Category: Hints & Tips

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Keeping the Kids Entertained this Summer

Keeping the Kids Entertained this Summer

Keeping the kids entertained can be difficult at the best of times, especially during the summer break. Are you struggling with inspiration and wanting to make the most of your garden this summer? We have some fun ideas that will get the whole family involved and in the garden!

The Classics

Games played and passed on from one generation to the next. These games are timeless.

1. Swingball – need we say more? Hours of fun – even if you’re playing on your own!

2. Making dens – there is something quite magical about building dens in the garden. It’s an adventure in itself trying to find materials to make the den out of – old sheets or curtains, battered logs or simply some cardboard boxes. Once it’s made comes the fun part – decorating. Do you have old furniture lying around which can be used in the den?

3. Piggy in the middle – a simple but fun game for all the family. Even the dog can get involved!

Kids playing in their paddling pool
senior man with his grandaughter planting a seedling on allotment. Man and a small girl gardening.

For Those Who Like to Explore

There are many things to find in the garden – natural or otherwise. The look of satisfaction on your little ones faces will be totally worth the muddy fingers.

1. Play the archaeologist – plant some toys or treasures around the garden for your children to find. They will have hours of fun digging to see what hidden treasures they can find. If your children are younger you can use a sand pit table and hide toys in the sand for them to dig out. You may even have a mini Indiana Jones in your midst!

2. Something for the brave – try and find as many insects as you can. Children love this game and are not shy about getting dirty and stuck in. This game is also a great numbers game as the children can count each one they’ve managed to find.

3. For nature lovers – show your children some pictures of various flowers and plants in your garden and ask them to find it. For each they find, reward them with a fun fact or a healthy treat (or not!).

Get Moving

If you’re sporting types, then why not hold your own Olympics? Whether it’s a one-day event or you spread it across the summer, there’s no better way to get little ones moving.

  1. Length-of-the-garden race. However long your garden is – get your kids and their friends to run the length and back.
  2. Football. If you’re lovers of the sport, then consider a tournament! If not, a how-many-can-you-get-to-the-back-of-the-net competition will do.
  3. Bowling. Grab a lawn game set and have a see if you can knock over the skittles!
  4. Jumping. How high, how far. Get the tape measure out and see who wins!
Cute little blonde hair boy enjoy blooming lilac in the domestic garden in warm day.
Father and son playing soccer in the garden

Take the Heat Off

There’s nothing kids love more, than a water fight on a hot day. With that in mind, why not transform your garden into the ultimate waterpark complete with hosepipes, sprinklers and a paddling pool. Create your own slip n’ slide using a large sheet of tarpaulin and hosepipes – then see who can slide the longest! Fill balloons with water, to create a water balloon pinata, which is sure to bring fun and a much needed cool down to all the family!

Gardening

Help the children understand the garden from a young age and get them to help you with planting flowers, herbs or seeds. By planting themselves they’ll have more of an interest in its progress. You could even hold sunflower races to see which sunflower grows to be the tallest.

As you can see the garden really is a great playground for you and the family. However if you have a lawn which is more Sahara Desert than play-pit then it might be time to consider artificial grass so your lawn is play-time ready all year round.

Relax on an Artificial Lawn
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Fake grass and summer house
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How to encourage wildlife into your garden

How to Encourage Wildlife into your Garden

Your garden can be a haven to relax in and enjoy – but it can also serve as somewhere the local wildlife can feed, breed and shelter. It’s not difficult and it doesn’t mean turning your manicured garden into a compost heap either. Read on to find out ways to make your low maintenance artificial grass work alongside nature to attract more wildlife into your garden.

Choosing the right plants

Bees, butterflies and other insects rely on flowers for pollen and nectar, and the flowers use them for fertilisation – it’s a happy symbiosis. So, if you want to get your garden buzzing, you need to plant some nectar-rich flowers. Choose plants that complement each other, so that you and your new insect-friends can enjoy them all year round. Try planting things that flower in sequence: for instance, Crocus and Mahonia flower from spring, Angelica and Buddleia flower in summer, Chrysanthemum and Ivy in autumn/winter. Together they’ll provide food for insects almost all year round. Likewise, a range of different types of plants – from flowers to shrubs through to trees – means that a variety of animals can live in your garden.

