One of the big benefits of artificial turf is that it is very difficult to damage.
No matter how much you, the kids or the pets use it, you can expect it to stay looking good for years.
However, there are a few ways that even the highest quality type of synthetic grass can get damaged. Thankfully, it is easy enough to repair the damage in most cases, once you understand what is needed.
Replacing a Damaged Section
The simplest approach to fixing a damaged section of lawn is to just replace it.
This involves cutting it out and then putting a new piece in its place.
This is an easy enough DIY job for most people, assuming that the damaged section is relatively small. If it is a large section that has been damaged then you might want to call in a professional fitter to do it on your behalf.
Perhaps the biggest difficulty in this situation is in getting a perfect colour match on the new piece of turf.
Each batch of synthetic turf tends to come out with a slightly different colour, which makes it difficult to find a match for your existing lawn.
Ideally, you will hold on to any leftover pieces when the turf is initially fitted so that you can use them if the need arises later on. Even small or irregularly shaped pieces can come in very handy at some point in the future, when they turn out to be exactly what you need to fix a minor problem.
If you don’t have any suitable pieces of turf to use in this way, then you can just look to get the best possible match on a new piece of turf. Even if there is a slight colour difference at the start, you should see this become less and less noticeable over time.
Fitting the New Piece Perfectly
As mentioned earlier, replacing a damaged piece of synthetic turf isn’t especially difficult. Having said that, it is something that is worth spending a bit of time on, in order to get it exactly right.
For a start, you will want to check out in which direction the gauges (or tufted fibres) are running in the lawn. This means that you can ensure that the new section is added in the right direction for a perfect, seamless look.
After this, you can use a vacuum cleaner to take out all of the infill, if you want a truly professional finish. You should then remember to add in the infill manually once the new piece has been fitted.
Loose or Ripped Sections
It is highly unlikely that your artificial grass will become loose if it has been professionally fitted. However, if this has been done as a DIY job then it is possible that it may happen at some point.
This is most likely to be along a seam that hasn’t been properly secured. In this case, you can easily secure it by running some adhesive along the seam and then fixing it to the ground.
It isn’t very common for artificial turf to suffer rips or tears. However, it isn’t completely impossible either, as it can occur if you don’t take care when using dangerous tools or playing sports out in the garden.
The solution is basically the same as with loose sections, although you will want to be extra careful to hide the damaged section by sticking it down as well as you can.
Types of Damage to Avoid
Of course, the ideal way to treat your synthetic lawn is to avoid it getting damaged in the first place. While this type of surface is extremely hard-wearing and durable, there are a few potential sources of damage to be aware of.
For instance, it is possible that the grass suffers a burn when someone drops a cigarette on it during a party. Burns can also occur if you hold a barbecue in your garden and aren’t careful about keeping the hot barbecue and coals away from the grass.
Another possible type of damage that has been noted in some homes is when sunlight is reflected onto the lawn by windows or some other type of glass. This isn’t very common, but it is worth keeping an eye out to see if it seems to be getting particularly hot at any time of day.
Since your artificial lawn doesn’t need much maintenance, you are unlikely to use any sharp tools on it on a day to day basis. However, if you are working on your plants or flowers near to the lawn, then you will want to be careful not to damage it.
When It’s Not Really Damaged
There may be other occasions when you think that your lawn is damaged but it isn’t really. In these cases you will feel a tremendous sense of relief when you see that there has been no lasting damage done.
Probably the most likely situation like this is when the grass fibres appear to be flattened. This can be worrying the first time that you notice it, but it isn’t a sign of some sort of permanent damage to the turf.
This is something that happens after the grass has been used, or after heavy rain, and it is easy enough to fix. To do this you just need to rake or brush the turf to get it looking perfect again.
Another issue that you might notice is weeds poking through the grass. This shouldn’t really happen if the grass has been laid well, and a plastic membrane has been used to stop this occurring.
Although, you might sometimes find that the odd weed comes through that needs to be removed. By doing this you will make sure it doesn’t become a problem over time.
The truth is, most people enjoy their artificial lawns for years without any sort of problem. However, by understanding how easy it is to fix the most common problems, you will have far greater peace of mind when it comes to making your final decision about purchasing artificial grass.
