Artificial Grass Installation in Palmerston

Laying straight onto turf or soil is a false economy — it sinks, ruts, grows weeds through and drains badly. A proper install removes the topsoil and builds an engineered base. If a quote skips excavation, expect problems within a year or two.

Good turf is perforated and, over a correctly built free-draining sub-base, drains as well as or better than natural lawn. Poor drainage — a compacted or clay base with no permeable layer — causes puddling and smell, so ask exactly how the installer handles drainage.

In Palmerston, expect the national typical per square metre or foot, with small awkward areas costing more per unit than large open lawns. Groundwork depth and access for spoil removal move the price most.

In Palmerston, ask to see completed installs a year or more old, get the base build-up specified in writing, and compare three quotes on groundwork depth, not just turf price. A cheap install that skips the sub-base costs more to fix later.

Quality turf is non-toxic and lead-free (check the certification), and pet-friendly ranges drain urine and can be rinsed. Antimicrobial infills help with odour. Confirm the product is certified for the intended use rather than a generic import.

A typical build-up is: excavate ~75-100mm, lay a compacted crushed-stone sub-base, a sharp-sand or granite-dust screed, a weed-membrane, then the turf pinned and joined, sometimes with a kiln-dried sand infill. Skipping layers is the number-one cause of lumps, weeds and movement.

A quality product installed on a proper base lasts around 15-20 years, with UV stabilisers preventing fading. Lifespan collapses when the sub-base is thin or poorly drained — the turf itself rarely fails first, the ground under it does.

It can — dark, dense turf in full sun heats up more than natural grass. Choose UV-stable, lighter or cooler-yarn products for sunny areas, and rinsing cools it quickly. Shaded and southern-facing areas are less of an issue.