How to install artificial grass on paving bricks

By Gavin Hall

Installing artificial grass on paving bricks

Looking to install artificial grass on paving bricks, crazy paving, or flag stones? Then this guide is just for you.

Perfect Grass is asked to lay artificial grass on all types of surfaces both indoors and outdoors. A common outdoor surface that we are asked to lay grass on is paving bricks. There are many reasons why home owners want to change from paving to grass:

• The paving is old and cracked creating an uneven surface to walk on
• They want to add some colour to the garden
• They have children and want a more suitable surface to play (and fall) on
• The area puddles when it rains
• Want a non slip surface – concrete can be very slippery when icy or if moss grows on it

Laying artificial grass on paving bricks is similar to laying on concrete which I have written about previously. You can use that guide along with this one and our detailed guide to installing groundworks to see how we go about this work.

Here I will give you 3 different options for laying artificial grass on paving. It will come down to the quality of the existing paving, the current drainage and the budget as to which option I would use.

1. Drill 15mm cores with a Shockpad or Underlay

If the paving is in good condition it is possible to go for the drill and shockpad or underlay approach. This is by far the cheapest and easiest method as the groundworks are already in place.

Firstly I use a pressure washer to clean the existing paving. 15mm cores are drilled in the concrete at approximately 1 metre intervals and backfilled with pea shingle to provide the drainage. The paving will act as the groundworks. To prevent the paving showing through the grass I lay a good quality thin Shockpadding or a similar Underlay across the entire area. This not only makes the grass look better but it will also provide a good soft surface if you have kids that are going to be playing on it. The lengths of underlay are cut to size across the lawn and taped together using masking tape making sure a gap of 2 inches if left all around the perimeter.

The artificial grass can then be fitted in the usual way. The only difference in this case is that instead of nailing the grass to wooden perimeter fixings (as I haven’t used any in this instance) I will glue the grass to the paving leaving a 2 inch perimeter gap. The final stage is to brush in a weed free Kiln Sand to the lawn. The added weight will help keep it perfectly flat and the raised fibres of the grass will keep it cooler in the hotter summer months.

2. Timber fixings and compacted Granite Dust

If the paving isn’t in good condition and I want to make certain that the grass will drain well and last for some time I like to place timber fixings around the perimeter as in the photo above along with adding a layer of granite dust.

As before I will drill 15 mm cores in the paving and fill it with pea shingle. A weed membrane is added followed by a 1 inch layer of Granite Dust. The artificial grass is secured in place to the timber fixings with nails. These fixings will act as  a barrier to prevent the granite dust from being washed away. The Kiln sand can then be brushed in to the grass.

3. Remove the paving and use the remaining mortar as a sub base

When the paving is in very poor condition and drainage looks to be a problem there is no option but to take out all the existing paving. This will guarantee you a free draining artificial grass. It is however the most expensive method as we will need to hire a skip to take away the paving and purchase Type 1 Mot along with Granite Dust, timber edging and concrete.

The process for this involves concreting in timbers around the perimeter. I then remove all the paving and skip it leaving just the mortar that was holding the paving in place. I break up the mortar with a sledge hammer and build it up to the required depth with some Type 1 Mot. This is compacted with a Wacker Plate before a weed membrane is added. A top layer of granite dust is compacted and then screeded to create a flat platform to which the artificial grass can be attached. The grass is secured in place to the timber fixings and the kiln sand added. Now your artificial grass will be guaranteed to drain well and look great for many years.

Swapping your old paving bricks for artificial grass could be just the answer you are looking for to brighten up your space. I hope you see all the work that goes into a job like this. Good luck if you intend laying the artificial grass yourself. If you would like our professionals to install the grass for you please get in contact with us by either filling out this form or giving me a call on 020 81664168.