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Anchors, or what can go wrong with them.
We have talked so much around this topic in the last few blogs and that it might seem redundant at this point. But we need to talk about anchors once again. What holds your turf in place is a serious question for installers. And an even more important topic for the environment and it’s not a STC certified method! So how do you anchor turf?
The general answer I get is 6-inch nails or landscape staples. My response to that is the similar to the question everyone asks in Game of Thrones. “What could possibly go wrong at a royal wedding?
Here are a few:
Damage to the backing of the turf. When you drive a nail through many times it breaks the stick line in the back and the threads start coming undone.
You drive holes in the turf creating places for grass to come through.
You void your warranty.
They produce a hazard if they come out. (And they do!)
They really don’t hold all that well. Particularly on slopes and hillsides.
They separate and seams come apart.
They don’t have the tensile strength needed to adequately hold the seam together.
It’s the lazy way to install.
In certain applications you cannot get them into the ground far enough to use them as a reliable anchor.
They break irrigation lines.
And the star of this list: They are not great for the environment. Just look at the warning labels.
I could spend a considerable amount of time on this subject as its always a hotly contested issue with the producers of these products and those that sell them. From the SCCP’S and Cadmium, to Heavy Metals like Lead and Zinc which can alter the PH of the soil at higher volumes and damage vegetation and trees. These factors along with the reality that there are safer and more environmentally friendly methods of turf installation makes this a cheap, lazy, and creates unnecessary risk in the installation process. If you are interested in the scientific papers that have been written on this subject, I’m happy to provide them to you. This is a blog however and I just want to point out these products are not great for your water, safety, or plants and trees.
What do you use?
So, what do you use? I recommend using adhesive or crown staples. I have found that anchoring into a Benda board, for example, is a very secure way to install turf. Another way is using adhesive on cement footers. This is a super reliable and safe application.
There are other products on the market as well but when it comes down to it. A stainless-steel crown staple into a piece of recycled plastic lumber or a high-quality adhesive is tried and true, safe, and last without the hazards. It also allows for quick repair and does not damage the turf in near the same way as a 6-inch nail driven every six inches.
There are some great installation methods that are ideal for quality turf installations. Just ask us why and how.
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