If you are installing a new synthetic turf, you may be asking “Is an artificial turf border really necessary”? Yes, an artificial turf border is necessary for several reasons. So, don’t skip this installation step just to save a little money.
The turf border holds the base material in place, keeps the artificial turf in place, provides definition and transition, and protects the edges of turf material from fraying or shredding.
It also looks good. Here’s why your artificial turf border is necessary.
Artificial Turf Border Retains Base
You need a border to hold the material under the fake turf in place. Before your artificial turf goes down, the surface underneath gets prepped with a smoothing and compacting treatment. You may need additional sand or fill added and compacted to create a hard, smooth surface for the new turf. These base materials must stay in place to keep the artificial turf material smooth and tight.
If the subsurface shifts, it ruins the integrity of the installation. That’s why it’s so important to use a synthetic turf border that keeps base materials in place. In the past, installers dug a deep trench and installed a benderboard, and then backfilled to hold the border in place. Not only is this a lot of work, but if it isn’t done right, the benderboard won’t hold the base in place. Now, turf installers can nail down a Wonder Edge artificial turf border before the turf goes down to retain the base materials.
Nailing the turf to the border would have prevented this problem
Borders Hold the Turf in Place
If your artificial lawn covers a slope, you need additional protection against slipping and shifting from gravity. Nailing a border and turf in place keeps both materials where they belong. In the old days, installers would place heavy timber on the slope and nail the turf to the timber. That works when you like the look of the timbers. You also need a straight turf edge for this to work. These days, flexible Wonder Edge holds turf in place on any surface, sloped or level.
Provide Definition and Transition
Good garden and landscape design incorporates the regulating line principle. This is an imaginary line that connects elements of the design. Your synthetic grass turf border defines turf areas while offering a pleasing visual transition between areas.
These transitions include:
- Walkways
- Tree wells
- Flower beds
- Stepping stones
Without an artificial turf border, lines between flower beds and turf blur. In addition, turf materials can fray or deteriorate.
