How To Prevent Wrinkles on Artificial Turf

Wrinkles can appear on your artificial turf, especially during high-temperature months or at different manufacturing and distribution stages.

In manufacturing, the grass gets exposed to massive heat, then immediately rolled around a cylinder tube where it stays for weeks till it reaches the final destination. During this time, the grass has completely settled and cooled into its shape around the cylinder. Sometimes the roll may become loose, making the turf bunch and eventually create wrinkles.

Synthetic grass is also distributed while wound firmly about a cardboard core and then wrapped in protective packaging to avoid damage during transit. When unrolling, you will likely experience minor creases and ripples from wrapping the grass around the backing and core.

Luckily, you can relax the wrinkles. If you have ever come across them and did not know how to handle them, here are a few effective methods and techniques you can use to avoid wrinkles in the future.

Preventing Wrinkles On Artificial Turf

Excavate Soil and Organic Debris

Most people skip this process just to cut their budgets, not knowing it is a severe mistake.

Removing pre-existing soil from the installation area is vital for a long-lasting application. Organic soil will naturally contract and expand due to climatic changes, creating an unstable foundation for your grass, and leading to wrinkles over time.

For most sites, an excavation depth of 3 inches will do, followed by replacing excavated soil with a non-abrasive base mixture, such as Crushed Miscellaneous Base (CMB) and Class 2 Roadbase.

Most importantly, when excavating, ensure to get rid of roots and other huge chunks or groupings of organic debris that would decompose gradually.

When this material breaks down, it can create concave gaps in your base that could form the look of divots in your yard.

Lay the Weed Membrane Flat

Usually, unless you have pets, it is advisable to directly fit the membrane beneath your synthetic grass to avoid weed growth.

While unrolling your fake turf, make sure the membrane has not doubled over or bunched up on itself anywhere. You can do this by securing the membrane to the timber edging material using nails and holding it into place at the center of your grass with U-pins.

If any wrinkles or folds appear, they will appear through the grass because the backing material takes the shape of bumps and lumps inside the membrane.

Let The Grass Adjust Before Cutting

Once you have completed all your ground preparation, unfold your synthetic turf across the installation area. Or outdoors under the sun, if the weather is excellent.

Now let it acclimatize. Doing this allows it to acquaint with the hot temperatures so that your synthetic turf stretches sufficiently during installation. We recommend leaving it unrolled for 2 hours or even 24 hours for better results.

Stretch The Turf Tight

You can best facilitate this using a carpet kicker.

A carpet kicker ensures that your artificial turf is flat and well stretched out. Also, the cardboard core wrapped around the synthetic grass can be useful to help eliminate air bubbles.

With three people, spread the grass’s length and push across while applying pressure downwards. In the case of stubborn wrinkles, you can fasten them down with accessories like staples or glue as you go.

Apply the Right Quantity of Sand Infill

Sand infill is vital for many reasons.

For the purposes of preventing wrinkles, it plays a critical role by accumulating extra weight on your synthetic turf. This, in turn, helps provide support and stability by weighing down the backing of the grass.

An evenly distributed sand infill will help prevent creases and wrinkles in your lawn by weighing down the backing and allowing you the advantage of temperature regulation to prevent contraction and expansion.

For most households, we commend silica sand, but for those with pets, organic infill will suffice to keep urine odors at bay.

To attain the desired effect, ensure to use the correct infill material. It would be prudent to check with the manufacturer since various artificial turf types have different requirements.

Brush The Affected Part

Unfortunately, many ecological factors may cause wrinkles after installation.

High temperatures, for instance, may result in a lumpy artificial turf. This is because heat makes the backing material cool and expand more often.

Simply brushing through the affected part is an easy remedy to prevent wrinkles or creases from building up. This way, you can regularly straighten the backing and level the wrinkles.

The best time to do this should be during summer when the temperatures are high and your synthetic turf backing is still flexible. Pay attention to the affected parts, and apply a decent amount of pressure using a stiff-bristled broom.

Secure The Edges of Artificial Turf

The perimeter or edge is the most vulnerable part of artificial turf installation. Therefore, you must secure it appropriately with good care and precision.

While there are many different attachment methods to facilitate the process, for most households, we prefer installing edging around your lawn and attaching the edges of the synthetic turf to it.

In most cases, timber edging is often used compared to other edging options such as steel, composite plastic, concrete gravel boards, and paving.

First, ensure your artificial grass is cut to shape along your lawn’s perimeter. Afterward, stretch out your grass using the carpet kicker, then fix the turf to your lawn’s perimeter using galvanized nails about five inches apart.

After you have attached your synthetic turf at the edges, this will ensure it is stretched out and smooth throughout the entire lawn, preventing wrinkles and creases later on.

Conclusion

Preventing wrinkles on your artificial turf should not be difficult, as long as you follow the above-mentioned guidelines.

While these techniques will undoubtedly come in handy for your DIY project, it is always prudent to leave the synthetic installation to the professionals. This is because you can only learn specific knowledge and techniques through experience.

So, if you are having trouble with frequent and stubborn wrinkles, ensure that you contact us for quick and effective remediation.