How to lay artificial grass
Updated: October 2026
The roll is in the hall, the patio still has a puddle from last night, and the listing says you only unroll it. How to lay artificial grass depends on the ground you already have, not on the word premium. A permeable backing on clay that holds water is still a wet lawn. Peter F. used the domestic trade note from the Horticultural Trades Association and the Association of Professional Landscapers, plus what UK retailers publish for patios, and the listings in the [artificial turf comparison](/hub/flooring/artificial-turf). We did not fit these amazon.co.uk pieces ourselves. Product choice stays on the buying guide. If the dog is the reason for the grass, smell and chewing stay off this cutting sequence.
The roll is in the hall, the patio still has a puddle from last night, and the listing says you only unroll it. How to lay artificial grass depends on the ground you already have, not on the word premium.
The roll is in the hall, the patio still has a puddle from last night, and the listing says you only unroll it. How to lay artificial grass depends on the ground you already have, not on the word premium. A permeable backing on clay that holds water is still a wet lawn. Peter F. used the domestic trade note from the Horticultural Trades Association and the Association of Professional Landscapers, plus what UK retailers publish for patios, and the listings in the artificial turf comparison. We did not fit these amazon.co.uk pieces ourselves. Product choice stays on the buying guide. If the dog is the reason for the grass, smell and chewing stay off this cutting sequence.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Drainage | Sand infill | Where to lay | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  WADOODI WADOODI 30 mm, 1 m x 4 m | Drainage holes claimed | Not stated | Garden, deck, balcony | 9.0 | about £30.99 | View offer |
 Ark Mat Ark Mat Cotford 35 mm, 1 m x 2 m | Water-permeable backing | Not required | Garden, balcony | 8.6 | about £21.95 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Petgrow Petgrow 20 mm, 1 m x 2 m | Self-draining claim | Not stated | Balcony, pet toilet | 8.4 | about £29.99 | View offer |
On this page
Soil and a new lawn area
On soil you are building a base, and the mat in the box is not that base. The domestic trade note says there is no accepted British Standard for artificial grass in a garden, unlike paving, and that clay, sand and chalk do not behave the same way. The usual trade outline is to take off the turf, excavate, lay a compacted sub-base, and give water somewhere to go if the site already sits wet. A geotextile is described under the sub-base and again under the grass, to separate stone from soil and to block weeds. The grass is then fixed at the edges with adhesive or staples, brushed, and not soaked so hard that the pile mats down.
None of the rolls in this comparison includes that stone, that membrane or a jointing kit. Cotford is the only listing that says no sand infill is required. The others are silent, so do not invent a sand weight and call it part of the product. A drainage hole passes water to the layer below. If that layer is clay with no fall, the hole has done its small job and the garden is still a pond. The Royal Horticultural Society’s drainage advice is the same idea: water needs an outfall, not just a gap. If you are replacing a living lawn, check the Planning Portal before you dig. In most cases in England you need neither planning permission nor building control, and a listed building or a conservation area is the local exception. Permission is not the same question as whether the soil should stay alive.
Concrete, paving and decking
A hard surface can take a piece the same day, if it is even and it already drains. Hose the patio and watch where the water sits. A retailer guide aimed at concrete and stone tells you to do that test, and to deal with puddles before the grass goes down, because a hole in the backing cannot empty a hollow in the slab. Foam underlay is what some shops put between a hard base and the grass so the pile feels less like a carpet on stone. It is their step, not a part in these amazon boxes.
Decking and balconies add wind. A Petgrow 20 mm review describes corners rolling up during puppy training, so a loose rectangle on a third-floor rail is a kite until you weigh it or fix it. Ask the landlord before you screw or glue anything to a rented balcony. The listings that mention balconies do not give a weight limit or a fixing method. On decking, one tonchean reviewer laid about 3 square metres and left it at that. Boards that already drain are a kinder base than boards that hold a film of water under the mat. Pile choice and the price bands sit on the artificial grass buying guide.
Direction, cuts and creases
Lay every piece so the pile leans the same way. Retailer notes for patios often say the pile should face the house, so you are looking into the grass rather than across the backing of the blades. Two pieces laid in opposite directions will show a join even when the colour matches. GardenKraft and MYOYAY reviews already include boxes and rolls that did not match each other, so a change of direction makes a bad batch worse. Brush the pile after it is down. The trade note says brush, and do not soak the fibres until they lie flat.
