With homeowners staying in their residences longer and seeking to get the most value from what they have, many choose outdoor improvement projects to expand usable green space for eating, relaxing evenings, or gatherings with family and friends. One of the most popular outdoor improvements is adding or refurbishing a wooden deck.
If you have a wooden deck and have grown weary of the faded color of the planks or are sick of stripping and refinishing it every few years, topping it with lush, durable, artificial lawn is a great option. Synthetic turf can be laid on a wood deck – here is what you need, and the steps to follow to make it happen.
- Supplies and tools: Deck cleaner, garden hose, scrub brush, pump sprayer, artificial turf, utility knife and spare blades, synthetic grass adhesive suitable for the outdoor application, turf seam sealer, notched trowel, measuring tape, work gloves, lawn roller.Like building the deck itself, installing it on wood takes a bit of preparation. In advance of laying the artificial grass, you must do the following:
- Clear off the deck, removing all furniture and other objects.
- Use a garden hose to wet the deck.
- Follow a 1-to-1 ratio and mix water and deck cleaner in a pump sprayer. Once the sprayer has been pressurized, spray the deck liberally and allow the cleaner to seep into the wood.
- Use a scrub brush to clean the deck, and spray extra cleaner as necessary. Tip: Do not use a brush with steel bristles, as this will damage the wood surface.
Rinse the deck, making sure all the cleaner has been removed. Repeat as necessary but wait 48 hours before installing the artificial turf. Warning: the deck must be dry beforehand, so the weather conditions must be optimal.
With the deck dry and clear skies above, it is time for the installation of your new artificial grass. Here is what you must do:
- Artificial turf needs time to “cure” before being installed, so be sure to unroll it and let is lay on a flat surface for at least an hour.
- Using a tape measure, record the dimensions of the deck where the turf will be installed, but an extra 2 inches to all sides. Then, use a utility knife with a good, sharp blade to cut the fake grass to match these dimensions.
- Before laying the turf, you must first apply a synthetic grass-friendly glue onto the deck beginning at the back end of the area to be covered. A notched trowel is suggested and should be used at a 45-degree angle while applying the adhesive.
- As you lay the first piece of synthetic lawn, make sure it overhangs the deck edge the full 2 inches. Press the turf into the glue.
- Follow step 3 if you need to add more adhesive for additional sections of turf, and be sure the seams between each section butt into one another. At this point, it is recommended using a special sealer for the seam between the sections.
- Once you have laid all the turf needed, you can begin cutting off the extra 2 inches along the edging.
- The fake grass needs to set for 24 hours before the deck can be used, but use a heavy roller to ensure the turf backing is compressed into the adhesive.
