Case study: Budget grass, premium base -- a boggy Ramsbottom garden fixed.
Muhammad tasked us with replacing the real turf in his 4m x 6m garden -- it had seen better days, and the ground underneath was the real culprit: boggy, water-holding earth that no lawn was ever going to thrive on. The brief had a budget, and we like a budget, because it forces h...
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Family garden -- Ramsbottom
- Time on site
- 3 days
- Pile height
- 30mm budget grass (just £8.50/m)
- Subbase
- MOT type-1, whacker-compacted
- Surrounds
- 4" x 1" treated timber
- Finish
- Kiln-dried sand top-dress
- Customer
- Muhammad
Why Muhammad called us.
Muhammad tasked us with replacing the real turf in his 4m x 6m garden -- it had seen better days, and the ground underneath was the real culprit: boggy, water-holding earth that no lawn was ever going to thrive on. The brief had a budget, and we like a budget, because it forces honest choices. Muhammad chose a 30mm budget grass at just £8.50 per metre -- and we put the savings where they actually matter: into the ground underneath it.
Quoted for our standard 3-day process. Helped along by gorgeous weather and plenty of food and drink from the client -- the kind of job you remember.
What we did.
The money on this job went underground. The drainage rebuild is what makes a budget grass look premium -- and keep looking premium.
The build sequence:
- Dug out and removed over 3 tons of old, boggy earth
- Installed a 4" x 1" treated timber surround -- a taller board than standard, to retain the rebuilt bed
- Laid weed membrane across the full footprint
- Laid 4.5 tons of MOT type-1
- Topped with 1.5 tons of grano sand, screeded fine and level
- Whacker-plate compacted throughout
- Fitted the 30mm budget grass and fastened it to the surround
A massive improvement to drainage -- and a lawn that still looks awesome. Proof that an £8.50-a-metre grass on a proper base beats a premium grass on a poor one, every time.
The whole project, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual Ramsbottom job.
Over 3 tons of boggy earth out. Weed membrane down.
4" x 1" treated timber -- taller board, retaining the rebuilt bed.
The surround run that took the thinking. Set dead level.
30mm budget grass on a premium base. Still looks awesome.What Muhammad said.
A lovely job, completed in no time. 5 star service.
Every detail of the Ramsbottom build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into this install.
Budget grass, premium base -- where the money should go
The pile is the cosmetic layer; the base is the structural one. A 30mm budget grass at £8.50/m over 4.5 tons of properly compacted MOT will look better in year five than a £30/m turf laid over a skimped base. When a customer has a budget, the base is the last place we'll ever trim it.
The 4" x 1" timber surround -- and why this one was tricky
Standard installs use 2" x 2" surrounds. Here we went 4" x 1" -- a taller, slimmer board that retains the full depth of the rebuilt bed where the boggy earth came out. The two surround photos in the gallery show the layout: more like formwork than edging, set dead level so the grass tensions flat against it on every run.
Weed membrane -- cheap insurance under every budget build
A membrane between sub-grade and MOT stops weeds finding a route up through the bed -- a few pounds of material protecting a three-day build. On ground this fertile and wet, skipping it is a false economy.
Fixing boggy ground before it fixes you
Over 3 tons of saturated earth came out before anything went in. Free-draining MOT at full depth gives rainwater somewhere to go; the boggy layer that used to hold it is gone. That's the difference between artificial grass that drains and artificial grass that squelches.
Three founders, plus extended crew when the job calls for it.
Liam, Ryan and Paul on every job. Where the work needs more hands, we bring in trusted regulars.
Liam
Surveyed and quoted. Supervised the build on site.
Ryan
Time-served bricklayer and artificial grass install lead.
Paul
Cut the timber surrounds and handled the finish detail.
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is well covered by our North West service area. We install artificial grass right across Lancashire -- usually within 30 minutes drive of our Westhoughton base.
Questions homeowners ask about artificial grass installs like this.
How long does an artificial grass install take?
This Ramsbottom job took 3 days. Most North West artificial grass installs run 2-4 days depending on garden size and ground conditions. Drainage rescues (like Lisa's Westhoughton job) can add a day for French drain installation.
Is 'fake grass' the same as artificial grass?
Yes -- fake grass, artificial grass, astro turf, synthetic lawn: all names for the same product family. Whatever you call it, the quality difference isn't the name -- it's the pile density, the backing, and above all the sub-base it's installed on. A premium turf laid over a poorly compacted base will fail years before a mid-range turf on a proper one.
Will the joins between rolls be visible?
Not if they're done right. We use proper jointing tape + adhesive and match the pile direction across the seam. From a metre away the joins are invisible.
What's the lifespan of a properly-installed artificial grass lawn?
8-12 years on a properly compacted MOT subbase. The variables are pile quality, subbase compaction, and whether the perimeter is properly bordered. Lawns where installers cheap out on subbase often need replacing within 3-4 years -- which is why we never cut that corner.
Do I need to do any maintenance on artificial grass?
Very little. Brush the pile occasionally to keep it standing upright, top up the kiln-dried sand every 2-3 years, and rinse it off after the dog. That's it. Compared to a real lawn (mowing, feeding, edging, reseeding), the time saving is huge.
Do I need planning permission for artificial grass?
Almost never for a rear garden. Front-garden non-permeable surfacing over 5m² CAN trigger planning, but rear gardens fall under permitted development.
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