DIY INSTALLATION GUIDELINES FOR ASTROLAWN ARTIFICIAL GRASS MEASURING BEFORE AFTER THE AREA
• Mistakes can cost money. Measure your job carefully. If you have many curves and irregular shapes, we recommend adding 10- 20% more turf than your area’s actual square footage. When designing, keep in mind the turf comes in 15’ foot wide sections. The turf is sold in 15’ widths by whatever linear feet you order (example 15’ x 20’). Use graph paper or a sketchpad to draw out the area and record all measurements. Be sure to note the grain direction on your drawing.
MEASURING AND ESTIMATING MATERIALS Example: The drawing to the right indicates a sketch for a typical yard. In this case, there is an area with plants (bottom left) that will not require turf. As you can see there is a 15’x16’ area and a 9’x7’ area so this project would require a seam, indicated by the dotted line between the 2 sections. Note: be sure to always measure to the longest point. To estimate artificial grass needed: Area 1: 15’ x 16’ = 240 sq. ft. This requires a 15’x16’ piece of turf.
SITE PREPARATION • Have the project site’s water turned off a few days before starting the synthetic turf installation. • Irrigation modifications: If you have irrigation lines existing in the area you will be installing turf, make sure all the project site’s sprinklers are removed and capped off or cut the irrigation valves. Note: Don’t forget to run drip lines to trees or plants that were receiving water from this source. • Treat any weed problems prior to the installation.
EXCAVATION AND SOD REMOVAL • You will need to remove the grass, dirt, rock, or whatever is in the area the AstroLawn will be installed. Depending on your area, you will need to remove between 3”- 4” to create an adequate drainage base. • Use a sod cutter or flat shovel and haul away material. • Grade sub grade level and compact if needed. • If there is no grass and the yard consists of dirt, pay close attention to the depth in all areas to determine the amount of base material needed.
INSTALLING THE BASE • Rock yards use different materials to create Road Base. Please inquire with your local rock company to determine the best option for your area and which product is best suited for your compacted drainage bed. • Install weed barrier on top of prepared sub grade if needed for tough weed problems. • Haul base material from street using wheelbarrows and dump in desired area until you create a 3”4” base. • Using a grading rake, prepare the base level for proper drainage.
TURF INSTALLATION • Unroll and cut turf in the client’s driveway or in a large open area. Slightly over- measure being cautious so you are not left short on the job. • Before laying the turf, be sure the grain direction aligns with the original design. • Lay the turf in the desired area before you make any other cuts. • The final detail cuts are made after turf is nailed in place. Always cut turf from the back-side. • Place cut turf on the completed base in install location.
TURF INSTALLATION AND SEAMING • With the turf sections side by side, make sure all of the rows are aligned in the same direction. • Try to maintain equal spacing between the fiber rows. • Nail each side of the turf into the base, staggering the nails every 8”- 12” apart. • Use seam tape to connect the turf sections together. Use recommended adhesive and spread with a trowel onto the seam cloth and carefully lay the turf over onto the seam cloth.
TURF INSTALLATION – FINAL STEPS • After all the turf is installed and secured to the base, we recommend adding a layer of sand onto the turf fibers. Coated sand, silica sand or zeolite can be used to infill the turf. Use a drop seed spreader, or your hands, to evenly disperse sand. Be sure to broom the sand into the turf so it migrates to the primary backing. We recommend about 1-2 lbs. of sand per sq. ft., depending on the application and the product.
TURF INSTALLATION – FINAL STEPS • After installation is complete, the entire area needs to be cleaned. All excess sand or debris should be removed and hauled away. Turf and surrounding concrete should be sprayed down with water.
PROJECT CHECKLIST o Ordered base material o Double checked measurements for accuracy to ensure no material shortages o Purchased AstroLawn Purchased accessories: o Sand o Adhesive (if seams are needed) o Seam Cloth (if seams are needed) o Nails or landscape staples o Irrigation items (if needed) Have all required tools (below is a list of tools you may or may not need, depending on the size of the project) o Measuring wheel/ tape measure o Marking paint o Sketchpad or d
