Putting down artificial grass


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Old 07-13-16, 11:15 AM
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Putting down artificial grass

I have a small area on the side of my garage (about 14x22) that I would like to put artificial grass on.

Currently, it is a full-of-weeds useless area. In the past it was a garden but I would rather use the space as small play area for the kids. But, I am hesitant to use weed killer because there is another section fairly close that will still be a small garden.

All of the aricles I see for putting down the turf call for an inch or two of crushed stone or sand. Is this really necessary?

Has anyone here put this stuff down?

Any advice?
 
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Old 07-13-16, 12:33 PM
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Hi rmathome,
I'm not a pro on this subject but have installed some. Green side up is the old joke, couldn't resist. But there can be a big difference in what you get for sod. In NJ where top soil is scarce the shave it off of the land with less than 1/4" of top soil. When I lived there is was important to install it over 2 to 3" of good soil. In Brick then had plenty of sand below that.

On a business trip to Chicago we passed a truck load of rolled sod and I commented that, wow, that sod has a lot of nice looking black soil. The guy with me was from that area and he said the top soil in some areas was 40' deep so no need to be skimpy.

So, my advice would be to check out what they are selling. But the bottom line comes down to following the stores advice to be sure they will cover it under their warranty. If you do it differently and it dies they may not like you.

As for keeping it alive, this is a bad time of the year to lay sod. If this used to be a garden then I would run a tiller through it a couple of times to loosen the soil and kill much of what is there. After that you could check out some of the more environmentally friendly weed control methods.

Best
Bud
 
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Old 07-13-16, 12:39 PM
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Bud, if I'm reading his post right, I think he wants to put down artificial grass.
 
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Old 07-13-16, 01:08 PM
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LOL, I read the concern about weeds and assumed sod. I have no idea how to grow artificial grass .

Thanks Becky,

Bud
 
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Old 07-13-16, 03:56 PM
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You should excavate the area 3-4" deep so that should take care of the weeds. I prefer to spray them with a glyphosate based herbicide for a week or two before beginning work to make sure that everything is dead in the area. The herbicide only kills if it contacts the green growing part of a plant so if you don't spray your garden then the garden will be OK.

Yes, the base layers are very important... if you want a good job. Just throw down a green rug on the ground and that's what you'll get. It's sorta OK but certainly not proffesional. Another benefit of the proper base layers is they are not friendly to insects and rodents which further aids in having a nice looking artificial lawn for years to come.

Lastly is the turf you choose. There is a great variety to choose from. Some are cheap and look like the "astro turf" of the 70's while high quality artificial turf looks really good even when you get up close. Yes, there is a cost difference. The good stuff will cost several times more than the cheap stuff.
 
 

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