How to measure for artificial grass

Learn the best way to measure your lawn.

How to measure for artificial grass

Learn the best way to measure your lawn.

How to measure for artificial grass

Learn the best way to measure your lawn.

Didn’t measure your garden in metres for artificial grass?

To accurately measure your garden for artificial turf, your first step should be to create a precise blueprint on graph paper. Start by finding the maximum width and length of the area you plan to cover. If your space isn’t a simple rectangle or square, remember to factor in all irregular sections to ensure you have enough material.
Feet? Multiply your number by 0.093
Yards? – Multiply your number by 0.831

Can artificial grass be laid on top of decking?

Artificial grass can also be laid over decking, but you should ensure that the timber is strong and relatively fresh, not weak and rotted. To help your artificial grass stay in excellent condition when installing artificial grass on decking, an underlay and weed membrane between the grass and the wood can provide additional protection.

Can artificial grass be laid on top of decking?

Artificial grass can also be laid over decking, but you should ensure that the timber is strong and relatively fresh, not weak and rotted. To help your artificial grass stay in excellent condition when installing artificial grass on decking, an underlay and weed membrane between the grass and the wood can provide additional protection.

Measuring Guide – How to measure for artificial grass

How to measure your garden for artificial grass

Considering artificial grass but feeling unsure where to begin? If you plan on tackling the installation yourself, calculating the precise amount of turf required is a critical first step to ensure you order enough to fully cover your garden.

We understand this can feel a bit overwhelming if it’s your first time. There are several factors to consider, and miscalculating your lawn measurements is a common mistake.

To help you sidestep these common pitfalls and determine the exact quantity of artificial grass needed for your project, we will guide you through the process step-by-step, including a simple example.

Learn the best way to measure your lawn.

Thinking about artificial grass, but feeling unsure where to begin? The most critical first step for a successful DIY installation is accurately determining how much turf you need. Ordering the correct amount is essential to cover your entire lawn. We provide multiple methods for measuring

Top Tips to consider before measuring your lawn.

When measuring your lawn, be sure to measure both the widest and the longest points to see whether you’ll need more than one roll of artificial turf.

For lawns that are curved, this tip is especially important. If you’ll need to use, say, two rolls side-by-side to cover the width, mark out where your join will lie and then measure the length for each roll. Unless your garden has perfect 90-degree corners, then even if it’s roughly square or oblong, the chances are one roll will need to be a little longer than the other.

Say your lawn measures 4.2m x 4.2m and the grass you’ve selected for your lawn only comes in a 4m or 2m width. You could cover this area by ordering 2 rolls of artificial grass, one measuring 4m x 4.2m and the other measuring 2m x 4.2m. This would result in approximately 7.5m2 of wastage and a join. You could alternatively select a grass that is 5m wide roll to cover the entire width and avoid a join, but you will still have to cut into the roll to fit it to your desired area and end up with some wastage.

Instead of paying for additional grass you won’t use, extend or create a plant bed along one edge to reduce one of the measurements to within 4m. That way you’d need just one 4m wide roll by 4.2m long.

Bonus Tip: to create a low maintenance plant bed, lay some slate or decorative stone on top of weed membrane. You can also put plant pots on top to add in some green.

We can cut our grass to the nearest 100mm and we strongly advise adding 100mm to each end of the artificial grass so if you make a mistake with cutting, you should still have enough for another attempt at cutting it in. It also allows a little room for measuring errors.

When ordering artificial grass, always consider the weight of the rolls. You can find details of the weights of our products on our website.

Rather than ordering a 4m x 10m roll of grass, you may find it easier to order 2 rolls of 2m x 10m, as they will be much lighter to carry.

Of course, it depends on the weight of the artificial grass, but as a general rule, the most two men can lift together is about 30m2 of grass on one roll. Any more than that and you’d need a third helper or a carpet barrow to lift your grass into position.

Please note that our grass is delivered to curb only and it is not the responsibility of Trulawn or the courier to take it to your desired location. Therefore we recommend you have assistance with you when taking receipt of the grass.

When you look closely at artificial grass, you’ll notice that it has a slight pile direction. This is true of all most artificial grass, regardless of quality. This is important to remember for two reasons.

Firstly, in an ideal world, the pile of your artificial grass will be facing towards the angle you’ll be viewing it from the most, i.e. you’ll be looking into the pile. This is generally considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing angle and it usually means the pile faces towards your house and/or patio area.

Secondly, when measuring your lawn you’ll need to remember that if you need to use more than one roll of artificial grass, both pieces will need to be facing in the same direction to form an invisible join.

If the pile direction isn’t facing the same way on both pieces of grass, each roll will appear to be a slightly different colour.

Square Lawns

For square and rectangular-shaped lawns, calculate the number of square meters by simply multiplying the length by the width.

