Case study: Artificial grass replacement in Alderley Edge.
George's garden already had artificial grass -- and it had gone badly wrong. Weeds were growing through the seams, the lawn held the smell of the family's pets, and the whole surface had gone bumpy and uneven underfoot. None of that is bad luck: it's what happens when artificial ...
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Family garden -- Alderley Edge
- Time on site
- 1 days
- Pile height
- 20mm artificial turf
- Subbase
- MOT type-1, whacker-compacted
- Surrounds
- Treated timber perimeter
- Finish
- Kiln-dried sand top-dress
- Customer
- George
Why George called us.
George's garden already had artificial grass -- and it had gone badly wrong. Weeds were growing through the seams, the lawn held the smell of the family's pets, and the whole surface had gone bumpy and uneven underfoot. None of that is bad luck: it's what happens when artificial grass is laid on a poor base with untreated timber. When we lifted the old turf, the timbers underneath had rotted to mush -- you can see them in the photos below.
Quoted at a fixed £980 all-in, and delivered in one day on site: strip-out, disposal, new treated timber perimeter, fresh grano sand base, weed membrane and the new 'Barcelona' range turf.
What we did.
The whole job turns on what goes UNDER the grass -- this was a base rebuild first, a grass job second.
The build sequence:
- Lifted the old turf and stripped out the failed installation completely
- Removed the old edging -- the untreated timbers had rotted through entirely (see the photos: they crumbled out of the ground)
- Fitted a new perimeter of pressure-treated timber rated for ground contact -- the frame the grass is tensioned against for the next couple of decades
- Laid and screeded a fresh grano sand base -- flat, compacted and free-draining, replacing the slumped old base that caused the bumps
- Rolled out fresh weed membrane across the full footprint -- no more weeds through the seams
- Fitted the 'Barcelona' range turf, joined invisibly, tensioned, pinned and sand-dressed
- All waste away, garden left spotless -- one day, start to finish
Result: the weeds, the smell and the bumps all gone -- because the base and timbers that caused them are gone. £980, one day.
The whole project, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual Alderley Edge job.
The old artificial grass: weeds through the seams, pet smells, and a surface gone bumpy as the base failed underneath.
What we found at strip-out -- untreated timbers rotted through completely. This is why the old lawn failed.
Same day: pressure-treated timber perimeter in, fresh grano sand base screeded flat and true.
The 'Barcelona' turf down by evening. Flat, weed-free, fresh -- one day, GBP980 all-in.What George said.
The old grass had lots of weeds, it also smelt of our pets, it was also very bumpy - The team have utterly transformed everywhere in just 1 day, I highly recommend their services
Every detail of the Alderley Edge build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into this install.
Treated timber or rotten timber -- the photos make the argument
The single biggest reason replacement jobs like George's exist is untreated timber. Softwood in ground contact without pressure treatment rots in a few short years -- and when the perimeter rots, the grass loses its tension, edges lift, and the lawn goes wavy and bumpy. Look at the strip-out photos: the old timbers literally crumbled out of the ground. We only ever fit pressure-treated timber rated for ground contact, pinned deep. It is a few pounds more per length and it is the difference between a lawn that lasts twenty years and one that fails in five.
A proper grano sand base -- flat stays flat
George's old lawn was bumpy because the base under it was never right -- poorly compacted, slumped over time, and holding organic muck that fed the weeds and the smell. We stripped it back and laid a fresh grano sand base, screeded flat and compacted true. Grano dust screeds tighter than builder's sand, drains freely, and gives the turf a surface that stays flat underfoot for the life of the grass.
Why old artificial grass ends up smelling of pets
Pet urine drains through artificial grass into the base below. On a free-draining, properly built base it washes through and away. On a failed, compacted, mucky base it sits there -- and the lawn holds the smell no matter how often it's hosed down. The fix isn't a cleaning product; it's a new permeable base and fresh pile. Day one after our rebuild, the smell was gone.
A full replacement for GBP980 -- what that bought
Strip-out and disposal of the old lawn and timbers, a new pressure-treated perimeter, a fresh screeded grano base, new weed membrane, and the 'Barcelona' range turf supplied, fitted, joined, pinned and sand-dressed -- all in one day, all in the fixed price. If your artificial grass has gone bumpy, weedy or smelly, replacement done properly costs less than most people expect.
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.
Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge is well covered by our North West service area. We install artificial grass right across Cheshire -- 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 Alderley Edge job took 1 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.
Get a fixed Alderley Edge-style artificial grass quote in 1 working day.
Free on-site survey at your property. Itemised written quote back within 1 working day. No deposit, no pressure -- exactly the way this project worked for George.
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