Boxes for birds, bats and more

The UK is a very urbanised country, and while a domestic garden can’t replace a wild one, providing places for birds and bats and other creatures to live will always be beneficial. Different size boxes provide homes to different birds, so get a variety – you can also buy boxes for bats to roost in. A bug hotel is a great way to attract insects to your garden – and you don’t need to buy anything fancy either, all you have to do is cut short lengths of hollow bamboo and tie them together. Leave on the ground for creepy crawlies or hang them up to attract flying insects.

Provide food and water

Birds are one of the easiest animals to attract to your garden. Over the winter especially, providing food and water for birds could mean that they survive the cold. A mix of food types is ideal, from fat balls to a blend of seeds and nuts depending on what birds your garden attracts. Try to keep feeding tables out of the reach of cats (who are a danger to birds) and squirrels (who just want to steal the food). Providing clean water will also be invaluable to birds over winter.

Create a woodpile

Woodpiles offer shelter to all sorts of species, from fungi, lichen, and mosses to creepy crawlies, amphibians, and even lizards. The dead and decaying wood are the beginning of an ecosystem that could bring insect-eating birds to your garden.

Leave woody cuttings from trees and shrubs on a soil bed, making sure that there is direct contact, ideally in a place that is mostly in shade, but does get occasional sunlight.

Start a compost heap

There are several benefits to a compost heap. Not only does it cut down your household waste and gives you a nutrient rich fertiliser to help nourish your plants, it also attracts a wide variety of animals. With slugs and snails and millipedes heading to the top layer of a compost heap for food, and earthworms, beetles and even mice attracted to the decomposing layers, there’s lots to look forward to with a compost heap. These animals will also attract larger mammals and birds too. When it comes to the compost heap itself, you have a choice of a closed bin or an open heap. An open heap will attract more wildlife, but a closed one is more aesthetically pleasing. All you have to do is make sure that any organic waste goes on the compost heap, such as vegetable and garden waste, hair, eggshells, tea bags etc. About a year later you’ll have a beautiful fertiliser and a wildlife rich garden!

Install a pond

A pond is probably the single best thing you could do in your garden to attract wildlife. Even a small pond could entice anything from frogs, newts, and ‘water boatmen’ to dragonflies and birds. Make sure your pond has shallow and deep areas. Shallow water is essential to the lifecycles of frogs, dragonflies and beetles, and birds and small mammals will bathe in it. Deeper water of up to 1m offer frogs a place to lurk when it’s cold. Plants around your pond will offer shelter from predators and shade from the sun, and make your pond look more naturalistic too. Plants that are submerged are good for newts and dragonflies, as they use them to breed.

Sustainable gardening

Sustainability is all about reducing the effect that the actions you take now have on future generations. In terms of gardening, that means thinking about the way your pesticides are produced, the way your outdoor furniture is manufactured, for example, and making the choice that is the best for the environment and the future.

Instead of using pesticides, you could plant certain plants together (for instance lavender is supposed to discourage weed growth, and marigolds are reported to counter black fly) or wait for nature to take its course. Ladybirds love to feed on aphids, birds eat snails, and frogs will eat slugs – you just have to give them a little encouragement to visit your garden.

Giving the local wildlife a place to feed, to shelter, and to breed not only gives you the opportunity to enjoy your garden, but it also helps the biodiversity of your area. There are a number of things that will make your garden more appealing, and there’s something you can do all year round.

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Choosing Your Namgrass Product

family dining alfresco on vibrant fake grass

Choosing Your Namgrass Product

So you’re thinking about replacing that worn out tatty old lawn with a stunning artificial grass lawn that will look beautiful all year round no matter what. That’s great, now all you need to do is work out the artificial turf product that’s right for you and how you are going to install it.

Whilst Namgrass is simple to lay we also benefit from the support of a nation wide team of approved installers. Here are a few of the latest guys to join the team being put through their paces at the ‘School of Namgrass’ at Namgrass HQ.

