravel to ensure that the water can escape and be properly absorbed. You will also need to check that the concrete is a smooth surface as any loose stones could damage the artificial turf. However, if there are still a few bumps, it may be better to use an underlay that will sit between the concrete and the artificial grass. This will help to avoid any ground imperfections that may show through the grass. However, some people also question how to lay artificial grass on uneven concrete.
It can be done with the exact same process you would use for normal concrete, but you will need to take extra care taken to ensure that there are no stones or bumps that will tear the fake grass.
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