Which type of lawn is better: natural or artificial?

Natural Lawn Advantages: It's the backbone of every authentic natural garden. Fresh oxygen and multiple health benefits. Less chance of getting turf burns when playing. Disadvantages: Maintenance requirements are high. Requires frequent watering and nutrient topping. Unkept lawns may also become a breeding ground for insects and other pests. Artificial Lawn Advantages: Almost no maintenance. Same colour throughout the year. Disadvantages: Backyard might feel incomplete. High chances of getting turf burns. After a few years, artificial lawns may start to lose their shine and become dull.

What are the steps of laying a new turf for a natural lawn?

Remove old soil which is most likely to be ridden with weeds that can harm the new lawn in the long run. Remove stones and other debris to avoid any punctures to the weed barrier that is to be installed. Lay down a weed barrier sheet covering the entire area. This ensures that your lawn is free of weeds and thus less maintenance is required. Weed barriers are porous and allow water to flow through the membrane easily. Add fresh topsoil. Levelling of topsoil. Give some time for the topsoil to settle (1-2 weeks). Raking for a better fit of the turf. Lay down turf.

Gardening Services in Essex - Natural Lawns and Backyard Makeovers

Project Requirement

The client needed a complete backyard makeover. This included levelling the ground, digging up old soil, laying down a sheet of landscape fabric (weed barrier), topping with nutrient-rich soil, and laying down a new grass lawn. Additionally, some older trees needed to be repositioned along the fence. A pathway using high-quality paving slabs was laid to connect the main premises with the outbuilding.

Challenges

17 tonnes of topsoil was to be transported from the front of the house to the backyard without disturbing the current residents.
Some of the cherry trees had elaborate root systems that required careful planning and execution to successfully reposition.
The older soil was ridden with weeds like the Japanese Knotweed and Horsetail.

How did Essex Construction and Builders overcome the challenge?

We excavated the trees from the ground fully intact using a digger to dig deep cavities along the length of the roots.
We used a heavy-duty pallet pump truck to move the building material from the street to the backyard.

Project Requirement

The client had an uneven lawn and the amount of soil was overflowing above the patio. They needed the lawn and their patio at one level. The area also had low sunlight and was susceptible to weed growth.

Challenges

5 tonnes of excess soil was to be removed without disturbing the residents.
Terraced house with carpeting so the soil had to be transported carefully outside.
Invasive weed.

How did Essex Construction and Builders overcome the challenge?

We excavated the excess soil manually and transported it carefully outside within one day.
We levelled the soil to stay just a couple of inches below the patio level so that when the turf rolls were installed it would be flush with the patio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Depending on your selected area, it can take up to 5 days to do everything from replacing old soil to laying the new lawn.

Natural Lawn
- Advantages: It’s the backbone of every authentic natural garden. Fresh oxygen and multiple health benefits. Less chance of getting turf burns when playing.
- Disadvantages: Maintenance requirements are high. Requires frequent watering and nutrient topping. Unkept lawns may also become a breeding ground for insects and other pests.
Artificial Lawn
- Advantages: Almost no maintenance. Same colour throughout the year.
- Disadvantages: Backyard might feel incomplete. High chances of getting turf burns. After a few years, artificial lawns may start to lose their shine and become dull.

Our gardeners have had success with Rolawn Medallion turf in the Essex region. However, you can refer to this guide on selecting the best lawn according to your needs. Our gardeners are comfortable installing all kinds of turf for your lawn.

Remove old soil which is most likely to be ridden with weeds that can harm the new lawn in the long run.
Remove stones and other debris to avoid any punctures to the weed barrier that is to be installed.
Lay down a weed barrier sheet covering the entire area. This ensures that your lawn is free of weeds and thus less maintenance is required. Weed barriers are porous and allow water to flow through the membrane easily.
Add fresh topsoil.
Levelling of topsoil. Give some time for the topsoil to settle (1-2 weeks).
Raking for a better fit of the turf.
Lay down turf.

Depending on the type of turf, the prices range between £4 – £8 per square meter excluding installation charges.

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