(length) x (width) = total square meter

Round Lawns

For square and rectangular-shaped lawns, calculate the number of square meters by simply multiplying the length by the width.

(length) x (width) = total square meter

Angled Lawns

To calculate how many square metres of artificial grass is needed for angled or curved lawns, again, multiply the width and the widest point with the length at the longest point.

(length) x (width) = total square meter

L Shaped Lawns

With L-shaped lawns, you should split the lawn into two sections. Multiply the width by the length of one section, the width and length of the second section, and add these together to generate the total square metres required.

((a1 length) x (a1 width)) + ((a2 length) x (a2 width)) = total square meter

Easy Right?

Although measuring your lawn for artificial grass might seem simple at first glance, it often involves more complexity than anticipated. By carefully considering all the steps and factors we have outlined, you can ensure a smooth process and a successful, trouble-free artificial grass installation.

Don’t fancy installing it yourself?

Measuring your lawn for artificial grass is maybe not as straightforward as you might have first thought. But as long as you take into consideration everything we’ve mentioned, you shouldn’t have any problems and your artificial grass project should run without any hiccups.

Check out our installation guide.

Measuring your lawn for artificial grass is maybe not as straightforward as you might have first thought. But as long as you take into consideration everything we’ve mentioned, you shouldn’t have any problems and your artificial grass project should run without any hiccups.

If you’re looking for an artificial grass installation, we recommend getting in touch with us first.

Steps to install artificial grass

1. Measure your garden

Start by planning and measuring your garden to determine the quantities of artificial lawn, geo-textile membrane, and jointing materials you will need. By estimating the correct amounts needed, you will help minimise wastage, ensuring the project remains cost-effective.
Using a tape measure, be sure to measure multiple times, comparing each new measurement to the last to catch any potential errors.

2. Remove your existing lawn

Preparing the ground for laying artificial grass is crucial, we recommend removing the lawn surface to a depth of between 55mm and 70mm depending on ground conditions. The right tools can make it much easier, but most of us have to rely on a spade and wheelbarrow.

Watering the sod a few days before removal can help by preventing dry mud and dirt from scattering everywhere. Avoid over-watering, as it can create messy, muddy patches that are difficult to dig up.
We find it easiest to use the edge of a spade to cut small squares into the grass, approximately 50mm deep and 250mm long and wide.

This method allows you to remove most of the roots, and the squares should be a manageable size to get your spade under and lift away from the soil. Depending on the type of grass in your garden, the roots may be shallow or deeply embedded, requiring some effort to separate the two layers.

Renting a turf-cutting machine from a local hire center can significantly reduce the time and effort needed.

Once you have reached the required depth, the area should be roughly levelled

Using a tape measure, be sure to measure multiple times, comparing each new measurement to the last to catch any potential errors.

3. Lay a suitable base layer

What should you put underneath artificial grass laid on soil?

Laying artificial grass directly on a soil base is not recommended. Soil is prone to weather-induced wear and tear, which can compromise its stability, eventually causing damage to the grass.
We recommend first laying a stability membrane, which helps prevent the sub-base from slipping into the ground below and keeps it stable. Once laid, the perimeter of the lawn area should be edged using timber/plastic edging, ensuring that the sub-base material will be supported.

Your artificial grass is installed on top of the edging and is nailed to it, so make sure it is at the correct level. Around a curved edge, or an edge where you need a very close finish, cement haunching may be better to use instead.
It’s now time to add a base layer of type 1 limestone aggregate to a depth of around 40-50mm.

A wheelbarrow and rake will help distribute this initially, which should then be compacted using a whacker plate to avoid sinkage and achieve a solid base. This is followed by a 15-20mm layer of granite dust, which should also be compacted and smoothed off.

Whacker/compactor plates can be rented from your local hire center

4. Add a weed membrane

Before your grass is laid, a top layer of weed membrane should be added over the compacted materials, to keep weeds from growing up through your grass. Laying a weed membrane for your artificial lawn is a simple process that doesn’t require any additional joining materials.

Just unroll the membrane sheet across the prepared sub-base, but be careful not to disturb the smoothed sub-base too much, as this could create an uneven surface for your artificial grass.

Once laid, use small nails to fix the membrane to the sub-base to keep it in place, then use a Stanley knife or sharp scissors to cut the membrane to the desired shape.

5. Install the artificial grass

Rolling out your grass

Installing your grass requires some planning and it’s crucial not to hurry through this process. Firstly, unroll the artificial grass and allow it to settle for at least three hours; this helps any wrinkles and creases from being rolled up drop out, and makes it easier to fit together. One settled, stretch the grass to ensure it lays flat. During hot summer weather, this process should be significantly faster. When working out how to arrange your grass rolls, as a rule of thumb, it’s best to minimise the amount of cuts you need to make. This can be achieved by laying your grass alongside the longest straight edge as a starting point.
From an aesthetic point of view, it’s essential that all pieces of grass are laid with the pile facing in the same direction.

