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Guides · Installation, base and drainage

Installation, base and drainage: the work under the turf

How turf goes in, from taking out the lawn to the last pass of infill, and why the base under it matters most.

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Installation · the guides

12 questions, each answered up front.

Each short answer is right here. Open a guide for the full explanation and its sources.

  1. Guide

    Artificial Turf Edging: Rock, Beds, Concrete, Lawn

    What edging should artificial turf have where it meets rock, beds or concrete?

    Match the edge to its neighbor. Along concrete, the concrete is the edge: turf is cut to fit and set slightly low. Beside rock or planting beds, add a border: bender board, aluminum or steel edging, or a concrete curb. Beside a lawn, a flush mow strip. In Northern Colorado’s freeze-thaw, every border needs anchoring that resists frost heave.

    Inside

    1. What are the edging options for artificial turf?
    2. What edge goes where turf meets rock or a planting bed?
    3. What happens where turf meets concrete or pavers?
    4. Where turf meets a lawn, what keeps the bluegrass out?
    5. How do freeze-thaw and snow shovels test an edge here?
    6. 2 more sections

  2. Guide

    Artificial Turf Nails vs Staples: Specs and Frost

    Nails or staples: how should artificial turf be fastened down?

    Nails, in most yards: makers call for 5- to 6-inch nails through the turf into a compacted base, 3 to 12 inches apart on edges. Inch-long staples hold only in a board along the edge, the method some makers specify for dog, play and commercial areas. Northern Colorado freeze-thaw can lift nails; check them each spring.

    Inside

    1. What’s the difference between nailing turf and stapling it?
    2. How long should turf nails be, and how far apart?
    3. Can frost push turf nails back up?
    4. Do boards and staples hold up better in winter?
    5. Does a yard with dogs need more fastening?
    6. 2 more sections

  3. Guide

    Artificial Turf on Clay Soil in Northern Colorado

    Can artificial turf go on clay soil, and what changes if my yard is clay?

    Yes, though not straight onto the clay. Much of Northern Colorado sits on clay that swells when wet and absorbs water slowly, so the ground is graded to carry water away from the house and the base is compacted while the clay is neither soaked nor bone-dry. Web Soil Survey shows what’s under your lot.

    Inside

    1. How do I look up my lot on Web Soil Survey?
    2. What does the builder’s soils report tell me?
    3. How can I tell clay by hand?
    4. Which Northern Colorado towns sit on clay, and which on sand?
    5. What does clay change about a turf install?
    6. 1 more section

  4. Guide

    Can Artificial Turf Go Over Grass, Dirt or Rock?

    Can artificial turf be laid straight over my grass, dirt or old rock, or does it all have to come out?

    No. Grass and roots left under turf decompose and settle into dips, and bluegrass or bindweed can grow back through. Bare dirt, pea gravel and old rock don’t make a firm, draining base either. The sod, roots and loose rock come out first, then a compacted base goes in. Firestone’s code bars turf over existing grass or compacted dirt.

    Inside

    1. What happens if turf goes straight over grass?
    2. Can turf go on bare dirt, pea gravel or an old rock bed?
    3. How does the old lawn come out?
    4. What about bindweed in the old lawn?
    5. Where do the cut sod and dirt go in Northern Colorado?
    6. 1 more section

  5. Guide

    Does Artificial Turf Drain? Rain, Puddles and Clay

    What happens to artificial turf when it rains, and why does water puddle on mine?

    Rain runs through the backing into a rock base, then soaks into the soil or runs along the base to a lower edge. Turf systems are typically designed to drain 25 inches an hour, about eight times the heaviest hour of a 100-year Fort Collins storm. Puddles mean water is stuck below, in slow clay or a low spot.

    Inside

    1. Where does rain go when it falls on artificial turf?
    2. How fast does turf drain compared with a Northern Colorado cloudburst?
    3. Why does turf drain in one yard and puddle in the next?
    4. How can I check whether my soil drains?
    5. Why is water puddling on my turf?
    6. 2 more sections

  6. Guide

    Gopher and Vole Wire Under Artificial Turf

    Do I need gopher or vole wire under artificial turf?

    Mostly where pocket gophers live, on your lot or the ground around it. Gophers push up plugged soil mounds and tunnel 4 to 18 inches down; galvanized gopher wire under the base, tied into every edge, is the installation guides' answer. Voles leave open 1- to 2-inch holes, and CSU’s barrier for them is finer 1/4-inch hardware cloth.

