Installing artificial turf is a landscaping choice many homeowners or organizations are making for areas of their property that they want to look neat and attractive without a lot of maintenance. Home putting greens, pet runs, play areas, pools, tennis courts, and other athletic fields often utilize artificial turf. Installing artificial turf is more challenging than installing carpet. With the right tools and supplies, however, including the right turf tape and mallets, you can make any area attractive, easy to use, and easy to clean by landscaping artificial turf.
Landscaping Artificial Turf
What do you need to install artificial turf that will stay put and look great? First, you need to break up the sod either with a tiller or a sod cutter and remove all plant material from the section you are landscaping. If you do not remove all grass, weeds, or seeds, they will find a way to grow through your turf and create unsightly problems. So take your time and be thorough.
When you’ve entirely cleared the area, you will need to lay down crushed aggregate over the entire surface to the depth of two to four inches. When you’re finished laying it down, the aggregate should be level with the ground surrounding the piece that you are landscaping with artificial turf. Then you will need to add a 15-25 year weed barrier on top of the aggregate. This will ensure that any potential plant growth will be stifled and will not wreck your turf.
When you’ve completed adding the aggregate and the weed barrier, you’ll begin installing the turf itself. You will need a carpet knife or box cutter to cut the turf. During the turf Installation, the trickiest part is making sure that the seams match up so that the artificial turf looks like all one lawn and there are no seam issues.
Bond Products offers a variety of products to make that easier, including turf tape, turf seaming irons, a turf carpet tractor and even a turf seam sewing machine. With our turf tape, you won’t have to fumble around with messy pails of glue, trowels, and fabric. Just roll Bond’s turf tape out, line it up, heat with a high temperature iron, and lay the seam. In order to attach the turf solidly to the ground you’ll also need 6-inch galvanized nails.
Bond also sells mallets and mallet replacement caps. These are very useful for spiking down the turf and hammering out bumps under the turf. You will want to make sure that the surface of the turf is entirely flat when you’re finished so that it looks and feels as good as possible when you’re walking or playing on it.
Once your artificial turf is seamed and attached, your job is almost finished. The final step is to apply an infill material that will keep the turf down and flat. Brush the infill material over with a broom to make sure the entire backing is covered.
Landscaping artificial turf may sound like a difficult job, but with the right tools and supplies, most homeowners can install it on their own. The key is to make sure you have the right equipment and quality artificial turf and to take the time you need to do a good job start to finish. If you need turf installation supplies or mallets, call us at 1-888-800-BOND. We are here to help you get everything you need to make your projects turn out perfectly.
