How to Install a Ground Cloth

Measure length and width of area to be covered. Add 3 to 6 inches of overlap on each side of the measurement, to ensure complete coverage.

Remove remaining grass and weeds from area to be covered. Ground fabric can prevent grass and weeds from springing up under it, but it is not strong enough to kill a thick lawn of growth beneath it all by itself.

Cut fabric to dimensions needed for the area. For irregularly shaped garden areas, cover the area with many separate pieces rather than trying to cut one large piece to cover the whole thing.

Cover ground fabric with mulch to hold it in place. Add the mulch a little at a time so that the fabric is anchored to the ground and less likely to shift or blow away. Be sure that all visible ground cover is covered with mulch because sunlight is the most damaging element to ground fabric and causes the most disintegration.