Do-it-Yourself: Synthetic Grass

Mark off the area where you are installing the synthetic grass and then measure it so you know how much grass you need.

Remove the sod. You can do this with a shovel if it's a small area, or use a sod cutter for larger areas.

Remove 2 to 3 inches of soil where you removed the sod.

Compact the soil with a mechanical compactor.

Lay a geo-textile weed barrier over the soil.

Cover the weed barrier with a layer of crushed stone between 1 and 3 inches deep. Tamp it down with the mechanical compactor.

Cover the gravel with a layer of sand 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch deep. Slope the sand down slightly toward the area you want the water to drain toward.

Lay the synthetic grass on top of the sand. Avoid dragging it to prevent disturbing the base or tearing the grass on the gravel. Leave the grass sit for two to three hours so it can settle, which helps removes any wrinkles in it.

Trim excess grass with a utility knife.

Fold back the edges of the grass around the perimeter of the sheet.

Lay the jointing tape on the ground around the perimeter. If you're joining separate sheets of grass, lay the tape in the center of the two sheets.

Apply glue to the jointing tape.

Pull the grass over the jointing tape. If joining two separate sheets, pull them together.

Apply weight to the joints overnight. One option is to place boards over the joints and place heavy objects on the boards to press the edges of the grass into the joint.