- Artificial grass for balconies and terraces
- Laying artificial grass on balconies and terraces: instructions
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A lawn is the epitome of nature and home. For many, it symbolizes the private outdoor area par excellence. Artificial turf is an alternative for those who cannot build a real lawn. If it is to be laid on the balcony or terrace, you should make sure that you have the right substructure to ensure that you can enjoy the greenery in the long term. With our instructions, laying is done in no time at all.
Artificial grass for balconies and terraces
Artificial turf is, as the name suggests, an artificial product and therefore far less sensitive than its natural counterpart. However, even he cannot do without his own demands on his environment. In particular, this applies above all to the substrate on which it is laid. Different artificial turf models are more or less rigid or flexible and can be very thin or significantly thicker. In all cases, however, it is a textile product that does not have its own supporting structure. Similar to a carpet, it is dependent on a suitable substructure. This should have the following properties:
- Even
- Fixed
- not sanding
- Free from bumps, edges, holes or defects
Therefore, concrete slabs or screed are ideal, or an even and fully laid covering made of artificial or natural stone.
substructure
If, on the other hand, artificial turf is to be laid on a subsurface that does not have the specified properties or only does so insufficiently, an appropriate substructure must be created. Otherwise, it is to be expected that the artificial turf on the balcony or patio will create stumbling blocks if it conceals but does not level edges and steps in the substructure. If there are defects in the ground underneath, the lawn can be expected to sag, so that there is also a risk of accidents.
For uneven slabs
- Strengthening by leveling the slabs and removing steps and edges
For damaged concrete substrates
- Repairing defects, e.g. with a suitable cement spatula
- Bridging cracks, thresholds and edges by warping with the spatula mentioned above
- If the surface is sanding, treat with primer or burn-off barrier
With wooden flooring
- Laying a flat level on the floorboards, which are usually laid with joints, e.g. waterproof chipboard suitable for outdoor use and tongue and groove design, full-surface screw connection in the floorboards
- Then apply a coating to create permanent moisture resistance, e.g. with a synthetic resin-based floor coating
- Alternatively: Exchange the floorboards for a flat covering made of material that is not critical to moisture, such as cement-bonded chipboard
notice: The construction of artificial turf on wooden floorboards is probably to be expected rather rarely. Wood usually also has numerous properties of artificial turf, i.e. a high-quality appearance and a pleasant feeling when walking barefoot. For the sake of completeness, the upgrading as a suitable substructure is nevertheless discussed here so that this eventuality is not left out.
Laying artificial grass on balconies and terraces: instructions
Once a suitable, i.e. level and solid substructure is in place, the artificial turf can be laid. With the right tools, this can be done in simple steps that even laypeople can easily carry out. We assume that the lawn is to be glued. It is true that one reads again and again that this covering can also be laid as a floating floor, i.e. without any connection to the subsoil. However, when using garden tables and chairs that are pushed and moved, this easily leads to creases and gaps between the moving tracks.
materials
- Tape measure as a folding rule or tape measure
- Carpet knife with snap-off blade, alternatively hooked blade from floor layers
- Steel ruler or other stop for creating straight cutting edges
- Weather-resistant adhesive suitable for the selected artificial turf
- Tools that may be required for adhesive application, e.g. notched trowel
- Alternatively: adhesive tape suitable for artificial turf material and existing subsoil
notice: When looking for a suitable adhesive for the artificial lawn, you will also find adhesive tape in addition to liquid adhesives that can be spread on. When laying outdoors, which always includes terraces and balconies, particularly inexpensive adhesive tapes often show weaknesses due to decreasing adhesive strength under temperature fluctuations. Therefore, only adhesive tape specially designed for outdoor use should be used to lay artificial turf.
artificial grass
Of course, in addition to the preliminary widths and the right material for laying, you should not forget the actual lawn. Keep the planned purpose in mind, i.e. optical or haptic or functional issues, and look at different versions in the specialist trade or hardware store in the original. Be sure to pay attention to the following properties:
- weather resistance
- UV resistance
- Drainable base layer for draining rainwater and avoiding stagnant moisture (mold!)
- Ideally, large web width for low laying effort
- Sufficiently dense and "long-handled" depending on use
notice: When choosing your lawn, keep in mind that frequent use depresses the artificial grass like real grass. Therefore, plan for a slightly larger initial length of the blades of grass so that you do not experience any nasty surprises later due to a surface that is too flat and thin.
Embarrassed
Proceed as follows when laying, step by step:
1. Roll out
- Lay the lawn roll flush against a straight edge of the surface and roll out
- Cut the membrane flush at the end of the balcony or patio area, use a steel ruler for straight cuts, for example
- Lay the second strip close to the first strip without overlapping or joints and roll out and cut to length in the same way
- Cut the last sheet to size at the edge of the terrace, butt the straight factory edge against the penultimate sheet for a seamless surface
- For recesses, such as supports, downpipes, etc., first mark the track and then cut it out with a sharp knife
- Close the strips, check that they are laid seamlessly, if necessary close the joints by moving the strips up and move the joint to the edge of the terrace
tip: Press the lawn track sharply into the corner between the parapet and the ground on rising components, such as the balcony parapet. Then cut directly into the crease, giving you a straight edge with no seam to the edge.
2. Gluing
- Fold over adjacent panels along the joints and apply adhesive to the floor in the joint area according to the manufacturer's instructions
- Width of the adhesive bed according to the manufacturer's information, usually at least 10 to 15 centimeters per strip, so a total width of around 25 to 30 centimeters
- Lay the panel joint on the adhesive bed, check that the joint is closed and press in the panels firmly
- In the edge area, only work on the edge of the individual strip in the same way
tip: Depending on the thickness of the adhesive, a roller may be helpful to push the joint into the adhesive bed. For example, a paint roller enables a significantly higher and more even force than pressing in by hand.
Gluing with adhesive tape
- Unfold panel joints
- Stick the adhesive tape in the middle under the joint on the substrate and press or roll it on firmly
- remove the protective film on the top
- Press the sheet edges firmly onto the adhesive tape one after the other, placing the second sheet tightly and seamlessly on the first sheet
tip: Although adhesive tape is less effective than liquid adhesive in border areas, it is also much easier to remove from the substrate again. This makes it particularly suitable for rented apartments, where the artificial turf has to be removed again after the end of the tenancy.
3. Rework
- Vacuum the artificial turf surface to remove loose stalks and dirt
- Gently brush the lawn against the grain with a coarse broom to raise downed stalks
Artificial grass in tile form
In addition to the well-known artificial lawn in roll form, there are now different variants of lawn tiles. However, these are usually applied to solid substructures, for example made of plastic or wood. They place slightly lower demands on the evenness and strength of the substructure and can, for example, bridge smaller holes themselves. These systems usually have click connections, so that gluing is completely unnecessary. Instead, the tiles are just placed next to each other and clicked into place. This type of connection also ensures that the connection is made without a joint.
