If you’re looking to keep the cost of your artificial grass as low as possible, consider the advantages of a recycled artificial grass installation.
How Do You Install Recycled Artificial Grass Yourself?
It’s simple to install recycled artificial turf by following a few easy steps:
- Gather your supplies. You'll need tools such as a pickaxe, shovel, push broom, hammer, mallet, 40-D turf nails, and box cutters. You'll also want to have an all-purpose cleaner, turf paint, and spackle on hand.
- Clear the installation area of all lawn materials such as tree stumps, rocks, weeds, and grass, and dispose of them.
- Cap any sprinkler heads, as you won't need to water your fake grass for a year-round green lawn.
- Add a base layer, such as Class II road base or decomposed granite, and pack it down evenly. Since decomposed granite breaks down and adapts to the natural contours of the landscape, it ensures your installed turf does not wrinkle, buckle, or become uneven as the lawn expands and contracts over time.
- Lay a weed barrier over the entire area. Overlap the edges slightly to ensure no weeds poke through and secure it with five-inch long turf nails along the loose edges. Skip this step if you have pets who may do their business on the turf.
- Prep and cut your recycled artificial grass to fit. Make sure you have taken care to gather precise measurements to ensure a proper fit. The adage measure twice, cut once is appropriate to remember here.
- Cut away any excess length or unwanted lines or markings by using a box cutter and initiating the cut from the back of the material.
- Position the turf starting from one side of the yard. Ensure all sections are oriented in the same direction and secure with a few nails to keep them in place.
- Once the turf is aligned and secured, start trimming the edges and seams. Secure edges and seams with a turf nail every six inches. When connecting sections, make sure your gaps line up evenly by examining the distance between stitch rows on the back of the artificial turf. You'll want to recreate that distance between stitch rows by cutting and aligning appropriately.
- Repair tears or holes by drawing loose edges together and securing them with nails.
- Once your lawn is secured, look for any unwanted sports markings. You can either cut them out and replace the section with previously trimmed remnants or use turf paint to mask them.
- Now it is time to spread the infill material to hold down the turf and ensure the blades stay upright. Use 2 lbs. of infill per square foot and use a push broom to work it into the artificial turf.
- Enjoy your low-cost, low-maintenance, and zero-water recycled artificial grass landscape!
How Do You Fix Punctures in Your Used Artificial Grass?
When used synthetic turf is being handled by forklifts or other heavy equipment, it can get damaged. Some puncture damage can also happen after you install your turf, such as someone walking across the fake grass with high heels or a gardening tool that gets pushed through the artificial turf.
If you find signs of damage don't panic. You'll use many of the same steps as when you installed it.
If the damaged edges can't be brought together and secured:
- Cut out the damaged section and vacuum out the infill material
- Cut a new section to fit
- Lay the new fake grass section so that it is oriented in the same direction and that the spacing is consistent between stitch lines.
- Nail the edges down.
- Don't forget to replace the infill on your new section to keep the artificial grass blades upright.
Don't worry if the color doesn't match exactly, as it will become less noticeable over time. You can alternatively paint the turf so it matches.