The Grass Factory became involved with this project in Leyland via the client’s architect, who had specified a soft, 36mm pile height artificial grass for the primary school’s 200m2 courtyard playground.
The school was already aware of the Grass Factory because one of its board of governors had met the team while it was delivering another project at a nearby cathedral. The school was therefore well aware of the visual appearance and performance that could be expected from the artificial lawn.
The area to be treated was a courtyard, paved with concrete flags, and it featured a number of drainage grates, together with a central water feature. As well as a play area, it was to be used as an outdoor teaching area, so it was important to create a surface that would be robust and safe in the event of ordinary, low-level falls.
The contractor began by replacing and re-levelling any broken and uneven paving. The Grass Factory team then re-screeded the base before fitting a 10mm shock-absorbing underlay. The company also created sloped edges around the water feature, over which the artificial turf could be laid to create a safe and seamless finish. Rubber edging strips were installed where the grass met the concrete surround and the lawn was affixed by means of adhesive around its edges.
The grass itself was dressed with a layer of silica sand to keep it well bedded, to help keep the fibres upright and to protect the backing fabric against wear. The use of sand also promotes improved fire retardancy.
Importantly, the whole system was designed to drain very effectively, making it safe and convenient to use, even in cold and icy weather.
The school now has an attractive, safe and hardwearing surface for use as both a play area and an outside teaching facility. It requires no mowing or watering and it does not get muddy with use.
