How to Install Garden Grove Synthetic Grass

Measure the square footage of your lawn so you know how much synthetic grass you need.

Remove the sod from your lawn with a sod cutter. Take the machine to the edge of your lawn, lower the blade to the desired depth, then run the machine across your lawn. Raise the blade and turn the machine around to do the next row. Lower the blade and cut the next row. Repeat this until the lawn is finished. Remove the strips of sod.

Remove the top 2 or 3 inches of soil with a shovel.

Compact the soil with a plate compactor, which pounds the ground to compact it and provide a firm base. Start along the edge of the lawn and slowly push the plate compactor along the ground to end of the row. Turn it around and do the next row, continuing until the entire yard is complete. Make a second pass perpendicular to the first one, so if you went east-west on the first pass, go north-south on the second pass.

Cover the soil with a geo-textile weed barrier, which is a fabric the allows water to flow through while stabilizing the ground and preventing weeds from growing. Lay it flat on the ground, overlapping the edges of each sheet by 3 inches. If there is any excess length, such as over a curved area, trim it with a utility knife.

Pour a layer of crushed stone 1 to 3 inches deep on top of the weed barrier and compact it with the plate compactor.

Apply a layer of sand one-half to three-quarters inch deep on top of the crushed stone. Slope the sand toward the area you want water to drain toward, so the rainwater doesn't pool in any vulnerable areas near your home. Do this by making the sand layer at the top of the slope deeper than the sand layer at the bottom of the slope. Drag a 2-by-4 board across the sand to smooth the surface.

Unroll the synthetic grass on top of the sand and leave it on the grass for two or three hours. This helps remove the wrinkles and creases from the turf. Avoid dragging the grass so you don't tear the grass on the stone or disturb the sand and stone base.

Trim excess grass that extends over the edge of the lawn area, using the utility knife.

Fold back the edges of each roll of grass.

Lay jointing tape on the ground around the edges of the rolls. If there's a point where different rolls meet, center the tape between the adjacent rolls.

Apply seaming glue to the jointing tape.

Fold the grass back over onto the jointing tape. If connecting adjacent rolls, pull them together as tightly as possible.

Lay wooden boards over the edges of the rolls and weigh them down overnight. This helps the grass adhere to the jointing tape as the glue cures.