    Inside

    1. Gopher, vole or prairie dog: which one is in my yard?
    2. Do I need wire under my turf at all?
    3. Which mesh stops which animal?
    4. How should the wire go in, edges and all?
    5. Why does a Northern Colorado winter matter?
    6. 2 more sections

  7. Guide

    How Long Does Artificial Turf Installation Take?

    How long does artificial turf installation take, from the first call to a finished yard?

    Most of the calendar passes before the crew arrives. The HOA and metro-district rules we read give committees 14 to 60 days to answer, Firestone requires a town permit first, and Colorado law wants two business days' notice to Colorado 811 before digging. Crew days depend on the yard, and wet or frozen clay pauses base work.

    Inside

    1. What sits between the first call and a finished yard?
    2. How long does HOA or metro-district review take?
    3. Does my town add a permit?
    4. When does the Colorado 811 locate fit in?
    5. How many days is the crew on site?
    6. 2 more sections

  8. Guide

    Preparing for Turf Install Day: Homeowner Checklist

    What do I need to do before the turf crew arrives, and what happens on install day?

    Mark what Colorado 811 won’t: sprinkler lines, landscape lighting, dog-fence wire and gas to a grill. Map the sprinkler zones that stay, clear a path from the street to the yard, keep pets in, and have your HOA approval or town permit ready. On install day, walk the layout with the crew first and check the sprinklers before infill.

    Inside

    1. Which lines in my yard won’t Colorado 811 mark?
    2. Why does the crew want a sprinkler map, and when can I make one?
    3. Can the crew and the material get into the backyard?
    4. What should happen with dogs, kids and neighbors?
    5. Which papers should be on hand when the crew arrives?
    6. 1 more section

  9. Guide

    Sprinklers After Artificial Turf: Cap, Convert or Keep

    What happens to my sprinkler system when the lawn becomes artificial turf?

    Artificial turf needs no irrigation, so shut off each lawn-only zone at its valve, not just at the heads: a leak under turf can heave clay or open a sinkhole. Zones that also reach beds or trees become drip. One zone can stay to rinse a dog area. Whatever still holds water needs a fall blowout.

    Inside

    1. Which zones can go, and which have to stay?
    2. Should the lawn zones be capped at the heads or at the valve?
    3. How does a lawn zone become drip for the beds that stay?
    4. Should one zone stay to rinse the turf?
    5. What do the remaining zones need each fall and spring?

  10. Guide

    Turf on a Custom Home Build: Plans, Approvals, Timing

    Building a custom home in Northern Colorado: when does artificial turf go in, and how does it fit the landscape plan the town and HOA approve?

    Usually last: after final grading is signed off, hardscape, irrigation and lighting lines are in, and trees are planted. Draw the turf into the landscape plan early. Most town codes we read don’t review one custom house’s landscaping at permit, but an HOA or metro district usually does, often on a deadline counted from the certificate of occupancy.

    Inside

    1. Where does turf fall in a custom build’s schedule?
    2. Does the town review turf in a custom home’s landscape plan?
    3. What does the HOA or metro district review, and on what clock?
    4. How do grading, irrigation and turf fit together on the plan?
    5. What if the house is finished in winter?
    6. 1 more section

  11. Guide

    What Goes Under Artificial Turf: Base, Depth, Class 6

    What base goes under artificial turf, and how deep do you dig?

    Dig out 3 to 4 inches of sod and soil, grade what’s left, then lay crushed aggregate base, often a road base such as CDOT Class 6, sometimes capped with crusher fines, wetted and plate-compacted. That’s what published manufacturer guides describe; Firestone’s code sets a 3-inch base minimum. Clay, dogs and play areas can change the recipe.

    Inside

    1. What goes under artificial turf, layer by layer?
    2. What are Class 6 road base and crusher fines?
    3. How deep do you dig for artificial turf?
    4. Why is the base wetted and compacted, and how hard?
    5. What should a quote say about the base?

  12. Guide

    When to Install Artificial Turf in Northern Colorado

    When should I install artificial turf in Northern Colorado, and can it go in over winter?

    Whenever the ground is thawed and dry enough to compact and the seam glue can cure. Summer and early fall make that easy; May rain on clay causes delays. Winter installs are possible in mild stretches, though one seam adhesive needs surfaces above 40°F and 12 hours without freezing. Fall suits turf, which needs no rooting time.

    Inside

    1. What does a Northern Colorado year look like for a turf install?
    2. Can artificial turf go in over winter?
    3. Can turf be installed in the rain, or right after it?
    4. Is summer too hot to install turf?
    5. Why does fall work for turf when it’s late for sod?
    6. 1 more section

Other topics

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