We spend time going through all the individual products so that they can suggest the grass that best suits your needs and the style of your garden. For garden design tips check out our blog to help give you some inspiration.

close up of latex backing artificial grass

We cover the basics of the install and the best practices and tips to deliver a flawless job. From the preparation of the area, how to lay the perfect base using the various materials and edging systems, through to the art of the perfect join and cutting in. Every one of our partner installers is thoroughly trained and checked to ensure their work is of the very highest standard before they can earn the title of Namgrass Approved installer.

namgrass installer training session

Quality you can trust

We gather a minimum of 4 customer references’ and personally inspect the quality of their work to give you the ultimate piece of mind that your job will be done professionally and to the highest standard. We do all of this to ensure if you decide to have your artificial lawn professionally fitted you are getting the very best job done.

It’s easy to find your nearest Installer, just click here.

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Remove lines or marks in your artificial grass

Installing Artificial Grass

Remove lines or marks in your artificial grass

The manufacturing process of artificial grass is a complicated and lengthy process – couple this with the fact that it is then shipped around  (in our case from Belgium to our UK distribution centre) where it is once again passed through a process ready for its final distribution journey. The majority of our grass will pass through all these processes, arrive at its final destination, get rolled out and be in perfect condition. However, with some products there can be the occasional mark, line or crease in the grass. For creases, please refer to our ‘How-to remove from Namgrass’ guide.

In this article we provide some examples and explanations of what can occur and why they may occur. The aim of these explanations is to assure you that there is no need to panic if you unroll your grass and there are some lines or markings. With just a little time and/or manipulation they will disappear. The image below shows a piece of our Green Vision, which has just been rolled out – you can clearly see that there are some dark and light patches running across the roll, equally spaced. The cause of this is purely from the way in which the grass is rolled in the factory e.g. its wound onto the core/tube tightly, then put into stock or shipped out for delivery – a small amount of additional pressure to one or more sides of the grass can then cause the appearance of dark and light lines when the grass is first rolled out.

These lines will disappear once the grass has had a chance to fully relax, ideally in some warm sunshine. Some manipulation with a brush will also help. With regards to how long this may take, it can be anything from a matter of minutes to a few days depending on weather, product type and installation method e.g. has a mechanical brush been used as this will stimulate the pile and return it to how it should be at a faster rate.

rolling out artificial grass
Namgrass factory testing products

Other lines or markings which can appear on grass is a very distinctive straight line through the grass. The cause of this is very simple, it can either be: 1. At the last stage of manufacturing in Belgium a mechanical wheel/track is passed over the top of the grass to ensure alignment of the rolls.

2. As the grass is processed in our distribution centre in the UK, the grass passes over a table with a measuring wheel running across it. In both these cases, the wheel can sometimes ruffle the fibres of the grass just before it is rolled up, therefore the ruffled fibres appear as a line when the grass is first rolled back out. Once again – please do not panic, allowing the grass to relax in warmth and/or giving the grass some manipulation will see these lines fade away pretty quickly. The timing of this can vary depending on product type and temperature.

namgrass factory wheel
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The Great Grass Giveaway

poster for artifical grass give away

The Great Grass Giveaway

Have you been longing for a freshly cut lawn that requires minimal maintenance and looks perfect all year round? In celebration of the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations we are giving away up to 90m2 of Namgrass artificial grass plus installation. Your perfect lawn is only a few clicks away.

Head over to our Facebook page to enter. Terms and Conditions apply.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

We recognise this isn’t the most exciting bit to read! But this is the most important therefore please read these carefully.

1) You can only enter the competition once.

2) No purchase is necessary to enter the competition.

3) The promoter of the competition is Namgrass UK, Redcliffe, Bashley Road, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 5RY.

4) The prize is only available to United Kingdom residents over the age of 18, with a permanent UK address. It is not open to the Namgrass UK agencies, its group companies or anyone else connected with the competition including employees.

5) To enter the competition you must write in the comment box on the competition post on the Namgrass.com Facebook page as asked in the post. Posts that do not comply with that may be removed and will not be valid for entry.

