Home DIY Artificial Lawn Install
 

I bit of a different modification than the norm. I recently did a home diy artificial lawn install and thought I would share the results. The old lawn / weeds were terrible and with the water shortage I figured it was time to do something about it.

My mate Matt and I embarked on removing the old lawn ( 6 cubic metres) with a dingo and skip bin then putting down a crusher dust base (compacted) before laying the new artificial lawn. All the lawn is down now and I just have to bring in some mulch for the remaining area and the job will be done. It came out well and by going diy saved about $4K.

Pictures of project
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/beforelazylawn1-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/beforelazylawn2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/beforelazylawn3.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/compactedbeforelazylawn1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/compactedbeforelazylawn2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/lazylawninstalled2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/lazylawninstalled3.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/lazylawninstalled.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/DSC_0284.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/DSC_0285.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/DSC_0282.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/Aussiedave_2006/Lazylawn%20Install%2050%20Chaucer%20St%20Yokine%20WA%20Dec%202010/DSC_0281.jpg[/IMG]

such a bombed forrester, but good job with the lawn also looks tops

Looks good. Should smoke up with a nice lawn dig haha.

where's the putting practice hole?

looks the goods. What brand lawn did you get? Seems to be heaps out there at the minute..

Nice work, looks great!

not sure if im a fan of the fake lawn Davo...

What will the ants do now :D

thanks boys, I bought direct from a guy named Dave in Malaga. His company is called lazylawn and his web site is [url]www.lazylawn.com.au[/url]


Very helpful guy who delivered as well. Price was best I could find and I chose his least expensive product that is designed for playgrounds, etc. I did the rear of the house in a more expensive and softer variety.

[QUOTE=trainwrex;519514]not sure if im a fan of the fake lawn Davo...

What will the ants do now :D[/QUOTE]

I pointed them toward your place of course.

How is the artificial lawn held down to the ground? My biggest concern is that someone comes past whilst I'm on holiday and 'borrows' it.

Also, any reason you didn't do the shire strip?

The lawn is held together with some serious tape and held down with some well placed u shaped stakes around the edge. In addition there is approx 15 kg of white sand covering every square metre. The verge is getting black plastic laid down and then mulch covering and native aussie plants that require little watering. I didnt see the point in doing anything more for the Stirling City Council as they do nothing for me.

Even if you could get the lawn up it would be very difficult to transport as the three pieces are 3.6 mtr wide and up to 7 mtr long.

the green carpet looks the good dave, should have done the verge too though i recon some twat would go and lay strips across it :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=Kato;519521]How is the artificial lawn held down to the ground? My biggest concern is that someone comes past whilst I'm on holiday and 'borrows' it.

Also, any reason you didn't do the shire strip?[/QUOTE]

Once it is installed properly, there is no way you can roll it up and walk off with it. Need a serious amount of people to do so.

Looks good mate, yeah once that is full of white sand no way it will get lifted, we had a roll full of sand and was wet, 4 guys couldnt lift it.

Fake lawn is great, no water, always looks green,


All you need now if a brick fence to section off from the shire land, and keep people away from buss stop.

brick pillars and metal infills.

2.5 ton of white sand went on the lawn FTW !

Ahh good info... Given the way watering is going, looks to be the way of the future!

You peg it down also ?

And how did you find glueing the joins.

yes pegged down and joins are taped together with some wide strips of seriously sticky tape which has a foil like backing to it.

[QUOTE=Kato;519531]Ahh good info... Given the way watering is going, looks to be the way of the future![/QUOTE]

this is why I have no lawn... paving everywhere, minimal garden, the rest of my block is house. I would NEVER EVER lay lawn that wasn't artificial in this day and age... There is no point to it...

Make sure the young fella has shoes on if he goes out on it in the sun - I have seen some burns on a kids feet as it can gett as hot as dark brick paving or strangley enough water it 1st before you use it in summer

Looks the goods Dave, definitely brightens up the front of the house.

Dave have you got installation or procedures for doing the DIY fake lawn? I understand basically, dig down to remove all the old crap (weeds / grass) then refill with sand and another layer of rocks and then sand and compact... etc...

But a install doc would be awesome if you know where to find one please point it out? ;)

Cheers,

[url]www.lazylawn.com[/url] have install instructions and they will give you a dvd with install walk thru when you buy their lawn

if you have a flat space then site preperation is relatively easy but slopes are alot more difficult. we rented a compactor which did the job well but you still needed to two people to do the job, one to spray water on the crusher dust base while the other runs the compactor.

fake lawn is the goods! didnt do it myself so wasnt cheap, but long term will pay itself off. hat off to ya for doing it yourself.

for the high traffic/windy areas make sure you get some rubber fill to go over the sand helps keep the sand down and out of, in between your toes :) not a must do for shorter pile grass.

Dave, I don't know how much runoff you will get from fake lawn, but it looks like the water could sheet off and head to your front door - just keep an eye on it during heavy rain because it may not infiltrate at the same rate as natural lawn/soil, especially if you have a compacted based material under the astro.

You might need a cut off drain or small soakwell near the front door/portico.

Just a heads up.

Looks the goods! Now just to spook out the neighbours, head outside on a sunny Saturday afternoon, raise the lawnmower as high as it will go and do laps around the lawn. :D

[QUOTE=BLUES;520349]Dave, I don't know how much runoff you will get from fake lawn, but it looks like the water could sheet off and head to your front door - just keep an eye on it during heavy rain because it may not infiltrate at the same rate as natural lawn/soil, especially if you have a compacted based material under the astro.

You might need a cut off drain or small soakwell near the front door/portico.

Just a heads up.[/QUOTE]

Nah relax there is soakwell and associated drain on either side of the front portico, but considering how often it rains its not even a concern really. The fake lawn actually will drain better than real grass as there are holes all thru the rubber backing.

[QUOTE=American Dave;520397]The fake lawn actually will drain better than real grass as there are holes all thru the rubber backing.[/QUOTE]

I'm not really worried about that so much, but the ground beneath it now has a compacted base layer rather than free draining sand, so the rain will not infiltrate at the same rate as before - it may only be a problem that arises during a storm/heavy down pour/prolonged period of rain. Just keep an eye on it.

soakwells and associated drains are already in place and drain beautifully

Hey Dave
Any idea what happens with dog poo on these lawns? Would like to get some for Muk as she cant care for a lawn but has a Rottwieler that lays some beauties!

Thought I noticed something different when I went past the other day :D

Looks tops. Just need to finish the edges with a bit of carbon fibre...