Parking on Fake Grass

[TIS]

Hi,

Was wondering if anyone had any reviews on long term parking on fake grass. My front garden currently has block paving and then a small area of grass which is quite unslightly. I was thinking of block paving the rest to enable parking but have been told that the new bits will stick out like a sore thumb even if the old is power washed. Not really keen a gravel as this would go all over the block paving and also into the tyre treads.

Therefore I have had an idea to lay fake grass instead. Obviously I would be digging a sub base but was wondering if anyone has parked a vehicle on it before. The grass right now is dead underneath, not sure it is from the heat of the engine or the fact that no sunlight gets to it. The car is used daily. I have attached a picture if that helps. Any advise would be great. Thanks!

[TLandCruiser]

I had artifical grass fitted in my old house as the dogs kept making it look like the battle of the Somme, I had the really high quality grass fitted, which did not look like fake grass other than I had an incredibly well kept garden, I'm not sure if it would be strong enough for being parked on though, although in two years of a large dog running around it still looked brand new.

[Pheo]

Something like this is probably more appropriate:

http://www.marshalls.co.uk/homeowners/view-biovers...

You'll just destroy artificial grass.

[toohuge]

Pheo said:

Something like this is probably more appropriate:

http://www.marshalls.co.uk/homeowners/view-biovers...

You'll just destroy artificial grass.

I agree. This is your best solution.

[toohuge]

Pheo said:

Something like this is probably more appropriate:

http://www.marshalls.co.uk/homeowners/view-biovers...

You'll just destroy artificial grass.

I agree. This is your best solution.

[jonttt]

I've just had artificial grass fitted to my front lawn. I think it would take the weight of a car no problem (used to use the area as an overflow parking before) but I would not park on it now. It's just like a carpet and not actually stuck down apart from edges (weighed down by its own weight and fine sand ) so I think it would move about / wear with traction too easily ?

The solution above seems much more suitable

[wolfracesonic]

Geogrids? in filled with a large aggregate or soil and grass seed. Are those block pavers some one has finished your front boundary wall with btw? Cheeky!

[TIS]

what if I was to glue more of the grass down on just the area I will be parking on? I spoke to 2 suppliers and they have said it will be fine and just brushing it back the other way occasionally would fix the flattening of a car parking on it. BUT maybe they are just saying this to sell it to me?

They probably are block pavers on the boundary wall but I bought the house with the driveway already laid. I will be sorting out the front wall and also gate later this year.

Thanks for all the responses, not that keen on the bio verse as it will probably mean I will still have to get the mower out on the front which is what I want to avoid. Otherwise looks like stones is the only way forward for a low maintenance front garden.

[Shwar25]

My next door neighbours park on artifical grass, it still looks good, although there is a lamp post straight in front of it, so you can see where they have applied steering while being stationary.

[TIS]

Shwar25 said:

My next door neighbours park on artifical grass, it still looks good, although there is a lamp post straight in front of it, so you can see where they have applied steering while being stationary.

Do you know how long they have had it laid down for?

[Shwar25]

TIS said:

Shwar25 said:

My next door neighbours park on artifical grass, it still looks good, although there is a lamp post straight in front of it, so you can see where they have applied steering while being stationary.

Do you know how long they have had it laid down for?

I don't, we have only lived there since January.

I will ask when I see them though, providing I remember.

[Pheo]

wolfracesonic said:

Geogrids? in filled with a large aggregate or soil and grass seed. Are those block pavers some one has finished your front boundary wall with btw? Cheeky!

What I'm wondering at the moment is how much cheaper this than block paved - if at all...

[eg6-b18c6]

I extended an old block paved drive, same colour as yours. Because the blocks are all different colours anyway i just pulled up the old blocks and then re-laid them with the new blocks randomly mixed in. worked well. The blocks go down suprisingly quickly when the base is already laid

[MrChips]

If it was me, I'd gravel it but do it properly with a decent subbase and 20mm buff gravel (I used South Cerney gravel) but only 1 stone thick.
Ours doesn't spread gravel anywhere, nor does it get stuck in the tyres and for your layout, if you find you don't need to use it anymore, just put some pot plants on top and it'll look a lot more like a low maintenance garden.

Here's ours:

Edited by MrChips on Monday 30th March 23:41

[Gingerbread Man]

I'd be tempted to lay more block paving. Get a few samples of blocks and see how the new and old blend. It's what you really want.

Taking up some of the old and mixing in with the new could work. Otherwise you might be able to find a reclaimed set of paviers, so therefore pre-aged.

Fake grass could work, but I'd say that turning a wheel on it would wreck it. It'll happen in the end by guests or similar.

[blueg33]

MrChips said:

If it was me, I'd gravel it but do it properly with a decent subbase and 20mm buff gravel (I used South Cerney gravel) but only 1 stone thick.
Ours doesn't spread gravel anywhere, nor does it get stuck in the tyres and for your layout, if you find you don't need to use it anymore, just put some pot plants on top and it'll look a lot more like a low maintenance garden.

Here's ours:

Edited by MrChips on Monday 30th March 23:41

I hope its an optical illusion, but it looks like that tarmac has been laid over the acco?

[PH5121]

How about don't try and match the block paving? You could use a different style such as cobbles so it looks like an intentional contrast in finishes, or use some stone flags instead of sets.