6) One entry will be selected at random from the entries. The decision of the judge is final and the we will not enter into correspondence relating to the decision.

7) The start date and time of the competition is 7th June. The closing date and time of is 31st August at 23:59pm. Entries received after the closing date will not be processed. The draw will take place on 8th September.

8) The Winner will be notified via Namgrass Facebook page and given details of how to claim their prize. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and we will be entitled to select another winner (and that winner will have to respond to the message sent to them by 24 hours also).

9) We may ask the winner to provide proof of age, country of residence and/or proof of property ownership.

10) Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted.

11) Namgrass UK shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, unforeseen legislation or any other events beyond its control.

12) No responsibility is taken for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.

13) We reserve the right to modify the competition at any time without prior notice.

14) The name of the winner will be available upon request for 4 weeks after the winner has been notified by emailing
[email protected]. The winner agrees to have their name and town/county of residence disclosed for this purpose.

15) The winner is happy to provide a customer testimonial written and verbal which includes their name, town/city.

16) The winner is happy for the installation to be filmed from start to finish. Any footage taken – video and photography are the property of Namgrass UK which may be used for promotional purposes.

 

About the installation

17) The installation is subject to a site survey and the installation site must be approved by Namgrass UK and the Installer before commencing any work.

18) Namgrass UK will select the Namgrass suitable for the install based on the site survey and consultation.

19) Installation is based on the Installers availability and the installation date will be agreed between the winner and the Installer. We will only use Namgrass Approved Installers.

20) If the site is more than 90m2 the winner must pay additional for the Namgrass and materials.

21) Entry to the competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.

If you have any questions then please email us with your query.

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EcoGrid: an innovation in sub-base design

Eco Grid logo

New Product: Ecogrid

Namgrass have partnered with EcoGrid to provide our customers with an environmentally friendly innovation in sub-base design.

There are many benefits of using Ecogrid as a sub-base for your Namgrass:

  1. Made from 100% recycled plastic ecogrid and artificial grass delivers free water draining fast and efficient to install backed by a 20-year Guarantee incredible load-bearing capability to ensure a perfect finish to your lawn, planning your sub-base is essential. Whilst we would normally recommend using a fine aggregate such as 0-5mm dust there is another option that’s environmentally safe, faster and easier to install as well as delivering improved drainage.
  2. Cost savings on excavation and preparation
  3. This revolutionary new product can help speed up the process of installing your artificial grass and can even help eliminate expensive excavation costs. For use in home installs you will need to remove as little as 40mm. This means less waste to landfill quicker preparation less hard-core required can be installed no matter what the weather is doing.

How EcoGrid works with Namgrass

Once you have excavated the area, the grid can be laid directly on to a screed level. The grid is then filled with sharp angular stone range from 5mm-10mm. Once complete, Shock Pad can be placed on the grids prior to the turf to give a graded critical fall height.

example of eco grid
Eco grid piece

Shaping up

EcoGrid is easy to cut to any shape or angle with a standard angle grinder. The EcoGrid system   then uses a flexible clip and fix system giving a 20mm edge restraint, which is ideal for fitting artificial grass. For full instructions please read the Installation Manual. For more information on the EcoGrid system visit their website ecogrid.co.uk or contact them direct on 0151 639 4281 or [email protected].

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Outdoor Space Matters

smart fake grass laid around hedge arch

Outdoor Space Matters

There is no doubt that a garden can ‘make or break’ a house. You could have the most beautiful house in the world, in the most exquisite location, but if the garden is nothing more than a ‘postage stamp’ sized concrete mess its desirability, saleability and ultimately its value will be vastly diminished. Understandably the garden will of course not be as an important factor as the living space itself, but I think it comes in at a close second for some people, it is after all the aspect you will look out onto from your living space through out the time you live there. With this in mind, there are some points to consider in the garden of your potential new purchase.

