Artificial turf can be installed directly onto your artificial grass base, which will likely consist of crushed rocks. Sometimes people even install artificial turf over a wood deck or concrete. Additionally, there are a number of other materials that you can place between your artificial grass and base layer to improve the performance of your yard.

You may want to place gopher wire, weed barrier, padding, or a mix of the three under your turf depending on your specific project needs. Below we break down the different materials you can place under turf and why you would use them!

Weed Barrier

Weed barrier is used to prevent invasive plants from growing through turf. But be warned, weed barrier is not recommended if you have pets.

Turf Distributors’ weed barrier is great because it does not contain absorbent materials, allowing liquids to flow through and minimizing odors.

Gopher Wire

Gopher wire prevents burrowing creatures (like gophers, racoons, and voles) from digging up your yard. Gopher wire is a thin, metallic mesh surface which you roll across your base layer before laying your turf.

It is not necessary for installing turf on hard surfaces, like wood or concrete.

Underlayment Pads

Underlayment pads are recommended if you choose to install turf over wood or concrete. These pads offer excellent shock absorption, making them an excellent choice for kids, pets, and athletic performance.

Underlayment pads are suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Impact Pads

Similar to underlayment pads, impact pads also offer excellent shock absorption and drainage qualities. But unlike underlayment pads, this material is made thicker for heavy use applications, like playgrounds.

About Turf Distributors

Turf Distributors is the nation’s leading artificial turf supplier! They have products for every possible customer need — including residential yards, commercial landscaping, sports, and more!

The Artificial Grass Designers at Turf Distributors have skillfully blended the look of living grass with innovative new technologies, like DuraBlade, Evoscape, and CoolFlow. The result is artificial grass with unmatched realism, plush feel, and durability backed by up to 16-year warranties!