We are frequently asked by our customers, especially throughout the summer months, why there are wrinkles or creases appearing in their artificial yards.
If your artificial yard hasn’t been installed correctly, it’s rather typical for ripples or wrinkles to appear.
Artificial turf is supplied in rolls, 2m and 4m large.
These rolls can weigh up to a massive 350kg, depending on how long the piece of turf on the roll is.
This makes artificial lawn a challenging product to process and distribute– and to handle during a setup.
Usually, if you have picked a good quality grass, then it’s likely that there isn’t an issue with the artificial turf itself, but that the concern is that it hasn’t been set up properly.
When installing synthetic grass there are specific techniques and techniques you can use to prevent creases.
And in this latest article, that’s exactly what we’ll be discussing. We’ll provide you 5 basic setup suggestions to prevent creases or wrinkles from spoiling the look of your artificial grass.
However initially, let’s take a look at why this is an issue.
What Causes Creases in Artificial Grass?
Noticeable Creases in Artificial Grass Are Caused By Poor Installation
One of the terrific aspects of artificial yard is that the support product moulds itself to any offered shape.
For instance, if you were to put a piece of artificial grass over a brick, leave it out in the warm sunshine for a couple of hours and after that eliminate the brick, the yard would pretty much hold its shape and the crease would likely end up being challenging to remove.
This happens due to the fact that the heat of the sun increases the temperature level of the backing, making it more flexible.
When the support product starts to cool, it will become less flexible and will memorise its shape.
And this can both be a true blessing and a curse.
Artificial turf is dispersed by being wound tightly around a cardboard core and after that covered in protective polythene product packaging to prevent damage throughout transit.
After unrolling your artificial grass, it’s typical to see small ripples and creases. They’re brought on by the grass having been wrapped securely around the core, and the backing then memorising its shape.
It’s the indication of a good quality, strong backing.
My Artificial Lawn Didn’t Used to Have Creases, But Now It Does. Why?
As we have actually found out, the warmth of the sun triggers the backing product to become more flexible.
As well as ending up being flexible, it also broadens really a little.
The growth brought on by the heat from the sun, followed by the cooling of the backing material later in the day, can cause creases to appear in your yard.
Growth and contraction can not be avoided. It will occur regardless of the quality of your chosen synthetic turf.
It certainly need not be a concern– offered your turf is set up properly in the very first place.
Wrinkles or creases are quickly avoided by following a couple of standard installation standards. Let’s have a look.
5 Installation Techniques to Prevent Creases
1. Make Sure the Weed Membrane Is Laid Flat
In a lot of circumstances, unless you own an animal, we advise that you install a weed membrane directly beneath your artificial yard to prevent weed development.
When you unroll your artificial grass and put it in place it’s essential to ensure that the membrane hasn’t bunched up or folded over on itself anywhere.
You can do this by protecting the membrane to your wood edging product with galvanised nails and utilising U-pins to fix it in place in the middle of your lawn.
You might believe the lawn is thick enough for creases in a soft material like weed membrane not to reveal, however this is not the case.
If there are any folds or creases in the membrane, you will see them through your artificial turf because, as we have actually said already, the support material will handle the shape of any swellings and bumps in the membrane.
2. Enable the Grass to Acclimatise Before Cutting
In an ideal world, you would be installing your synthetic yard on a bright and warm summer’s day.
This is because, as we discussed earlier, the sun’s rays help to make the backing product more supple and much easier to install.
As soon as all of your ground preparation is complete, unroll each piece of artificial yard and lay it flat throughout your lawn.
Now you’ll require to let the artificial turf acclimatise.
Doing this is easy– just down tools and grab yourself a cup of tea!
We advise you leave your artificial lawn unrolled across your lawn for a minimum of 2 hours, although for best results, leave it for 24 hours.
And, ideally, this will be in good warm sunshine.
Naturally, that’s not always possible, particularly in the UK.
So, simply leave your lawn for as long as you can to allow it to acclimatise. And remember, it will need to lie flat to the ground as otherwise you could be making the creases even worse.
3. Stretch the Grass Tight & Push Out Any Creases
A tool that you’ll find extremely beneficial when setting up artificial turf is a carpet kicker.
These can quickly be obtained from your regional DIY shop.
Carpet kickers can be used to stretch out your synthetic grass, if necessary.
Usually, an expert installer will have a deadline to get their installation total, which often implies that they can’t offer the yard as much time to acclimatise as they would like.
This is where a carpet kicker becomes an indispensable tool in an expert installer’s armoury.
We also recommend it for DIYers, as you’ll find it makes it easy to extend the turf and eliminate creases, as required.
You might also use the cardboard core that your artificial turf was wrapped around to assist push out any air bubbles.
With the help of two or 3 individuals, spread out along the length of the cardboard core and, whilst using down pressure, push the cardboard across the whole length of your grass.
If you have any persistent creases, you can install U-pins as you go. Follow along behind the cardboard tube and stick them straight into the grass, pinning it into position.
4. Use the Correct Amount of Sand Infill
Setting up a sand infill on your synthetic yard is important for many factors.
For the purposes of preventing creases, it’s incredibly essential.
An evenly dispersed silica sand infill will include ballast to your synthetic yard. This ballast will pin the yard to the base product, avoiding rippling.
It likewise helps to manage the temperature level of your lawn and prevent creases brought on by the expansion and contraction of the latex support.
It really is essential to preventing creases.
And it’s very crucial that you apply the suggested quantity of infill material.
Constantly check this with your producer, as some types of turf will need more than others.
5. Guarantee the Perimeter is Sufficiently Well-Secured
You’ll need to secure the perimeter of your lawn properly.
The technique of fixation truly depends upon the type of edging used.
In the majority of cases this will be a wood edging. Once your grass has been extended and cut to shape, use galvanised nails, spaced around 6 inches apart, all around the perimeter of your lawn.
This will avoid the yard from moving.
Conclusion
Synthetic yard installation is typically best delegated the professionals. That’s because there are particular techniques and knowledge that can only be learnt through experience.
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