This Toronto client was looking to remove a hard-to-maintain grassy area in their backyard with high-quality synthetic grass. Synthetic grass is permeable, clean, mud-free, requires little-to-no maintenance, and is an excellent backyard drainage solution when paired with sustainable pavers. To ensure the paver base was stable and permeable, a gravel-filled Ecoraster X30 paver grid was chosen as a sub-layer.
PREPARATION and installation OfLazy Lawns Permeable Grass Pavers
Preparation
Because Ecoraster doesn’t require the same amount of paver base as other methods, the depth of excavation was reduced from the usual 6” to 1.5″. The existing grass was removed quickly and easily using a sod cutting machine. This less involved grass paver method created cost savings across the entire paving project, including labour, equipment and the direct costs of transport and disposal of the existing grass and dirt. With less excavation required, cost savings were also seen as 4.5″ less paver base was required than other methods (that require 6″ of paver base to be effective).
Installation
A pre-lined landscape fabric was placed directly on the ground once it was prepared. From there the Ecoraster X30 plastic paver grid was installed on top of the landscape fabric. Once the grid was installed and levelled, ¼” clear angular gravel was used to fill the grid system. As a further precaution, a weed barrier was laid over the X30 to prevent any unwanted growth into the synthetic grass. Finally, the synthetic grass was quickly and easily installed on top of the Ecoraster X30 base. A grass grid paver project of this size typically takes 2-3 full days to complete. With Ecoraster’s porous pavement system, the entire project was completed in just one day.
AFTER
A testimonial from Lazy Lawn said: “The Ecoraster system allowed Lazy Lawn to install high-quality synthetic grass with a much shorter installation time and with less base materials and labour costs. The Ecoraster system allowed us to be both competitive in pricing and complete the work properly and very quickly. The savings in material, work, and time were 2 to 3 times the investment of the Ecoraster, and we completed the job in less than half the usual time and could move on to the next project.”