Aspect and orientation

I think if we all had the choice, we would opt for the garden with the sunny aspect and stunning vista across the sea. But the reality is not very many of us can afford to be that ‘picky’ over such ‘wishes’. However, there are a few things to bear in mind when looking at a new house and its garden: a north facing garden, surrounded by trees is never going to get much light, and as a result of this, plants, natural grass and the alike will suffer. So what if you have found the perfect house, but the garden is facing the wrong way, or you are surrounded by huge trees and shrubs which are zapping all the light away, obviously you can’t do anything about the orientation of the house, but you can investigate further to see that anything can be done to improve the amount of light coming into the garden or house e.g. removing or cutting back of trees (always check for TPO’s first – Tree Preservation Orders, you will need to ask your local council for this information). Or can the garden be modified to enable a usable area to be created in a sunny spot? If done in the right way, making improvements like this will inevitably add value to the property also – so it could be a ‘win win’ situation.

Artificial grass lawn with paving

How will you use your garden?

A pretty obvious one, but if you have lots of young children, or indeed you are elderly…A garden with lots of level changes and steps etc… is never going to make the most practical proposition. However, if you are a keen gardener, and would like the challenge of creating a space on differing levels and dividing the areas, then such a garden would be ideal.

 

father and son play football on Namgrass Artificial Grass Sports Surfaces

Is the garden overlooked?

It’s quite rare these days to find a garden which is not overlooked at all from at least one angle, but with the house you are prospecting over: is there space in the garden which is not overlooked, or can you do something to make it more private e.g. plant some nice trees that could add some interest to the space also (not just throw in a conifer hedged)?

 

artificial grass with stone paving

Ground conditions

It’s always useful to have a good wander round the garden of your potential purchase, to see if there are any apparent issues with the ground for example has there been any settlement in the garden, does the patio or lawn appear to be draining well ? It’s quite common these days, especially with new developments for gardens to have been just ‘dressed over’ with a layer of topsoil, but underneath there could be a compact layer of soil or other debris from the building site that could cause not only issues with drainage, but also restrictions on what plants will grow well in the garden further down the line. So a soggy lawn or lying water anywhere in a garden is certainly something to look out for.

racking sub-base of artificial grass install

Potential

Ok so you have found your dream house, but it is let down by the garden, or there is not enough parking at the front. So then you need to assess whether or not the garden has the potential to be worked on and make the changes you need e.g. it’s a North facing garden, but you can clear an area to create a patio in a ‘sunny spot’, or you can remove some plants or trees to allow more light in. You may need to call on your imagination for some ideas, or even get some advice from a garden designer, to see what exactly is possible.  

Pool with artificial grass surround

So there’s a few points to consider when looking at houses, ultimately it always comes down to priority when choosing a house, as you will never find a house that ticks all the boxes, but by taking into consideration a couple of these points, you are at least giving some thought to your outdoor space. Follow our blog for garden design lawn ideas and artificial grass inspiration.

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How to remove creases from artificial grass

How to remove lines and creases from artificial grass

If you’ve unrolled your new artificial grass and discovered unsightly creases, dark patches or lines, you’re in the right place. Luckily, they’re all very easy to fix. Read on to discover how.

There are a couple of reasons why lines and creases occur in artificial grass.

The first is during the manufacturing process, where the grass is measured and cut. At this stage, a mechanical measuring wheel is passed over the top of the grass to ensure alignment of the rolls. This can sometimes ruffle the fibres of the grass, and cause lines. Then, as the grass is prepared for shipping, it’s wrapped tightly round a cardboard tube, before being secured. A small amount of additional pressure can cause dark patches or lines, so when the grass is then opened at its destination, the grass looks very flat and ‘lifeless’. The backing material will also contribute to any creasing, as once cool, it will mould itself to any shape underneath it.

The second is after installation, when a hot day can cause the backing to expand and contract, causing wrinkles.

What do I do?

Before installation:

First things first – there’s no need to panic. It is perfectly normal for creases and lines to appear, and they are easily remedied.

  1. Roll out your grass fully and leave it for at least an hour to warm through. Ideally it would be a warm day, as it will help soften the backing, and reduce the severity of the crease or line.
  2. If your grass is still creased, brush the grass on and around the affected area. If the creasing has occurred near the edge, pull on the edges to stretch it out. Leave it for another 10-15 minutes to settle.
  3. Then, flip the area over, and pull the area out again. Once you flip the area back over the creases and lines should be gone. Your grass is now ready to install.

