6 Things I Wish I knew Before Installing Turf Myself

Let’s talk turf.

DIY remodels aren't always as luxurious in real life as they are on television. For the inexperienced installer, turf installations can come with unforeseen difficulties. Before you go down the DIY route, you should know what you're getting into. 

Here are six reasons why you shouldn’t install turf yourself.

 

1. It's Easy to Get Injured  

Installing turf is a labor-intensive process that leaves plenty of room for nicks, tears, cuts, and possibly worse. Box cutters, pick axes, and compactors in untrained hands are a recipe for disaster.  

Just because you watched someone build an amazing backyard on HGTV or read a detailed installation guide doesn't mean you have the skills and technical knowledge to install your own turf. Without the proper safety training and PPE, a fun DIY project can quickly turn into an insurance nightmare.  

Even if you know how to use all the tools correctly, wear and tear on your muscles and joints can have far-reaching consequences. Having to repeatedly bend over creates unnecessary strain on your neck, knees, and back. You can avoid injury by opting for professional installation! 

2. DIY Turf Installation Takes A LOT of Time

Nobody ever said that remodels were quick. Especially not when you do them yourself. 

All of that manual labor takes time. You have to dig out your top soil, lay your base, and secure your weed barrier all before you even begin to lay your turf! Here is what you would have to do: 

• Remove the top four inches of your existing lawn and dispose of it according to your local regulations. This could mean driving soil to the local recycling center, trying to sell it to neighbors, or hiring someone to do it for you.

• Spread three inches of class II road base where you plan to install artificial turf. To make sure it becomes smooth and steady, you would need to go over it with a compactor.

• Lay the turf on top of the base carefully. If you disrupt the base, it could affect the artificial grass's appearance and longevity.

• Cut the turf to fit your area and secure it so it stays in place

• If you need to connect two pieces of turf together, you would have to learn how to make seams invisible. That's a science that needs a careful approach.

• Spread the infill and brush it with a power broom (if you don't have one, you can use a push broom, but the results won't be as fast) 

You’ll be doing all that labor with a shovel, pickaxe, and hammer. 

Biltright contractors use high-end power tools to get the job done quickly and achieve excellent results. They’re even able to lay 500 square feet of artificial turf in a single day! 

3. Specialized Equipment Speeds up the Process  

Hand tools are great if you have all the time in the world. I mean who wouldn't want to spend days digging up their old yard? 

Professional turf installation uses heavy machinery to build your lawn quickly and effectively. While DIYers use shovels and wheelbarrows to remove the top layer of existing soil, our team uses a compact track loader to complete that same task in a fraction of the time.  

If you do it yourself you'll probably be stuck using a push broom to spread infill. Compare that to our team's quick and efficient use of a power broom and you start to see why we can install a yard in days. 

Biltright utilizes high-caliber machinery to craft amazing yards. To build your dream yard our team will use: 

• Top artificial grass base 

• Compact track loader 

• Dump trailer 

• Vibrating plate compactor 

• Carpet kicker 

• Non-galvanized nails 

• Putty knives 

• Seam tape

• High-quality infill

• Drop spreader

• Power broom

Buying all these tools just to install artificial turf in your backyard would make the project extremely expensive. In short, a DIY installation either demands a significant amount of time or a significant amount of money. Meanwhile, top-notch results aren't guaranteed.  

4. Don't Lay the Turf Alone 

It's tough installing turf all by yourself. One-person installations can drag on forever. If only for the reason that you don't have help to get you out of a jam. Think about all the tasks where you wish you had an extra hand, or seven!  

Not everyone can be a master contractor. And why should you? You probably already have a million things to do, so why muddy that up by taking on a huge project? 

By going with a professional you can use all those extra hours spending time with loved ones or enjoying some much-needed R&R. 

When contemplating a DIY project remember, it can take several weekends to lay synthetic turf on your own. Meanwhile, a professional crew can install 500 square feet of artificial grass in just one day. 

5. Professional Installers Are Worth It

Artificial turf installation may look simple when you watch YouTube videos. In reality, without experience and the right tools, it's easy to make a mistake that could lead to significant expenses and quality issues. Some common examples include: 

• Wrinkles on the surface – usually appear if you don't level the base correctly or fail to secure the perimeter the right way. 

• Bubbles – these usually occur when you don't arrange for proper drainage, and water pools under the surface. 

• Rips and tears – while artificial grass is extremely durable, it can tear if you don't create an even surface, use incorrect infill, or fail to create drainage. 

• Foul odors from pets – these odors can appear if you don't use the right infill that is specifically designed to neutralize odors.  

While some of these mistakes are fixable (with two or more extra weekends of DIY work), others could cause you to reinstall the entire lawn. 

Even if you can achieve a satisfactory installation, the lack of knowledge and experience could cause unexpected expenses and unfortunate consequences. For example, if you want to avoid weeds, you need to install a weed membrane. Right? Not always. 

Artificial grass experts know that a weed membrane isn't always appropriate. If you have pets, the membrane won't work for you because it traps pet odors. Meanwhile, depending on your soil quality, it may not stop all weeds from growing. A team of professionals can explain these nuances and help you make the right installation and material choices.  

If you choose to work with professional installers, they won't just speed up the installation process significantly. They will also avoid mistakes to help your artificial grass stay strong and beautiful for many years to come. 

6. Biltright Offers a No Visible Seams Guarantee 

Artificial turf can look identical to living grass if it's installed correctly. Visible seams and entire rolls facing different directions can turn your quality investment into tacky turf. 

Biltright Turf offers a 'No Visible Seams' guarantee which ensures that your yard meets the highest standards in artificial turf installation for at least three years. Otherwise, it's on us to fix it! 

FAQs

Can you install turf yourself?

Yes. Should you? Maybe? Installing artificial turf can be a lot of hard work, and if you don't have experience doing this sort of thing, it might be better left to a professional. 

Can I just put turf on dirt?

Laying artificial grass directly on top of soil or existing grass simply does not work. The final result would be an extremely uneven-looking lawn. 

Biltright's contractors put in the work of completely digging up your old landscape and then laying a class II road base for an even surface to spread your turf. This is just one thing we do to create pristine-looking lawns. For a better understanding of all our installation services, check out this video.