Can I Lay Artificial Turf Directly On Soil?

Artificial turf is widely used in gardens, courtyards, playgrounds and sports fields because of its natural appearance, easy maintenance and durability. Although artificial turf can be laid on a variety of surfaces, including concrete, asphalt and wood boards, it still needs to be handled strictly according to the correct steps when it is laid directly on the soil to ensure its effectiveness and longevity.

The following are the complete steps for laying artificial turf on soil and the precautions for each step:

1. Clean the soil surface

Purpose: To create a clean and flat foundation for laying the lawn.

Operation points:

Remove all weeds, dead leaves, tree roots, stones and construction debris.

Herbicides can be used to prevent future weeds from penetrating the lawn.

Keep the soil layer slightly moist for subsequent compaction.

Precautions:

Failure to thoroughly remove weeds will cause the lawn to bulge or grow weeds later, destroying the appearance.

Avoid using chemical herbicides with strong residual toxicity, which may affect the lawn backing layer.

2. Compact and level the soil

Purpose: Provide a stable and uniform bearing layer for the lawn to avoid settlement.

Operation points:

Use a tamping machine or roller to compact the soil repeatedly to ensure that the ground is firm and not soft.

Ensure that the ground has a slight slope (about 1-2%) to facilitate drainage.

Use a rake to tidy up the surface and ensure that there are no obvious potholes.

Notes:

Uncompacted soil will cause the lawn to appear undulating, affecting the appearance and user experience.

Ground depressions are prone to water accumulation and damage the lawn backing.

3. Add a gravel base or drainage layer (optional but highly recommended)

Purpose: Improve drainage performance and enhance foundation stability.

Operation points:

Lay about 5-10 cm thick gravel (gravel diameter is about 5-20mm).

Use a tamping machine to compact the gravel layer to form a solid foundation.

For areas with high drainage requirements, permeable cloth or pipe drainage system can be laid under the gravel.

Notes:

If the area is rainy or the soil is heavy, a drainage layer must be set up to prevent water accumulation.

No drainage layer will cause water to accumulate under the lawn, resulting in mold, odor and deformation.

4. Laying the weed-proof cloth

Purpose: Prevent weeds from penetrating the lawn and keep the surface flat.

Operation points:

Lay the weed-proof cloth on the gravel layer, with the edges overlapping each other by about 10cm.

Use ground nails or U-shaped nails to fix the cloth.

Notes:

The weed-proof cloth must be laid neatly, covering all areas and avoiding exposed gaps.

It is not recommended to use plastic film instead of weed-proof cloth, which will block moisture and air circulation.

5. Laying artificial turf

Purpose: Complete lawn coverage and form an ideal green surface.

Operation points:

Open the lawn roll and let it stand for several hours to let it stretch naturally.

When splicing multiple rolls, ensure that the direction of the grass strands is consistent and the transition is natural.

Use special seam cloth and glue to fix the seams.

U-shaped nails are used to reinforce the lawn to prevent displacement.

Precautions:

The seams need to be precisely aligned, otherwise it is easy to cause visual discontinuity.

Avoid large-scale trampling before the glue dries to affect the bonding effect.

6. Sprinkle quartz sand or rubber particles (depending on needs)

Purpose: Enhance the stability of the lawn, improve the touch and drainage.

Operation points:

Evenly sprinkle quartz sand or rubber particles, and use a hard brush to brush them into the grass roots.

It is recommended to sprinkle 5-8 kg per square meter.

Precautions:

Sprinkling too little will cause the grass to fall, and too much will be impermeable.

If used in pet areas, it is recommended to use environmentally friendly particles instead of traditional rubber particles.

7. Regular maintenance and inspection

Purpose: Prolong the life of the lawn and keep it clean and beautiful.

Operation points:

Clean up debris and fallen leaves every month to prevent dirt accumulation.

Use a water pipe to rinse the surface dust and keep it clean.

If there is local settlement or deformation, repair it in time.

Note:

Soil foundation is more easily damaged by plant roots and should be checked more frequently.

Be wary of small animals such as ant nests and moles that damage the base structure.