Joining lengths of grass

 

To ensure secure and aesthetically pleasing joins in your artificial grass, follow the steps outlined below. The more meticulous and patient you are during this procedure, the neater and less noticeable the joins will be.

1. Remove the manufacturing edge strip (if present), or cut off an additional 3-4 rows of stitches to minimize the backing next to the stitch, then butt the two edges together.

2. Fold back the edges and position the jointing tape so the edges of the grass align in the center of the tape when joined. To prevent the tape from moving, it can be helpful to secure it with nails along its length.

3. Apply adhesive evenly over the tape so that you do not have any splurging through the join. To achieve this we recommend using a carpet/wallpaper scraper.

4. Starting from one end, fold the carpet back into the wet adhesive, working your way down to the other end. Having another person assist can prevent the entire carpet from suddenly folding back and forcefully impacting the glue.

5. Weight the seam to ensure good contact with the glue until it cures.

Trimming excess grass to shape

Once your grass is laid out, begin cutting it to shape using a sharp Stanley knife. Be sure to measure twice before making each cut, as you only get one chance to get it right, and there’s always the risk of cutting your new lawn too short.
Take your time with the stage of the process, if things go wrong, it can be difficult to join smaller offcuts together to repair the problem area.

Securing the grass

 

Cornwall Artificial Lawns grass on its own is fairly weighty. Our grasses contain both blade and thatch to give it the most realistic look possible which, unlike other grasses on the market, means that it doesn’t require an infill. But for stability and peace of mind we always secure our grasses when carrying out an installation.

Most installations will have a combination of different edging techniques based on what is the best course of action for the existing features:

For timber/plastic edging you will be fixing down the grass using 40mm galvanised flat-head nails, spaced around 130-150mm apart. It’s important to give the grass space to expand and contract, but if you have pets you may like to space closer together.

Where cement haunching has been required, you would use adhesive to secure the grass to it.

6. Plump up the pile

Finally, the grass pile may be flattened from being rolled up, so use a stiff brush to brush against the pile, bringing the grass fibres straight and upright

If you’re looking for an artificial grass installation, we recommend getting in touch with us first.

Steps to install artificial grass

1. Measure your garden

Start by planning and measuring your garden to determine the quantities of artificial lawn, geo-textile membrane, and jointing materials you will need. By estimating the correct amounts needed, you will help minimise wastage, ensuring the project remains cost-effective.
Using a tape measure, be sure to measure multiple times, comparing each new measurement to the last to catch any potential errors.

2. Remove your existing lawn

Preparing the ground for laying artificial grass is crucial, we recommend removing the lawn surface to a depth of between 55mm and 70mm depending on ground conditions. The right tools can make it much easier, but most of us have to rely on a spade and wheelbarrow.

Watering the sod a few days before removal can help by preventing dry mud and dirt from scattering everywhere. Avoid over-watering, as it can create messy, muddy patches that are difficult to dig up.
We find it easiest to use the edge of a spade to cut small squares into the grass, approximately 50mm deep and 250mm long and wide.

This method allows you to remove most of the roots, and the squares should be a manageable size to get your spade under and lift away from the soil. Depending on the type of grass in your garden, the roots may be shallow or deeply embedded, requiring some effort to separate the two layers.

Renting a turf-cutting machine from a local hire center can significantly reduce the time and effort needed.

Once you have reached the required depth, the area should be roughly levelled

Using a tape measure, be sure to measure multiple times, comparing each new measurement to the last to catch any potential errors.

3. Lay a suitable base layer

What should you put underneath artificial grass laid on soil?

Laying artificial grass directly on a soil base is not recommended. Soil is prone to weather-induced wear and tear, which can compromise its stability, eventually causing damage to the grass.
We recommend first laying a stability membrane, which helps prevent the sub-base from slipping into the ground below and keeps it stable. Once laid, the perimeter of the lawn area should be edged using timber/plastic edging, ensuring that the sub-base material will be supported.

Your artificial grass is installed on top of the edging and is nailed to it, so make sure it is at the correct level. Around a curved edge, or an edge where you need a very close finish, cement haunching may be better to use instead.
It’s now time to add a base layer of type 1 limestone aggregate to a depth of around 40-50mm.

A wheelbarrow and rake will help distribute this initially, which should then be compacted using a whacker plate to avoid sinkage and achieve a solid base. This is followed by a 15-20mm layer of granite dust, which should also be compacted and smoothed off.

Whacker/compactor plates can be rented from your local hire center

4. Add a weed membrane

Before your grass is laid, a top layer of weed membrane should be added over the compacted materials, to keep weeds from growing up through your grass. Laying a weed membrane for your artificial lawn is a simple process that doesn’t require any additional joining materials.

