We frequently get asked for help from customers on how to sort out their badly draining artificial grass lawn
The solution can sometimes be as simple as making sure good groundworks are installed which will allow water to naturally flow away. On other occasions we have installed a simple soakaway to help the lawn drain. Sometimes the drainage issues can be quite complicated and a specialist is needed to help to fix the problem. Here I am going to share with you how we were able to fix the problem of having an underground spring running through a back garden.
The customer was in the process of completely redesigning their back garden. They had recently renovated an old patio at the top end of the garden and a brand new patio area had been built at the bottom. In the process they had removed some shrubs and other fauna and reshaped some of the garden.
We were asked along to complete the garden by laying the artificial grass. On inspection we noticed the area between the patios was boggy but we thought a soakaway filled with rubble would solve this.
When we arrived on site to start work there had been heavy rain overnight and there was a lot of surface water in one area where the patios were close together.
We found that the more we dug in this area the more it filled with water. After talking to the neighbours we found out there was a natural underground spring running through both gardens, which had been made worse by the removal of shrubs and the new patio at the back of the garden.
We discussed the drainage situation with the customer and said that before installing our groundworks the drainage problem needed fixing. If it wasn’t their new artificial grass lawn would too become flooded as there was nowhere for the excess water to go.
The owner got a drainage expert in who installed a perforated pipe 5 foot down, which emptied into a large sunken tank. The tank would have to be emptied using a powerful pump when the water table was high so the top needed to be accessible.
Large sunken tank and perforated pipe fitted
Following the installation on the new sunken tank the area was left for 4 weeks to make sure the drainage problem was fixed. To the delight of the owner it was.
We could now begin the installation of the artificial grass. First we put in the groundworks adding extra Type 1 Aggregates around the new drains leaving an area for a hatch around the tank.
Groundworks underway now the new drainage system installed
Groundworks completed with extra type 1 around the drains
New drainage system installed along with an artificial grass lawn
We made sure the grass could easily be lifted (using small headed nails in our nail gun) in case of any sinkage around the new pipe and tank.
The result a beautiful “dry’ new lawn which will continue to look good for many years to come.
It has taken me many years of hard work to be able to provide the type of artificial grass installation service we now offer. Because of the enduring attention to detail and the dedication of my team I am in the enviable position of receiving many requests from people all over the world looking for help with their artificial grass installations. Whilst this brings a huge smile to my face we are still only a relatively small family owned and run business with limited resources. We currently offer our services within Kent, South East London, Hertfordshire, Essex and parts of Surrey. Whilst I am happy to answer general questions in the comments section below from anyone it may take up to 1 week for me to get back to you. Please make sure you have read other readers questions and my answers first as your question may have already been asked.
Priority will be given to answering questions from people looking for Perfect Grass to fit and supply our own artificial grass products. Please fill out the quotation form or call us on 020 81664168
For others looking for a priority response to a specific question relating to their own installation a £50 consultation fee is charged. My goal is to respond within 48 hours in these circumstances. For this specific online assistance please email me at info@perfectgrassltd.co.uk with your questions. I often require photographs to accompany your question in order to provide the best answer.
Hi, we have had grass laid and noticied it is really quite wet after a rainfall, can this be rectified without restarting the job as its only been down around 2 months?
Also we were going to contact the builders as they never pegged the grass down, its a new buikd property and the builders landscapers done the job and they are still on site, I am hoping that means they will be ok when I point it all out. Thanks Kirsty
Hi there , new grass does hold the water a bit longer due to the surface tension on the fibres not allowing the water to pass, however this would still dry fairly quickly in August . If you actually see water sitting on the product then this points to the drainage of the groundworks. New builds are a nightmare, as they tend to fill the areas up with top soil and you dont have a natural sub strata, which generally means a lot of soil needs removing and replacing with a lot of type one. I would definitely get the landscapers back and quiz them , did they use type one for a sub base ? It is very difficult to put the groundworks in after it has been fitted as you would need to get the grass back in at identical levels otherwise it wont refit to the exact size it has been cut . I would also be concerned no fixings have been used in the initial groundworks, a few random nails around the perimeter will not serve much purpose. Best regards
Hi Gavin
Unfortunately we appear to have hired a real cowboy company to work on creating a children’s playground in our garden. The faults are innumerable and include badly installed artificial grass. It was installed in Sept 2017. Seams have always been bad, grass is not level but worst of all it’s now very damp.
If you lie on a blanket on the grass you get damp – and it hasn’t rained for over a week. It also smells very damp and musty. On lifting an edge I can see mould growing on the underside.
This of course is not healthy for the children to play on.
Our land does have several underground streams lying beneath it and the contractors were aware of this but appear to have not done any drainage work.
Is there any way the grass and playground can be saved or is it best to start again?
It was very expensive but I can’t see us getting any joy out of contacting the contractors as they obviously just didn’t know what they were doing.
Please can you offer your advice?
Kindest regards
Leslie
Hi there,Im very sorry to hear of your bad experience .
The first question we ask is about the drainage , as we too have come across underground springs . Unfortunately these are a real headache and I always refer the customer on to specialist drainage companies.
Sorry to say, that once a lawn has been badly laid, it all needs to come out and be skipped ,before starting again.
There is no point in re-appointing someone to lay the lawn, until the underlying issues are rectified. This is a job of a drainage specialist company not your local landscaper .
Once this issue is resolved you can consider the grass again, however it may be clever to install extra measures . Don’t forget the area will need to be dug out, to have the drainage issue resolved , so instead of refilling with the original soil , I would suggest filling the area up with stone ie type 3 . This will be an expensive job I am sorry to say , however unless this is rectified you are wasting your money trying to do anything with the area.regards
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. What you have said makes perfect sense and so I’ll seek out a specialist drainage company.
Sadly this will mean a summer minus the playground plus a ton of money – but better that than my precious granddaughters getting ill from the mould spores.
My sincere thanks once again for your informative message and your advice – they are appreciated immensely.
Kind regards
Leslie
Hi no worries and I hope you get it sorted. I would get the drainage company round before you skip the grass, they maybe able to put some drains in and then refit grass after it has had a pressure wash and dried.
Good Luck.
Thank you, you are so generous with your advice. Thank you for making the world nicer!
Hi Gavin, having just read this and another blog you do you reconmend digging over about 6 inch of the soil. In heavy clay and bad drainage areas before laying membrane etc. Now this may be a silly question which I apologise before hand. But once the soil has been dug or rotivated do you recommend rolling the soil? I am just concerned if I do will it not cause the same problem. I ask because I am about to attempt my garden. Cheers.
Hi there, yes that’s correct, if the soil is heavy clay and has bad drainage go down deeper. Do not do anything to the soil as long as it is firm you are ready to start building it up.
Membrane , then Type 1 …..good luck.