www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

hey all

was thinking about laying astro turf in my back garden

i've layed it at my work but we already had a concrete base and just built upon that

my back garden is just grass so what i was wondering is, how would i build the concrete base so it wouldn't crack? lifting the turf first obviously

i was thinking a mixture of concrete and hardcore, 50/50 mix, about 5inches thick?

theres bound to be someone on here done this before :)

TIA

You don't need a concrete base, just hardcore. Spread your Type 1 to a depth of around 150mm and whack it down. You don't need to blind it, just get it flat and compact. The artificial turf is rolled out on this, taping the joins on the reverse side and then sand is thrown on to weigh it down. You can start with a perimeter shelf of concrete if you want to go the whole hog. I did that a couple of times so that I could "sew" the edges down onto hooks screwed into the concrete. Just remember to allow drainage.

thanks mate

what type of sand would you recommend be used on it?

looking at the different grades of astro, it looks as though it could be quite deer to do the back garden!!

It's certainly not a cheap way of covering ground but you can calculate roughly how long you would spend on keeping a lawn over a 10 year period and how much you would spend on weed treatments & lawn feeds to keep it in perfect condition if it was a living lawn. When you weigh these against the initial costs, suddenly the artificial lawn begins to look much more economical. There are those who would dismiss artificial lawns out of hand but sometimes they are a viable alternative to grass/weeds. Speak to a couple of reputable suppliers and ask them to advise you on which products they would recommend for your particular situation and needs. They will be able to guide you towards the correct length, colour, weight & wear resistance for your own individual requirements.

You can use ordinary building sand for brushing on. Kiln sand is quicker to spread but it is more expensive. Again, the supplier will be the best person to advise you on the quantit & quality of the sand needed for the particular product you purchase.