An example:

Here you can see a particularly extreme case of creasing – created on purpose to show how easy it is to get rid of it. Also worth noting is how flat and lifeless the grass looks, and because it wasn’t particularly warm on the day that these photos were taken, the grass would not sit flat because of the stiff latex backing. It’s easy to see why someone might panic at this stage, and render the grass useless even before installation, but if you follow these steps, you can get rid of the creases with minimal effort.

In the image below, you can see how effective this approach is at removing even the heaviest creases. Simply allowing the latex backing to warm in the sun, and pulling it tight again, leaves your artificial lawn looking beautiful and ready to install.

After installation

Sometimes wrinkles can appear after installation. This is usually when it’s been particularly hot, causing the backing to become supple again, potentially stretching and then cooling again and leaving wrinkles. This is prevented with a proper installation, but if you do find these wrinkles occurring, contact a professional installer and they will be able to advise on a refit.

Artificial Grass For Lawns And Balconies
Grass Cleaner
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Garden layout and lawn design for artificial grass

namgrass coloured grass in play area

Garden layout and lawn design for artificial grass

With Spring upon us, Namgrass UK HQ is busier than ever. With that, we have more questions about our products, how it’s installed and garden layout and lawn design. One of the most common questions we get asked is ‘how do you make the most of your artificial grass before it’s installed?’. It can be daunting when you’re having artificial grass installed – more often than not it’s the first time a customer has had it laid, so here are some tips to help you get started… Making the most of your space. Giving some thought about the space in which you’re using the grass at the beginning will give you a much better end result.

Lawn design basics.

One of the most basic garden designs is to create straight borders parallel with the boundaries. This adds a very modern and minimalistic feel to the garden, but allows you to be more flexible should you want to introduce garden accessories or garden structures. If you wanted to create more interest you could curve the corners of the grass area on one side. Another design could be introducing more curves to the lawn design which starts to make the garden feel and look larger. If the grass is accentuated further up into one of the corners – this could be an area that captures the last of the sun in the evening or is least over looked so you’re making the most of the space.

fake grass cut into design and laid on balcony
bright Artificial grass in town garden

Consider the ‘style’ of your garden.

In some gardens choosing the style is comparatively easy – look out beyond your boundaries, and your answer can be found. However, for enclosed town gardens and those that are surrounded by a more suburban setting, it can be much harder to visualise – in such cases, you can choose whatever suits you. The style can then be designed around the practical needs of the garden for example is your garden an extension of your living area whereby you would want a consistent theme or style carried through?

It was only up until a few years ago that it was widely thought that artificial grass could only work in a modern styled gardens – but in the past 4 years or so, products have advanced so much that there are now a wide variety of textures and colours to choose from making it easier for you to choose a product to suit any style of garden, as well as differing practical needs.

In terms of selecting the grass to suit your garden style, if your garden is ‘uber’ modern with smooth, light-coloured paving and very distinct, set shapes – for such a style you would require a ‘neat’ looking artificial grass of medium pile height (27mm) with a luxurious, dense feel.

For more traditional style gardens with textured sandstone or paving slabs – a longer pile artificial grass would suit this better (32mm) with a more ‘open’ appearance, e.g.  you can see into the grass, exposing the ‘thatch’ more, Meadow would be perfect for this style.

Or if your garden style has a slight Mediterranean feel – choose a slightly lighter coloured product, with a broad fibre.

Namgrass have a wide range of grasses to choose from to suit the style you’re looking to create for your perfect garden design. If you have any questions then don’t hesitate to contact us.

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The 10 Artificial Grass Tools you Need for your Installation

neat and tidy artificial lawn

The Tools You Need for your Artificial Grass Installation

A complete list of the tools you need to install your artificial lawn yourself.

Whether you’re doing your research because you’re serious about installing your own lawn, or you’re just looking into it to see what it would involve, it’s important to make sure you’re aware of the right artificial grass tools for the job. From the tools you probably have already, to the tools that you need to hire, we’ve got the essentials to install a beautiful lawn that you can be proud of – and one that you can be proud of installing yourself. Make sure you’re fully prepped by heading to our installation page and watching our video!

