Can we talk Turf

[slickgt1]

I want to put Turf in my back yard. I really want something that is not concrete. I can't justify ripping all of the concrete out, and my schedule is too insane to give a **** about grass. I also live in the city, and my yard is not really accessible from outside. Either through my house, or through neighbors yard, and that it always an issue.

I don't know where to even start with Turf. All I know, is that Home Depot sells a few varieties of it, and it seems cheap.

Please school me on how to install it.

1. Does it need something under it?
2. How do you secure it?
2a. Secure the edges?
3. If there is a seam, how does one hide that?
4. Maintenance? Shop Vac? Lol vacuum the back yard. ahahah.
5. I have a drain pit in the middle of the yard, what happens there?
6. I have a spot where I get standing water. 4' daimeter, about half inch max depth. Usually evaporates, or absorbs fairly quick. Should I level that out first?

Thanks in advance.

 

[CT2012]

slick hey there i remember your garage, it's in queens, right?

the turf stuff is pretty darned awesome, but not cheap. i was helping a family member spec it out for their house that has a very small backyard patch of grass (roughly 18x6). it was going to run about 8 bucks a sq. ft. installed. i said screw that, so i ripped up the grass and dirt and put down a decorative bed of river rock with some low/no maintenance plants, mulch, etc.

i know that doesn't really answer your question on putting the stuff in over concrete, but in terms of pricing maybe it'll be helpful. i do recall the stuff did drain well, which in that case would have flowed into dirt. your setup might present some unique challenges insofar as a barrier over the concrete, i.e., potential for mold growth. then again, maybe not if you have a drain.

good luck either way.

oh and as for maintenance, the company who bid the job said a shop vac or a hose is all that's needed to clean.

 

[slickgt1]

Brooklyn garage. Yea.

I plan to install myself. I have every tool possibly needed.

I looked at a few vids online, and it seems pretty straight forward. Seems that one would just glue it to the concrete. Seam tape for the edges, and cut with a knife. I thought it would be something more involved.

I am just curious how well it would drain, and if I need to even make a hole for the drain, or will it just drain through the turf. Never dealt with the stuff.

I thought about the river rocks and such, but my kids are now 1 and 3, and turf would seem to provide a softer environment for them. A few more kids attractions, and I can let them have a blast out there.

Thanks for the feedback CT.

 

[thegarageguy]

Grass in Brooklyn? It's like asking for water in the desert....

Check this out http://www.aturf.com/index.php/artificial-turf-specifications/

 

[rsanter]

Costco has the artificial turf and what I wp saw was nice stuff
The problem you will have is that the turf is permeable so it will drain.
We have it at work and it is great stuff.

It is installed over compacted sand. You can for the sand flat or install some gentile hills.
It is layed out like carpet and the edges are secured with long aluminum nails. You will stretch it as you go to keep it tout.
Maintence will be to hose it off or just let the rain do it. Debree or stuff can be blown off or vacuumed up.
Do you golf at all?
If so you can install the low putting green turf and install a couple of holes. Install the higher turf around the perimiter.
To plug the holes you install a foam plug with a little piece of the grass glued to the top. That way you can have a table to chairs on the green and not have people trip on the holes

Bob

 

[slickgt1]

Aturf seems like they know their stuff. I'm going to call them and see if I can pry some knowledge from them.

It seems like grass around here is becoming extinct. Every person I see, is either trying to get concrete over it, or fill it with rock. I just don't get it. I feel like I am going against the grain here. When I went to price out removing my concrete, add dirt, and sod, it was 3x the cost of new concrete.

I don't golf. I wish. I know for sure that my two little girls will fill those holes with some **** the moment they see it.

Yea I guess my biggest concern would be the water drain. I understand the turf drains, but since I have the concrete under, will it let the water flow to the drain, or am I looking at standing water, or water filled turf. I don't want to create a problem when I didn't have one before.

 

[jy211]

we just did turf strips around our pool deck. We did this so we didn't have to worry about the clorine killing natural grass.

We went with a turf company. Here's what I can tell you:

1. Does it need something under it?
They come in a channel out the area. They add a filler that will let the water drain. I think 3 layers actually

2. How do you secure it?
It is secured down with spikes every 3-4 inches

2a. Secure the edges?
They put in their own edge - looks just like a piece of stainless steel IMO

3. If there is a seam, how does one hide that?
They cut and trim it to fit exactly

4. Maintenance? Shop Vac? Lol vacuum the back yard. ahahah.
^^^ yes. They use a filler to help fill in the gaps. When it rains hard that filler sometime comes out. We've put up gutters and that has cut down a ton of vacuuming lol

5. I have a drain pit in the middle of the yard, what happens there?
They should be able to design the set up to work with that

6. I have a spot where I get standing water. 4' daimeter, about half inch max depth. Usually evaporates, or absorbs fairly quick. Should I level that out first?
I would

Here's some pic's

https://imageshack.com/i/nmt7onj

https://imageshack.com/i/n9ow4dj

 

[slickgt1]

we just did turf strips around our pool deck. We did this so we didn't have to worry about the clorine killing natural grass.

We went with a turf company. Here's what I can tell you:

1. Does it need something under it?
They come in a channel out the area. They add a filler that will let the water drain. I think 3 layers actually

2. How do you secure it?
It is secured down with spikes every 3-4 inches

2a. Secure the edges?
They put in their own edge - looks just like a piece of stainless steel IMO

3. If there is a seam, how does one hide that?
They cut and trim it to fit exactly

4. Maintenance? Shop Vac? Lol vacuum the back yard. ahahah.
^^^ yes. They use a filler to help fill in the gaps. When it rains hard that filler sometime comes out. We've put up gutters and that has cut down a ton of vacuuming lol

5. I have a drain pit in the middle of the yard, what happens there?
They should be able to design the set up to work with that

6. I have a spot where I get standing water. 4' daimeter, about half inch max depth. Usually evaporates, or absorbs fairly quick. Should I level that out first?
I would

Here's some pic's

https://imageshack.com/i/nmt7onj

https://imageshack.com/i/n9ow4dj

Well you are just showing off with those pictures. Looks amazing.

Only difference is that my yard is all concrete. 2 friggen layers of it at that. It seems at one point, the previous owners had a yard with grass on the borders, and a few in ground tree areas. I guess they decided that they would rather have everything in concrete, so they put another layer 3" of concrete over it. I have demolished a few spots, and have fig trees growing now, but really, most of the yard is still unfortunately concrete.

 

[jy211]

No showing off, just easy to show in pictures than me rambling LOL

Call up a turf place and talk to them. I'd guess that you should be able to make it work similar to a putting green.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Wow, turf has come a long way. I was thinking that crappy plasticky green indoor/outdoor carpet stuff. I was going to suggest looking at that kind of soft tennis court stuff, might be good for the kiddies, but that Aturf looks great.