Homeowners who choose artificial grass are often drawn to the way it looks like a lush, green, perfect lawn with very little effort. This clean look enhances the visual appeal of your yard and ensures that your lawn will complement a wide variety of landscaping styles.
For those who appreciate a clean look, a clearly defined edge is a must, which is one reason artificial grass installations almost always include some type of edging. While this is not necessarily required, adding curbing or landscape edging is certainly recommended for a finished, clean look.
Why Do You Need Edging For Artificial Grass?
If the exterior edging of the synthetic turf is not installed and secured properly, the integrity of base materials and sub grade soils will erode allowing the edge of the synthetic turf to sink leaving a depression. This will also allow the exterior nails, spikes or staples to come loose which can be costly to repair.
Artificial grass can be easily installed to an existing hardscape, such as a driveway, paving stone patio or brick walkway. It can also be edged with a variety of natural or manufactured border materials or installed with no border at all. However, if you are installing your artificial grass lawn as a do-it-yourself project, you may appreciate having a border to help cover any uneven edges.
There are several things that need to be taken into consideration when you are creating an edging system for your lawn. Below, we’ll take a look at the artificial grass edging options, and what makes them unique:
Curbing: Landscape curbing is a popular hardscape option for lawn edging. Concrete and stamped concrete are common choices. This border option can be quite attractive, but the permanency of this choice should be considered prior to installation.
Paving Stones: Paving stones are a durable, attractive option that can be used to create a narrow border or a full patio at the edge of your lawn.
Bendable Borders: Bendable landscaping borders are an affordable, simple solution that can be easily acquired at home improvement stores, garden centers or online.
Logs or Wood: Logs, lumber and other forms of timber are border options that are best used around manufactured lawns with straight edges.
Gravel: Gravel is, of course, not a solid border, but it can be used around the edge of a lawn as a complementary ground cover. To make ongoing yard maintenance easier, you may want to put a bendable border or other type of edging between your lawn and the gravel simply to help keep the gravel off of your lawn, but this is not necessary.
Wood Chips or Bark: Like gravel, wood chips or bark can be used around the edge of your lawn and gives a great contrast of color while maintaining a natural look.
In Conclusion
Poorly installed edging not only looks bad, but it can also lead to loose nails and spikes becoming exposed as the sub-base erodes. This can pose a huge health and safety risk down the road, especially to children and pets!
