When making the decision to replace your turf with artificial grass, there are several steps you need to take before laying your new grass, and one of those is to remove your existing grass. To help you get started, we’ve created a guide on how to remove turf using three different methods so you can choose the one that works best for you.
Once you’ve embarked on your project, take a look at our stunning selection of artificial grass at Grass Direct and replace your old turf with a long-lasting, low-maintenance alternative.
Why Do You Need to Remove Your Turf?
Before you start to lay your artificial grass you need to have a bare surface of soil or concrete for your underlay, weed barrier and base layer to settle on. If you’ve got natural grass in your garden then this will need to be removed in order to prepare for your false grass installation.
For a more in-depth guide on how to prepare for artificial grass, check out our dedicated blog.
Manual Digging
The cheapest and most commonly used method when approaching how to remove turf is to dig it out. This method is fairly straightforward and requires tools most households will already have, the main one being a spade. This method for removing turf is cost-effective and can be done with minimal preparation.
- Start by ensuring the soil in your garden is soft. You can do this by waiting until it has rained to dig or water your grass and let it absorb into the soil so it’s easier to dig up.
- If you want to keep some of your natural grass, mark off any areas to avoid with garden cane and string.
- Using the edge of the spade, cut out a square measuring 10 x 10 inches. Insert your spade at a shallow angle and cut through the soil at about 1 inch deep until you reach the heel of the spade. You should aim to keep the spade as flat as possible, as this will ensure you remove the grassroots without cutting too deeply into the soil.
- Lift up the piece of turf you’ve cut with your hands or spade and place it grass-side down out of the way.
- Repeat the process until you’ve removed all the turf you need to.
Although this is an extremely cheap and efficient way to remove grass ready for laying your false turf, it’s a fairly labour-intensive job. If you are unable to do any heavy manual labour you may need to consider an alternative method or hiring a local fitter to help.
Smothering Method
One of the simplest and easiest ways to remove turf for installing artificial grass is to “smother” it. This method is relatively cheap and low effort but it does however take a long time to take effect. If you’re willing to wait to see results you’ll need to wait around 2 months or longer before installing fake grass.
- Smother your grass by covering your lawn with a material of your choice. This can be cardboard, tarpaulin or even newspaper as long as the material fully prevents light from travelling through to the grass.
- Anchor the material down with stones or pegs to ensure it doesn’t blow away in high winds.
- Wait until the grass has been deprived of light for long enough that it has completely died out. Check the ground every week or so to assess the progress.
One of the critical mistakes to avoid when installing artificial grass is not ensuring your foundation is adequate. This means making sure that your grass and any weeds are fully dead and only the soil beneath is left before installing false turf.
Use a Turf Cutter
If you’re not able to manually dig out your old grass and turf or you don’t have the timeframe to wait for the grass to die, then another method when learning how to remove turf is by using a turf cutter.
This piece of equipment can be hired from garden or tool centres and removes the top surface of your turf, revealing an even level of sod underneath. This is the ideal method if you want to ensure your garden is level without using a digger.
The only preparation needed before using a turf cutter is clearing the garden of any debris and foreign objects. You should also trim the existing grass so you can clearly see the depth of the cutting machine.
Whilst this is the easiest option for most people, it can be expensive if you’re paying to hire a turf cutter and also paying for your artificial grass.
If money is still your concern we do however offer stunning budget artificial grass that gives you amazing quality at an affordable price. For other money-saving tips, check the cheapest ways to lay false grass.
Transform Your Turf with Grass Direct
Here at Grass Direct, we pride ourselves on making it easy to refresh your outdoor space. We offer free grass samples on each one of our models so you can see the quality and feel of your garden before choosing the best turf for you.
Alongside our DIY instructions for installing your new artificial grass, we also provide customer service via livechat, email or phone, to ensure your installation is quick and efficient.
For any enquiries, please contact us today by using our contact form on our website or visit us in one of our nationwide stores!