Without further ado, here are the 10 artificial grass tools you need for your installation

  1. Turf Cutter
  2. Wheelbarrow
  3. Flat Shovel
  4. Rake
  5. Hose
  6. Compactor
  7. Razor Knife
  8. Joining Tape
  9. Joining Adhesive
  10. Broom

As specialist suppliers of artificial grass in the UK, here at Namgrass we want to share our knowledge, so that you can be prepared. So read on as we break down each of these artificial grass tools and accessories, and explain how they’ll come in useful during your artificial grass installation.

1. Turf Cutter

A turf cutter will cut your synthetic grass into strips that you can roll and get rid of, turning potentially back-breaking work into a much quicker and easier job. It will also leave the area level – which is difficult to do manually. This is something you can hire from your local DIY tool hire shop, though they may also call the same tool a sod cutter.

2. Wheelbarrow

Another tool that will save you from doing backbreaking work – a wheelbarrow will mean that moving old turf out and new artificial turf in will be a breeze. Without a wheelbarrow you’ll spend more time carrying rolls of turf in and out of your garden, than laying your new lawn!

3. Flat Shovel

A flat shovel will come in handy for distributing your base material across the lawn space before laying your artificial grass. It is a tool that most gardeners have in their arsenal already, but if you haven’t got one to hand ask a neighbour to lend you one for the afternoon.

4. Rake

Once your base material is down, you need to use a wide headed rake to spread it out evenly across the artificial turf to create a level base for your lawn. If you don’t have a rake already, it’s worth getting one for the future. A plastic rake comes in very handy for clearing your lawn of leaves and looking after your lawn in the years to come (but a metal one can ruin the artificial grass so it’s not recommended).

5. Hose

You need to give your base material a good soaking with a hose to keep the dust down whilst compacting; doing this with a watering can would take far too long for most lawns. Without a well-soaked base, you may struggle to get a stable, professional quality finish. You also need to hose your grass down after installation to clean dust from your new lawn and to help your top sand settle, if you’ve used it.

6. Compactor

Another specialist artificial grass tool you’ll likely need to hire from the tool shop; a compactor is a large piece of equipment that repeatedly strikes the floor beneath it with a large metal plate. This allows you to compress your surface material and create the perfect base for your new turf. It makes sure that your artificial lawn is stable, even, and looks its best for longer. These tools are also known as a plate compactors or a vibrating plate, depending who you speak to, so it’s best to speak with your local hire company to make sure you get the right tool for the job.

7. Razor Knife

Unless you want a completely square lawn, chances are you will have to cut some of your grass to size and shape. Ensure you have a sharp knife with a robust handle, and some spare blades, as latex backing can quickly blunt a knife.

8. Joining Tape

In most lawns, you’ll have to join two or more pieces of artificial grass together. To do this properly, you need joining tape and professional quality lawn adhesive. Artificial grass joining tape is used to secure two pieces of grass together, and if used correctly, you won’t be able to see the join. Our premium quality joining tape is made to last the lifetime of your lawn, you won’t have to replace it.

9. Joining Adhesive

You’ll need artificial lawn adhesive  to apply alongside your joining tape to stick the artificial lawn together, and cement it in place. A cartridge gun can be used to evenly spread your adhesive along the joining tape for a neat and robust seal. Adhesive can also be used to secure the grass around the edges to concrete or steel edging, making it vital for indoor and decking installations.

10. Broom

A tough bristled broom will make sure that your sand infill is brushed to the bottom of the pile before you soak the lawn turf with your hose. You’ll also need your broom for cleaning your lawn on an ongoing basis, getting any mud or debris off the grass. And if you find a mark or crease in your lawn at any point, a solid brushing can help iron out any unwanted lines or creases too.

 

So there you have it – the 10 tools you need to be aware of for your artificial grass installation. Now you’ve got these, it’s time to think about the artificial grass – why not order some free samples? As suppliers of quality artificial grass in the UK, we have quite the range, so take your pick!

How to Install
Artificial grass with a shed in the background
Accessories