Cut from the back, where you can see the backing, and keep the knife off the face. A slightly frayed edge showed up in a MYOYAY review even on a cut the buyer thought was tidy, so leave a little spare and trim again rather than coming up short against a wall. Folded parcels are the crease problem in this set. A Turosur reviewer said the piece arrived folded and the creases were still there after a week. Another delivery of the same listing arrived rolled and lay flatter. Leave a creased roll opened, flat, and out of the rain until the bend eases. Sun on a flattened MYOYAY roll is what that listing itself suggests, for about two hours, before you brush. That is a recovery attempt, not a promise the pile will stand like the photograph. Joins on a large area need a straight cut, the same pile direction, and something to hold the seam. These boxes do not include that tape or adhesive.
When you should not finish the job yourself
Stop if water sits on the soil after rain, or if the fall runs toward the house. A French drain, a new outfall and a compacted base are a landscaper’s work, not an afternoon with a hobby knife. Stop if the area needs several joins and you have never cut a seam, because a wavy join is the part you see every day. Stop if the building is listed or in a conservation area until the council has answered the Planning Portal’s own caveat. Stop if the balcony is rented and the only way to keep the mat down is a fixing the landlord has not allowed.
A visible black backing, as MYOYAY reviewers described, is a thin pile, not a laying mistake you can brush away. Creases that remain after the roll has rested may be the packing, and they may also be a reason to send the piece back rather than to nail a fold into the patio. Dog urine on a new lawn is a cleaning and base question, which is on artificial grass for dogs. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Can you lay artificial grass straight on a patio?
You can, if the slabs are even and a hose test shows the water leaving rather than pooling. A drainage hole in the mat only helps once the patio itself drains. Shops often add a foam underlay so the pile is less harsh on concrete. These amazon listings do not include that underlay. If puddles sit in a low slab, sort the fall before you cover it, or you will trap the water underneath.
Which way should the pile face?
Keep one direction across every piece. Patio guides often point the pile toward the house so you look into the blades. Two pieces laid in opposite directions show a join even when the dye matches. Check the lean with your hand before you fix the edge, because turning a glued piece around is a worse job than turning it while it is still loose.
How long should a creased roll rest?
There is no single time that covers every parcel. One review in this set still had creases a week after a folded delivery, and another delivery of a similar piece arrived rolled and lay better. Open the roll flat, give it time, and use the sun-and-brush step if the listing describes one, as MYOYAY does for about two hours. If the fold is still a ridge after that, treat it as a fault rather than as something staples will hide.
Do you cut artificial grass from the back?
Yes. Cutting from the back lets you follow the backing and keeps the knife out of the pile. Leave a margin and trim again, because a short cut against a wall is awkward to patch. Edges can fray a little even on a careful cut, which reviewers have already noted. A wavy freehand cut on the face is the mistake that shows from the kitchen window.
Where does a weed membrane go?
The domestic trade note puts a geotextile under the sub-base and again under the grass, to separate layers and to block weeds. Dog-lawn installers often say the opposite about a membrane placed directly under the grass, because they think it holds urine. Those two notes disagree. Follow the grass maker if they specify a build-up. If they say nothing, do not invent a membrane sandwich, and call a landscaper when the soil is wet.
When is the drainage someone else’s job?
When water has nowhere to go. Holes in a backing are not a French drain, and they will not empty clay that already holds rain. If the fall runs toward the house, or the garden sits wet after ordinary rain, a landscaper should design the outfall before any roll is fixed. Covering that ground and hoping is how a new lawn becomes a slick mat.
How do you stop a balcony piece blowing away?
Weigh it or fix it, and only fix it if you are allowed to. A review of a 20 mm pet mat describes corners rolling up in the wind during puppy training. The balcony listings in this set do not state a weight limit or a clip. On a rented flat, ask the landlord before you drill or glue. A heavier offcut can help on a still day, and it is not a fixing in a gale.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison, last checked on 19 October 2026.
- Planning Portal — replacing a grass lawn with artificial grass (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BSI, BS EN 15330-1:2013 — synthetic surfaces for outdoor sport (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HTA / APL domestic guide to artificial grass (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- ESTC — UK REACH work programme for 2022–2023 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- WWF — artificial grass and its impact (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Natural History Museum — artificial grass controversy, August 2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk — Artificial Grass Direct listing, checked 19 October 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)