Artificial turfing is the use of artificial grass, carefully constructed and installed to imitate a field for landscaping purposes.
The great thing about artificial turfing is that you never have to maintain it like a real lawn, and it will still always look good for many years to come.
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Artificial turfing is not only limited to landed homes or organisations with large fields. You can have a mini lawn as well in your HDB balcony.
Overview of artificial turfing
Artificial grass can come in various densities and feel.
For the most natural look, you may look out for artificial grass that is not just one uniform shade of green. If it has various shades of dark and light green, the artificial grass looks more appealing and natural.
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In addition to colour, the recommended blade length of the artificial grass is around 30 to 37mm. This is because if the blade is too long, it will eventually flatten and, overtime, make your artificial lawn look lacklustre instead.
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Apart from appearances, the feel of the artificial turfing is important too. This will depend on the backing of the artificial grass.
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Before installation of artificial turfing
During installation of artificial turfing
After installation of artifical turfing
Before the installation of artificial turfing, it is important to survey the area first. This is especially important for outdoor areas because the base layer must be level and clean before the layer of the artificial grass can be applied. This may involve removing weeds, soil, electrical wiring and any other substances/objects on the ground.
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If you are installing it indoors, simply ensure the floor is clean and clear of all substrates. If desired, a soft, shock pad may also be installed. The shock pad can serve as a layer of cushioning.
For outdoor lawns, a special mixture of gravel and sand is required to be installed. This mixture allows for the proper drainage of water. The gravel-sand mixture is evenly distribute and levelled. The levelling is important so that water slopes away from living areas and towards the designated drainage areas. It is also to achieve the final outcome of a smooth, level appearance. After this, we start to install your synthetic grass.
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If you install it indoors, the process is more straightforward not only because digging is not required, but because most apartments already have a levelled floor. The installers will lay the artificial grass and secure all joints with glue.
After installation, the installers will check that the seams are properly tucked away or glued.
Thereafter, you should attend to your artificial grass now and then.
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On a regular basis, remove large rubbish or objects from your artificial turf. And, clean up any spills as soon as you can.
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For artificial turfs installed at home, you can even vacuum it to eliminate dust and pollen from settling on your artificial grass.
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Finally, the constant stepping on your artificial grass flooring can result in flat blades of grass. This means that the grass is laying flat on the ground instead of “standing” like other grass does. When you see this, simply take a stiff broom and brush the flat grass blades upwards.
Inspiration + Function
Example 01
You don't need to have a huge lawn to put artificial turfing. Did you know you can have it installed in your HDB balcony too?
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One of our clients lives in a HDB 5-room. They have a balcony and are nature lovers. During weekends, they prefer to hike together. Our interior designer suggested the idea of putting artificial grass in their balcony because it is like a piece of nature right in their own home.
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Coupled with vinyl planks that imitate wood floorings, their home had a theme of nature, and the mini, artificial lawn in their balcony is easy to maintain too.