In daughters new house, we need a lawn, and pretty quick, due a christening in a month, and party is at her house
Also the hyperactive 2 yr old granddaughter is desperate to get in the back garden!

So we are thinking about artificial grass

questions
are there any pitfalls ?
is it easy to lay?
how do you keep it down, and flat?

Other constraints are, my daughter is a nightmare at gardening, and her old house the grass was always about a foot high,
So grandson never really went out there

So i presume the artificial stuff is hassle free ?
can the stuff be layed over concrete ?



Has any one had some, and would not do it again, is probably the most important question

regards

Steve

[Edited on 2/5/12 by steve m]

I have it. Laid it last year.

It comes in a roll just like a carpet and you simply roll it out. I prepped the ground by leveling with a couple of inches of crusher and then a couple of inches of sand. Then compacted it all down.

You then quite literally roll it out.

Depending on which type you buy you might need to load it with sand.

I pinned it at each corner with a 6inch nail and it has not moved a bit.

It is backed with a heavy rubber backing so it blocks weeds and the rain seeps through small holes.

The dog scrats at it and the kids play on it. No problems at all.

I would recomend you get some samples and I think the best is the type that has a fake moss in the roots. It just looks better IMHO.

Depending on how wide you need, you may need to join it. It comes in 4m widths and you get a joing tape and glue to make the join.

Hope this helps.

I know of a pub garden done with astro-turf type stuff. It's easy to keep tidy but looks like plastic grass! Have you thought about laying turf?

Thanks for the replies, so far, i hope to generate a few more before we go out tonight and buy a roll !

Turfs, would look the best, but with time constraints, and the fact we are in the hospipe ban area, i know she wont go out and watering can the turfs, so it will die, and look pants, probably till next winter

This realy is just an idea at the moment, but we will be looking at some later today

Steve

Watch out for lawn thieves though I remembered reading this when I saw your post.

Bloody hell, didnt even think about that one!

i will have to padlock it to the path, !

I have thought of this, but you would still need to rake the leaves, remove the cat poo, etc. there was a smart car covered in it on the A1 on my way back from Greenford last week. Turf would get watered by mother nature at the minute to be honest.

With a month to the party you'd need turf down now to give it any chance of bedding in and growing beforehand.

No experience with fake grass, but the state of our lawn makes it appealing

Just thought I'd add - good post...

I've been thinking of doing something similar myself, but purely and simply ofr the back yard (which is all paved, and I don't want to change that really). Just so that Josef (2 years old) has a better surface to play on.

I spent a bit of time searching ebay, and even though it's probably not for you if you want it to look good, there are a number of second hand sales on ebay...

We have secured a deal, for a roll 6mx10m brand new, still in bags for £130 and its only 2 miles away
were off to have a look first, and will probably buy it anyway,

as if she does not use it, i will on my front garden

(hope it doesnt get knicked!)

Keep us posted on the job Steve, some photos would be good.

quote:

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Originally posted by tul214
I have it. Laid it last year.

It comes in a roll just like a carpet and you simply roll it out. I prepped the ground by leveling with a couple of inches of crusher and then a couple of inches of sand. Then compacted it all down.

You then quite literally roll it out.

Depending on which type you buy you might need to load it with sand.

I pinned it at each corner with a 6inch nail and it has not moved a bit.

It is backed with a heavy rubber backing so it blocks weeds and the rain seeps through small holes.

The dog scrats at it and the kids play on it. No problems at all.

I would recomend you get some samples and I think the best is the type that has a fake moss in the roots. It just looks better IMHO.

Depending on how wide you need, you may need to join it. It comes in 4m widths and you get a joing tape and glue to make the join.

Hope this helps.

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