If you’re longing for a fresh green garden that looks brilliant all year round then artificial grass is the perfect option for you. With ample resources making DIY installation easy for even a novice gardener, you can have a lavish lawn in no time. In order to ensure you get the most professional look and fit, you need to ensure you’ve got the best tools.
You might be wondering “What tools do I need to lay artificial grass?”. In this blog, our experts will cover everything you need at each stage of installation so you’re fully prepared to fit your turf.
Not sure which turf type is right for you? Browse our range of artificial grass at Grass Direct and pick from a wide selection of exceptional quality models at affordable prices.
Measuring Tools
Before you even begin to dig or prep a surface for laying artificial grass you need to make sure you have the right preparation tools so you can ensure you buy the right amount of turf.
- Measuring tape - a sturdy long tape measure can be used if you’ve got a smaller surface to cover and will give you accurate measurements in cm or inches.
- Measuring wheel - If you’ve got a larger garden an easier way to measure is with a measuring wheel. Simply run the wheel along the ground and it will give you an exact result of length and width on a digital monitor. This is great if you want to avoid any inaccuracies from manual measurement.
Ground Prep Tools
Whether you’re laying your grass on concrete or stone or removing your existing grass in favour of false turf, your base has to be properly prepared.
- Shovel - To dig up your existing grass and remove any rocks and soil you’ll need a decent shovel. This is a taxing task and does require some physical strength so if this isn’t something you can do yourself you might want to consider hiring a fitter.
- Turf Cutter - To remove your existing grass quickly and evenly you can hire a turf cutter. These machines cut a thick and even layer, leaving you with a fresh soil base underneath to continue your prep.
- Wheelbarrow - Once you’ve removed your grass and the top layer of soil you’ll have excess grass and soil to transport out of your garden or into a waste area. This is best handled with a wheelbarrow as it can be easily manoeuvred.
- Plate Compactor - After removing the turf any soil needs to be tightly pressed. This is important for ensuring proper water drainage and is best achieved with a wacker or compressor plate.
If you need any more information on the preparation process, we’ve got a dedicated blog on how to prepare for artificial grass.
Underlay Tools
Before you install your false turf you’ll need to ensure you’ve got an even underlay for soft footing and correct water drainage.
- Artificial Grass Underlay - You’ll need to choose the material for your underlay itself. We’d recommend our 10mm artificial grass underlay as this offers a thick, spongey support underfoot.
- Cutting Knife - A sharp and sturdy utility knife or grass-cutting knife is needed to cut down your underlay and grass to size and remove any edges.
- Weed Suppressant - When you’re prepping the ground to install your underlay you need to make sure you’ve got a weed suppressant membrane. This thin layer spreads across the whole of your garden to stop weeds growing through your turf and damaging it.
- Drainage Layer Materials - If you want to ensure proper drainage in your garden you need a thin substrate layer for the water to pass through. This can be your choice of gravel, limestone chips or other suitable stones/rocks.
- Metal Rake - This is to evenly spread the gravel or stones you’ve laid as part of your drainage system. Remember that if you’re working with concrete or stone, not all of these underlay steps will be appropriate.
If you need a detailed explanation of how to complete each step of your artificial grass installation, we’ve got a dedicated DIY guide for you to explore.
Installation Tools
Once you’ve completed all the preparation steps, you’re ready to begin laying your artificial grass, but “what tools do I need to lay artificial grass?” we hear you say:
- Your Choice of Turf - Before you start laying anything, you need to make sure you’ve got something to lay! Whether you want a cheap and cheerful essential grass or you’d prefer to go all out with elite grass, make sure you’ve got enough on hand to fill your desired area.
- Joining Tape - When you lay the false grass each section needs to be stuck together to create one consistent surface. This is achieved with joining tape that sticks to the underside edges of your turf.
- False Grass Adhesive - If you’re placing your grass directly on concrete or stone you’ll need to use an adhesive kit to bond your turf securely to the surface.
- Steel Nails or Pins—If you’re working with soil, the best way to secure your grass is with U-pins. Simply hammer the pins into your turf through to the underlay and surface below. Ensure that your pins are evenly spaced out to keep your grass secure around the whole perimeter.
- Rubber Mallet - A rubber hammer or mallet will allow you to safely insert your U-pins or steel nails into the grass and secure them to the surface below.
- Soft Bristle or Rubber Broom - Once you’ve fully installed your fake turf there might be some leftover debris from the installation process or some grass fibres laying flat. Use a broom to sweep your grass, helping to fluff up the fibres and ensure it’s clean and pristine.
Trusted Tools and Turf at Grass Direct
Now you know the wide range of tools you’ll need to lay the perfect false grass garden, it’s time to get started with our range of artificial grass accessories and turf at Grass Direct. Each one of our products is specially designed to be the highest quality synthetic grass at the lowest price. We’re also proud to be the largest online supplier of fake grass so you’ll find everything you need from luxury grass to pet-friendly options.
If you want to see how our grass performs in your space, order synthetic grass samples from across all of our ranges and see which one is the best option for you. If you’re still in need of support in finding the right turf for you, our team are available to contact for any queries or support and we have stores nationwide for you to visit!.