Use Pavers And Pre-Cut Turf To Easily Make A Maintenance Free Oasis

Not sure if synthetic grass is right for your property? Here's a beautiful DIY paver project that will instantly elevate your yard: Dig deep into your inner geometry obsessed formal French gardener and combine artificial turf with oversized pavers in a checkerboard-esque fashion. You'll use a lot less of the somewhat controversial plastic greenery — there are undeniable pros and cons of installing artificial grass on your property — while still creating a practical, pretty patio area. Bonus: You won't have to deal with weeds or wasting water keeping the grass green. It's super easy to install the turf and pavers yourself, saving you the cost of hiring a contractor. Prepare your ground as you would for regular paving (compacting the soil and laying weed barrier), trace around your pre-cut turf grid and your paving stones, then press the turf into place. Très magnifique!

Plan out your patio or courtyard layout — the total size of the paved area, how many and what kind of pavers you want to use, in what arrangement you'll lay them, and the width of the artificial grass strips between them. Take all the measurements! Go shopping for some pre-cut artificial turf strips, like Grassline Solutions Artificial Grass Strip 4" x 25' for Indoor/Outdoor Use, and some Linghou Artificial Grass Self-Adhesive Seam Tape, just over $17 for a 6 inch x 16 foot roll, or similar products. Check the dimensions of the lawn strips and tape before you buy anything to make sure they fit within your plan's measurements. If, on the other hand, you're buying turf that comes in a pre-cut grid pattern, like PaverTurf Custom Pre-Cut Turf Designs, you'll just need to note the size and number of pavers you need.

Choosing the right type of pavers to create the patio of your dreams is essential; whatever you select, make sure it works with your initial plan. Tools-wise, all you'll need is a tamper to compact the soil or gravel between the pavers since the grass is pre-cut. You'll also need Bakulyor 6 Inch Metal Landscape Stakes — a 50 pack goes for about $20. To lay your pavers, mark out the patio area with string and remove about 4 inches of topsoil. Compact it using your tamper, then add a layer of gravel for drainage. Water that down with your garden hose, place your pavers, and top everything with builder's sand. Get out the tamper again and compact the gravel and sand strips between each paver.

If you're laying pre-cut strips, you'll need to first affix the adhesive seam tape to the abutting turf strip, lay your new grass strip, and hammer in a nail in the middle and both ends to secure it in place. (You might need more nails if the strip is particularly large.) If you're working with a pre-cut grid, lay the template that comes with your turf order down before setting the pavers in place; it acts as your handy paver placement guide. As with the strips, put seam tape between the joins, lay your grid between the pavers, and secure it in place with nails. Finish the project by sprinkling in some artificial grass infill (follow the manufacturer's instructions) and brush the turf with a stiff-bristled broom.