Recent Grey Street Artificial Grass Installation

It turns what was a drab and colourless area of grey paving into a beautiful pop up park that everyone can enjoy.

Working with local designers and builders, we were able to help create the tranquil new space that provides a retreat to get away from it all in one of the city’s busiest, most beautiful streets. It is also equipped with large planters, special seating areas, and an artificial grass area where you can enjoy exercise sessions such as yoga and tai chi throughout the summer or relax.

There are many challenges when completing such an installation. What looks like a simple roll out the grass and walk away job has much more to it than a standard installation.

Plans are drawn up, and site visits take place to ensure that the artificial grass base will not impede any drainage functions and water access points under the paving. Several drainage channels are running directly under this area and other obstacles, such as existing seating areas and bike racks.

The whole area is temporarily closed to the public during the installation to avoid any trips or falls whilst the grass is being laid and the new planting and seating areas are lifted. Once on site, we must clean the area of any debris so that our adhesive can stick to the floor as best as possible.

One of this project’s main challenges is ensuring that the grass stays put and does not gradually move underfoot or lift at the edges over a prolonged period. On top of this, we must also ensure that when we take the grass away, no residue is left on the pavement surface, and the area is left clean and tidy as if we had never been there. We manage these obstacles by using the knowledge we gained whilst installing thousands of meters of grass across the North East of England with skilled workmen.

Once we have the grass rolled out, the long process of cutting around the existing fixtures starts. We must ensure that once we start cutting, the fake grass does not move an inch to ensure the grass joins perfectly and finishes where it is supposed to.

We use a special rubber trim that we install on the full perimeter of the giant lawn so that there are no trip hazards, and it also gives it a very neat and tidy finish. The same rubber trim is used where we have water access points or manholes that need to be accessed. We create a rubber frame around the point that needs access and cut the grass out of the middle.

Whilst sticking the grass to the rubber and joining the seams; we need to be mindful that in October, we need to be able to take the grass up easily without leaving any mess. We use several techniques in the whole area to do this. This ranges from specialist tape and jointing bandages to our super strong adhesive that will outlast this installation if needed.

Once the grass is in place, trimmed, joined and secured to the rubber and floor, we bring the lawn to life using our mechanical Blowers and Brushes. The rotary brush spins at such a rate it allows us to force the grass blades up using pressure that could not be achieved by brushing it by hand.

This is followed up by the blower, which throws so much air at the grass at high speeds that it gives it a more natural look separating the blades and creating a lush grass area.

It was a pleasure to be involved in a project that has such an impact on a small City Centre space that gives people the chance to stop and relax for a minute amongst all the busyness of the street.