To make the digging process as quick and easy as possible, we highly recommend hiring a lawnmower from your local tool rental store. The cutting blade can be adjusted to facilitate the handling of the existing turf in the coil.

Without a weed film, there's a good chance you'll have weeds growing on your fake lawn. One of the main benefits of owning artificial grass is that you no longer have to deal with weeds. To prevent weed growth, we strongly recommend installing weed film on the roadbed. The image below shows what happens if weed membrane is not installed on the roadbed. As an extra line of defense, we also recommend installing a second weed membrane on top of the laying layer, just below the artificial grass.

We recommend that you install a 25mm deep lay layer consisting of 0-6mm granite or limestone dust, sometimes called grano (use whatever material you can find locally).

Granite or limestone dust creates a stronger, more wear-resistant lay-up that provides a higher-quality finish for sharp sands.

After leveling the subbase, the next step is to ensure that the subbase is fully compacted before spreading the ply material. The only way is to use a vibratory plate compactor. If you're doing a DIY installation, you'll find that you can rent one from your local tool rental store for relatively little money and a quick end to the step.

Not only is it necessary to use the correct form of aggregate and ensure proper compaction, but the final step in installing the plies is to ensure that the surface is completely flat before turfing.

You will find that after running the slab compactor on the layup layer, it will leave small indentations in the aggregate. Before laying grass, it is important that you smooth out any ridges or protrusions. This can be done with a plastic float.

If you don't, you'll see them through the artificial grass as it will lay flat on them and take their shape.

Another common mistake we see is failing to install edge restraints. Edge constraints are an important aspect of artificial grass installations for two reasons. First, they retain the subbase and lay layer, preventing the lawn from collapsing at the edge, and second, the edge restraint will give you an anchor point where you can secure the perimeter of the lawn. When it comes to choosing an edging material for your lawn, you have several options.

Another problem we often see when installing artificial grass is the inability to adapt the artificial grass to the climate. Many people forget this important step. The only feasible way to ship artificial grass is in rolls.

After rolling the artificial turf tightly onto the cardboard core, you need to unroll the artificial turf on the new lawn and let it sit for at least 24 hours to "acclimate". The adaptation process will make the grass easier to install. When first unfolding your artificial grass, there are usually some small ridges and ripples. This is due to the abrasion resistant backing which retains its shape. However, after 24 hours of spreading the grass, these ridges or bumps will naturally fall off, making it easier to lay the grass without any undulations.

On closer inspection, all artificial grasses have a slight pile orientation, i.e. the fibers of the turf all point in the same direction.

When joining two sheets of artificial grass together, it is important to ensure that the piles on both rolls of turf face the same direction. It is usually easy to spot because the green of the grass will look slightly different. If you don't face the grass in the right way, you can always see where the connection between the two pieces of grass is. Another tip is to make sure the stakes are oriented towards the angle that will view the lawn from the greatest angle. This usually means the pile is facing towards your house. This is because this side is generally considered the best viewing angle.

Artificial grass is supplied in 2m and 4m wide rolls. Due to the shape of the lawn, you may need to join multiple rolls together to cover it. For the uninitiated, this is where potential problems can occur if you don't follow the correct process. First, when you look at your artificial grass roll, you will notice a strip of film attached to the outer edge of the roll, known in the industry as a "selvedge." The selvage is used to thread the main backing through the sewing machine. Before trying to stick the two pieces of grass together, the selvage must be removed. Also, to ensure an invisible connection, you need to count 3 pins from the crimp and cut to close to the fourth pin.

This is because the fibers on the outer edge fray outward and cannot naturally merge with another roll of grass. The rolls we offer are approximately 4.1m and 2.05m in order to remove the outer edge. If you don't do it well the first time, you can get a few more stitches if you have enough width.

The connecting strip can be up to 100m in length and is placed between two pieces of sod. The width of the connecting tape is 300mm, first of all, it is important to make sure that it is rolled out so that each piece of grass can come into contact with and adhere to the tape.

It is also important to use the correct amount of glue when securing the connection. Use a notched floor trowel to apply about 2mm of adhesive across the entire width of the connecting strip.

Using too much glue can cause the adhesive to bleed onto the fibers, making it difficult to remove. Too little adhesive and your fake grass won't bond properly. To ensure proper bonding between the adhesive and the joining tape, place some weight along the join, for example, a bag of kiln-dried sand that should be prepared on site, to use as a filler. Bonus tip: If you get adhesive on the plastic fibers, use a small amount of white wine to remove it before it sets.

We talked about the need to install edging around the lawn earlier in the article. Not only does this preserve the aggregate installed under the fake lawn, it also gives you something to protect the perimeter of the lawn. Failure to do so will cause the grass to lift at the edges. For metal or concrete edge systems, you will need to secure the edge with a professional joining adhesive or galvanized clevis. For this, we recommend using 330ml cartridges instead of buckets of glue, as using the airbrush applicator allows for more accurate application. If you choose to secure the lawn edge with lumber or sleepers, you can attach the perimeter of the grass to the lumber with galvanized nails.

You may hear some people claim that this is unnecessary or that they have a 'non-filled' artificial grass, but fortunately, this type of product does not exist. It's just a marketing ploy to make the installation cost of the product look cheaper. The extra cost of installing the sand pack is certainly worth it. You can buy bags of kiln dried sand from your local DIY store for just a few pounds each.

The last task when installing artificial grass is to brush the turf with an artificial grass rake, stiff broom or mechanical brush. This allows the sand filler to fall to the bottom of the pile, so it sits on top and helps protect the latex backing. This also means that the fibers will stand upright, making the grass look more realistic.

If you don't brush the sod, the sand filler will sit on top of the fibers, flattening it out. It also means that protection from sharp objects -- including dog paws, if you have a pet that likes to dig -- will be lost, meaning the latex backing could be torn. Bonus tip: Make sure you don't use a brush with metal tips, as this can damage the fibers.

Our last error wasn't really an installation error, but it could still be a devastating one. Choosing the best artificial grass is not an easy task, especially when you consider the vast array of stack heights, colors, materials, and manufacturing processes used to create artificial grass. As with anything, you get what you pay for, and if you want a realistic artificial grass that will stand the test of time, you're better off avoiding the cheaper products on the market.