Just unroll the membrane sheet across the prepared sub-base, but be careful not to disturb the smoothed sub-base too much, as this could create an uneven surface for your artificial grass.

Once laid, use small nails to fix the membrane to the sub-base to keep it in place, then use a Stanley knife or sharp scissors to cut the membrane to the desired shape.

5. Install the artificial grass

Rolling out your grass

Installing your grass requires some planning and it’s crucial not to hurry through this process. Firstly, unroll the artificial grass and allow it to settle for at least three hours; this helps any wrinkles and creases from being rolled up drop out, and makes it easier to fit together. One settled, stretch the grass to ensure it lays flat. During hot summer weather, this process should be significantly faster. When working out how to arrange your grass rolls, as a rule of thumb, it’s best to minimise the amount of cuts you need to make. This can be achieved by laying your grass alongside the longest straight edge as a starting point.
From an aesthetic point of view, it’s essential that all pieces of grass are laid with the pile facing in the same direction.

Trimming excess grass to shape

Once your grass is laid out, begin cutting it to shape using a sharp Stanley knife. Be sure to measure twice before making each cut, as you only get one chance to get it right, and there’s always the risk of cutting your new lawn too short.
Take your time with the stage of the process, if things go wrong, it can be difficult to join smaller offcuts together to repair the problem area.

Securing the grass

 

Cornwall Artificial Lawns grass on its own is fairly weighty. Our grasses contain both blade and thatch to give it the most realistic look possible which, unlike other grasses on the market, means that it doesn’t require an infill. But for stability and peace of mind we always secure our grasses when carrying out an installation.

Most installations will have a combination of different edging techniques based on what is the best course of action for the existing features:

For timber/plastic edging you will be fixing down the grass using 40mm galvanised flat-head nails, spaced around 130-150mm apart. It’s important to give the grass space to expand and contract, but if you have pets you may like to space closer together.

Where cement haunching has been required, you would use adhesive to secure the grass to it.

Joining lengths of grass

 

To ensure secure and aesthetically pleasing joins in your artificial grass, follow the steps outlined below. The more meticulous and patient you are during this procedure, the neater and less noticeable the joins will be.

1. Remove the manufacturing edge strip (if present), or cut off an additional 3-4 rows of stitches to minimize the backing next to the stitch, then butt the two edges together.

2. Fold back the edges and position the jointing tape so the edges of the grass align in the center of the tape when joined. To prevent the tape from moving, it can be helpful to secure it with nails along its length.

3. Apply adhesive evenly over the tape so that you do not have any splurging through the join. To achieve this we recommend using a carpet/wallpaper scraper.

4. Starting from one end, fold the carpet back into the wet adhesive, working your way down to the other end. Having another person assist can prevent the entire carpet from suddenly folding back and forcefully impacting the glue.

5. Weight the seam to ensure good contact with the glue until it cures.

6. Plump up the pile

Finally, the grass pile may be flattened from being rolled up, so use a stiff brush to brush against the pile, bringing the grass fibres straight and upright

Congratulations, your artificial grass installation is now complete! Sit back and enjoy your new low-maintenance lawn.

Congratulations, your artificial grass installation is now complete! Sit back and enjoy your new low-maintenance lawn.

Don’t fancy installing it yourself?

Cornwall Artificial Lawns provide a full installation service along with our products. To achieve the highest standard of appearance and to ensure your artificial grass maximises its lifespan, a quality installation is essential. A site visit can be arranged at a suitable time to you, where a surveyor will measure your lawn, can discuss any product requirements you might have, and offer any recommendations based on our many years of experience.

Don’t fancy installing it yourself?

Cornwall Artificial Lawns provide a full installation service along with our products. To achieve the highest standard of appearance and to ensure your artificial grass maximises its lifespan, a quality installation is essential. A site visit can be arranged at a suitable time to you, where a surveyor will measure your lawn, can discuss any product requirements you might have, and offer any recommendations based on our many years of experience.

Don’t fancy installing it yourself?

Cornwall Artificial Lawns provide a full installation service along with our products. To achieve the highest standard of appearance and to ensure your artificial grass maximises its lifespan, a quality installation is essential. A site visit can be arranged at a suitable time to you, where a surveyor will measure your lawn, can discuss any product requirements you might have, and offer any recommendations based on our many years of experience.

Keep your lawn looking as fresh as the day it was laid.

Give your artificial lawn the ultimate care it deserves! We offer a powerful, professional deep clean that’s guaranteed to inject new life into your garden. Every service concludes with our dedicated team applying a final spray to eliminate unwanted odours and ensure supreme freshness.

Book a professional rejuvenation of your artificial lawn. A deep clean like no other, giving your garden that extra boost. Plus, our team will provide it with a final odour-eliminating spray.

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