With more and more families turning to artificial grass, it’s also just as obvious how expensive the initial installation can be.

Of course, if you are handy with tools, you can reduce costs by installing synthetic grass yourself.

But before you do so, ground preparation is necessary. Here are 7 ground preparation steps before installing artificial grass:

1: Underground hazards such as irrigation or electrical lines might exists below the area you wish to install artificial grass. Locate and remove unwanted irrigation or sprinkler heads. Now, turn on irrigation fixtures to ensure everything works perfectly. Do the same for electrical features too.

2: Remove unwanted material such as sod, grass and other vegetation. You can use sod cutters, pick axes and shovels for this. Also, remove tree roots, mulch as well as large rocks too. After this, grade the sub-base.

3: Base preparation is the next step as it involves installing the surface under the artificial grass. This will ensure the stability and integrity of the artificial grass system. For this, add a layer of Class 2 Road Base evenly over the chosen area. Make sure you remove at least 3 to 4 inches of landscaping before you do this. Also, remember that you need one yard of crushed rock per 100 square feet.

4: Now, spread the base material evenly apart from grading and leveling to meet both drainage and design requirements. Also, shape for desired appearance too.

5: Next, wet the area and compact the base material using a roller or plate compactor. Ensure you reach a compaction rate of 90% or greater. There shouldn’t be unwanted bumps when you are done.

6: Ensure that the top of the artificial grass blade should be at least half an inch above any surrounding hardscape. To find out how much material needs to be removed at these edges, add the height of the grass blade to the depth of the compacted base material.

7: You can install either rodent wire or Polyboard if really necessary.