What do you do with a backyard that is somewhat rooted and shaded and does not support grass growth? Mulch is low maintenance, but gets washed away in the rains. We toyed with building a deck or even a stone patio area. After a lot of thought and some research, I decided that an area of artificial turf would best suit our needs. It would be a great sit-down area and a nice romping space for the grandkids.
Most of my projects are learned on the job. I cannot always afford the cost of someone else’s labor. So I try to do the learnable and doable myself and leave the more critical and complex projects to the experts.
The first step was to measure out the area to avoid as many tree roots as possible. We love our oak tree and its shade! The ideal area worked out to be a 14 by 13 foot rectangular space. While we could have just put the artificial turf down on the ground, we decided to do the extra work to get it right.
(1) The area was measured and marked out and the odd clumps of grass sod removed. After raking, leveling and compacting the ground, paver borders were fixed to mark and contain the project.
The picture below shows the area marked out, leveled and compacted.
(2) Next the area was covered with weed mat and sand for further leveling.
(3) An underlayment was then placed over the leveled sand to prepare the surface for the artificial grass.
(4) The artificial grass was then rolled onto the area and secured.
(5) Finally a decorative perimeter of bricks was secured in place with paver borders.
The project area is slightly raised and gently sloped away from the house to allow for drainage and to keep it useable even on wet days. We had a few really wet days and have noticed that the area drains well and dries fast. The backyard is now much more enjoyable and grandkid friendly!
Educhirp 