Last Updated: December 26, 2024
While real grass is preferable most of the time, sometimes the best option for your outdoor space in Perth is an artificial lawn. Artificial grass adds just as much personality to your home. It’s a durable, low-maintenance solution that stays lush and green year-round, regardless of Perth’s weather extremes. And as such, it can be the ideal choice of busy homeowners and city-dwellers who prefer to see a bit of green in their limited outdoor areas. Plus, it eliminates the hassle of regular mowing, fertilising, and watering. Contact Us!
Why Choose Artificial Grass for Your Perth Property?
Artificial grass has come a long way in terms of design and functionality. Modern synthetic turf mimics the natural look and feel of real grass, making it nearly indistinguishable to the naked eye. Here’s why Perth homeowners are making the switch:
Water Efficiency: No watering means saving thousands of litres of water annually.
Low Maintenance: Forget about fertilisers, lawnmowers, or irrigation systems—artificial lawns require minimal upkeep.
Durability: Built to withstand heavy foot traffic, artificial turf is perfect for families with kids or pets.
Versatility: Whether you want a play area for kids, a pet-friendly zone, or a sleek outdoor entertainment space, artificial grass fits the bill.
Artificial Grass Lawn Installation Guide
Remove the Existing Lawn
The landscaping company like Green Oasis will start by preparing the area for artificial grass installation. To ensure that your fake turf will stay in place and maintain its pristine condition, properly excavating the existing turf is a must. They will remove any lawn, rocks, and sand to a depth of 60mm-100mm if vehicles are going to be parked on the lawn. This step also involves killing off all weeds and vegetation to ensure a smooth installation process. This is going to be the bed where they’ll lay out the artificial turf. Once their team gets the area excavated to the proper depth and the desired size, they will level the base to get an approximate level and install any necessary borders.
Install the Base
Once the area is flat and approximately level, the landscaping professionals fill it with a road base like crushed rock. They will then rake and spread using a sand spreader. Compaction is key here; this ensures the base is sturdy enough to support the artificial turf without sinking over time. Once it is at an approximate level, it will be wet and compacted using a plate compactor to ensure you have a solid base. The final step of installing the base is screeding for a perfectly level base for the lawn to be laid on. Be careful not to wet the area too much as it will sink when you compact. Once the screed is hard and compacted, they will need to do a second screed running your bar over the area taking out any compactor marks, or filling in any dips.
Artificial Lawn Installation
Depending on the shape, size, and how many joins are needed, the artificial turf has a grain and needs to be laid in a certain direction for best results. The professional landscaping company will ensure that at least 2 stitch lines are cut off each side of the lawn to make an unnoticeable joint. This precision prevents visible seams, ensuring a smooth, natural appearance. Once all pieces are in place, they will join them up using a joining tape making sure no grass fibres stick to the tape. Improper joining will result in an unsightly seam running down the length of your synthetic lawn. Once all pieces are joined and are in place, they will need to cut all the edges using a sharp blade. It is important to change the blade often to ensure you get a clean cut for the maintenance.
Maintain and Sand the Turf
To make it look more natural, 10-15kg of white-washed sand is needed per square meter of the artificial turf. They will rake it to gently spread out the fine sand and make sure it’s even throughout the whole area. This not only adds weight to keep the turf in place but also gives it a natural look and feel.
How to Maximise the Lifespan of Your Artificial Lawn
Artificial turf is designed to be durable, but proper care ensures it stays in top condition for years.
Regular Cleaning: Remove debris and rinse with water to keep it fresh.
Brushing: Use a soft brush to maintain the upright position of the grass fibres.
Inspect Seams: Periodically check for loose edges or seams and address issues promptly.
Pet-Friendly Upgrades: If you have pets, opt for pet-specific turf designed to handle odours and wear.
Cost of Installing and Repairing Artificial Grass in Perth
Artificial grass is not cheap to install as you need to prepare the ground where you will install the artificial lawn. The cost is between $35 – $55 per square metre for artificial lawn installation. This includes the preparation work necessary on the soil and the actual laying down of the artificial grass itself by professionals.
On the other hand, the repair costs more or less the same. Instead of traditional repairs, damaged pieces are cut out and replaced with new ones. However, the term ‘repair’ might be misleading. What happens with an artificial grass installation repair is that the damaged piece is cut out and transplanted with a new piece. So you can expect to pay the typical rate per square metre. As stated above, the average cost for installation is $35 – $55 per square metre, and the average cost for artificial grass is $30 – $50 per square metre.
There’s a lot of technicalities involved in artificial grass installation as you’ll also need to kill off all weeds and vegetation, use a power plate or something similar to flatten the space, then insert a cover over it. Only then can you proceed with the actual installation.
This is the simplest explanation for artificial lawn installation. Bottomline is, it’s worth the money to hire the experts to do it right from the get go.