Case study: Artificial grass glued straight onto paving in Stockport.
Robert tasked us with completely redesigning the grass section of his garden. He works away a lot, so artificial grass was the obvious low-maintenance answer. What makes this job one of the rarer ones in our portfolio: the grass was fixed down to an existing paving system...
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Family garden -- Stockport
- Time on site
- 1 days
- Pile height
- 30mm budget artificial grass
- Subbase
- Existing paving -- drainage holes drilled
- Surrounds
- Bonded direct to the paving
- Finish
- Kiln-dried sand top-dress
- Customer
- Robert
Why Robert called us.
Robert tasked us with completely redesigning the grass section of his garden. He works away a lot, so artificial grass was the obvious low-maintenance answer. What makes this job one of the rarer ones in our portfolio: the grass was fixed down to an existing paving system. No dig-out, no tonnage of MOT -- the base was already there, sound and level.
One day on site. £730 all in, including the grass, to cover a 4m x 6m section -- and many BBQs have been had since.
What we did.
A glue-down install is fast and economical -- when the paving underneath deserves it. This one did.
The build sequence:
- Assessed the existing paving as a sound, level base -- the make-or-break check for a glue-down
- Drilled drainage holes through the existing pavers so rainwater passes through rather than pooling
- Applied a special design adhesive across the paved area
- Fitted the 30mm budget grass over the 4m x 6m section
- Trimmed and finished the edges -- all in a single day
The garden looks completely new, for £730 all in, in one day. Robert's friends commented on the grass at the first BBQ -- which is the review that matters.
The whole project, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual Stockport job.
A sound, level paving system -- the base was already there.
30mm budget grass, drainage holes drilled through the pavers.
Special design adhesive -- no pins, no frame, bonded direct.
Completely new garden in one day. Many BBQs since.What Robert said.
I am very impressed with the quality of grass. The garden has quite literally been transformed, all within a few days. We've had a couple of BBQ's and friends have all commented on the grass.
Every detail of the Stockport build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into this install.
Gluing artificial grass to paving -- when it works, and when it doesn't
A glue-down only works when the surface underneath is sound, flat and stable -- every lump and rocking flag telegraphs through the pile. Robert's paving system passed the check, which is what made the one-day, no-dig-out price possible. Where paving is uneven or failing, we'll always quote the dig-out instead of gluing over a problem.
Drainage holes through the pavers
Paving sheds water; a lawn needs to drink it. Before any adhesive went down we drilled drainage holes through the existing pavers so rainwater drains through the grass and away beneath, rather than ponding on the surface. A small detail that decides whether a glue-down stays usable in a North West winter.
£730 all in -- the economics of a glue-down
No excavation, no muck-away, no tonnage of stone: when the base already exists, you're paying for grass, adhesive and a day of skilled fitting. £730 including the 30mm grass for 24m² -- roughly half what a full-build install of the same size would run. The saving is real, but only because the paving earned it.
Budget 30mm grass on a solid base
Same principle as our Ramsbottom case study: the base does the heavy lifting. A 30mm budget pile bonded to flat, sound paving looks and wears far better than premium turf over poor ground.
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.
Stockport
Stockport is well covered by our North West service area. We install artificial grass right across Manchester -- 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 Stockport 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 Stockport-style artificial grass quote in 1 working day.
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