Case study: Artificial grass installation in Bury.
Alex called us in to replace the real turf in his rear garden. It had seen better days -- patchy, bare in places, and the kind of lawn that ate up weekend hours mowing and reseeding for not much reward. The choice to move to artificial grass was made on the basis of low maintenan...
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Family garden -- Bury
- Time on site
- 3 days
- Pile height
- 20mm artificial turf
- Subbase
- MOT type-1, whacker-compacted
- Surrounds
- Treated timber perimeter
- Finish
- Kiln-dried sand top-dress
- Customer
- Alex
Why Alex called us.
Alex called us in to replace the real turf in his rear garden. It had seen better days -- patchy, bare in places, and the kind of lawn that ate up weekend hours mowing and reseeding for not much reward. The choice to move to artificial grass was made on the basis of low maintenance and consistent look across the four seasons.
Alex's main concern was the new driveway running up to the back garden -- it had been freshly laid and he wanted it kept spotless. Quoted for a 3-day job, three crew.
What we did.
Cleanest AG job we'd done all year -- driveway protection was the design constraint that shaped the work sequence.
The build sequence:
- Dug up and removed all of the old turf
- Laid 2" x 2" timber surrounds around the perimeter
- Laid 4.5 tons of MOT type-1 as the subbase
- Bedded with 1.5 tons of sand
- Whacker-plate compacted to a clean level
- Rolled out the 20mm artificial turf, two pieces, joined invisibly
- Pinned the perimeter into the timber surround
- Kiln-dried sand top-dressed and brushed in
- Driveway swept and pressure-washed at the end of every day
Three days, no marks on the new driveway, no more weekly mowing.
The whole project, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual Bury job.
The garden as found. Tired patchy turf.
Day 1: turf stripped, timber surrounds in.
Days 2-3: MOT + sand whacker-compacted. Grass rolling out.
Finished. Two pieces joined invisibly, perimeter pinned, kiln-sand brushed in.What Alex said.
The team were fantastic, always kept everything clean, making sure our new driveway was unmarked, throughout the process. We are really happy with the result, with no more cutting the grass!
Every detail of the Bury build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into this install.
2" x 2" vs 3" x 2" timber surrounds -- when each is right
On a standard garden install like this Bury job, 2" x 2" treated timber surround is the right spec -- enough depth to anchor the grass perimeter, not so much that it dominates the visual edge. We size up to 3" x 2" only when the perimeter has to do additional retaining work (e.g. Lisa's Westhoughton job where the surround also held back the heavier MOT bed).
MOT type-1 subbase -- 4.5 tons calculated for the area
We size MOT tonnage based on coverage. 4.5 tons for Alex's garden gave a properly compacted 50-70mm bed across the full footprint. Going lighter on subbase is where most cowboy installs fail within 18 months.
Joining two rolls of grass invisibly
Most gardens need 2-3 rolls joined. The trick is matching pile direction and using proper jointing tape + adhesive. Cheaper installers skip the tape and rely on just glue -- joints peel up within a year. Ours sit flush for the life of the turf.
Driveway protection -- a small but important detail
Alex specifically asked us to keep the new driveway unmarked. We pressure-washed daily, used protective boards where we were wheelbarrowing, and swept at end of every day. Worth saying because it's the kind of detail cowboys skip and homeowners notice.
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 AG install lead.
Paul
Cut the timber surrounds and handled the finish detail.
Bury
Bury 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 AG installs like this.
How long does an artificial grass install take?
This Bury job took 3 days. Most North West AG 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.
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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