Artificial Turf
Residential Turf in Aurora, IL
Most residential turf goes in for one of a handful of reasons, and none of them is a love of plastic grass. Grass will not grow in the shade. The dogs have worn a path to dirt. The slope is unpleasant to mow. The courtyard is too small for the equipment to be worth it. In those places turf stays even and green with no mowing and no watering, and the lawn you keep gets easier to look after.
The install is mostly earthwork. Lux Landscaping Construction excavates the area, builds and compacts an aggregate base that drains in clay, lays the turf with the fiber direction planned, seams it, fixes the perimeter, then infills and grooms the surface. Estimates are free and written, naming the excavation depth, the base build, the turf specification and the infill.
Who this is for
- Deep shade under mature trees or along a north-facing wall where seed and sod keep failing.
- Dog-worn areas and side yards that are bare dirt by spring and mud after rain.
- Slopes, terraces and narrow strips that are awkward or unsafe to mow.
- Small courtyards, side yards, and the gaps between pavers or stepping stones.
Scope
What the work covers
- Marking the area and confirming the finished height against every edge it meets, so the turf sits flush at walks, patios and driveways instead of standing proud.
- JULIE locates before digging, plus tracing of irrigation and low-voltage lines that public locates do not cover.
- Excavation of sod, topsoil and organic material to the depth the base requires, with spoil hauled away.
- Geotextile separation over clay subgrade, then crushed aggregate placed and compacted in lifts and shaped to fall.
- Perimeter fixing suited to each edge: nailer and adhesive at concrete, edge restraint or bender board at soil and beds, spikes into the compacted base elsewhere.
- Turf rolled out, allowed to relax, cut to the perimeter, and seamed with fiber direction consistent across the whole area.
- Infill applied and brushed in, the surface groomed, and a walkthrough covering brushing, rinsing and snow.
Options
What you can choose
Pile, color and face weight
Shorter, denser turf holds up better in traffic lanes and looks tidier in small areas. Taller pile reads more like a lawn from a distance but lies over where people walk. Face weight and stitch rate matter more than pile height for durability. Choose color outdoors next to your real grass, since blends with a tan thatch read far more natural than a uniform bright green.
Base depth and drainage detail
Depth is set by the use and by what the subgrade is doing. Over heavy clay with no fall, the base is built deeper and taken to an outlet, sometimes with a perforated collector tied to daylight. A yard with sandier soil and a natural slope needs less. This is the line item worth spending on.
Edges and transitions
Where turf meets concrete, a nailer strip and adhesive give a tight, permanent edge. Against planting beds, a rigid edge keeps mulch and soil out of the fibers and gives the spikes something to hold. Against a fence, the turf runs under the bottom rail where possible so there is no gap left to trim.
Pads and underlay
A shock pad under the turf softens a play area and can also smooth a surface laid over existing concrete. It raises the finished height, so it is decided before the base depth is set rather than after.
How we do it
The sequence on site
Measure and plan the layout
We measure the area, check how it drains now, and plan the roll layout so seams land where they are least visible and the fiber direction runs the same way across the whole surface, usually facing the main viewpoint.
Excavate
Sod and organic material come out to depth, including the root mat, because anything that can decompose will leave a dip. Around trees we work with the surface roots rather than cutting through them to force a uniform depth.
Build and compact the base
Geotextile goes over the clay, then aggregate in lifts, each compacted and checked for shape. The final surface is screeded smooth and compacted hard, because every irregularity in the base shows through short turf.
Lay, seam and fix
Turf is rolled out and left to relax, trimmed to the perimeter, and seamed with tape and adhesive or stitching. Edges are nailed or glued according to what they meet, with the perimeter pulled taut before it is fixed.
Infill and groom
Sand infill is spread and brushed into the base of the fibers in passes, which weighs the turf down, keeps the blades standing and protects the backing. The surface is power-broomed, the site is cleaned up, and we go through care at the final walkthrough.
Local conditions
What northern Illinois changes about this job
Clay subgrade
Clay holds water, so the base has to be the drainage system. Over-excavating, separating the aggregate from the clay with fabric, compacting in lifts and shaping to a consistent fall is what keeps water moving out. Where there is nowhere for it to go, a collector drain goes in before the turf, not after.
Snow clearing
Snow can be left alone to melt without harming the turf. If you want it off, a plastic shovel or a stiff broom works, moved in the direction the fibers lie. Keep metal shovels, scrapers and plow blades off the surface, and do not use salt or chemical de-icer on it.
Tree roots and shade
The shaded spots where turf makes the most sense are usually under trees, which means roots near the surface. We keep excavation shallow in the root zone, adjust the base build locally, and set the finished height to suit, rather than trenching through roots to hit one depth everywhere.
FAQ
Residential Turf questions
Can turf be installed over my existing lawn?
No. Sod and topsoil have to be removed. Organic material under turf decomposes and settles, which shows up as dips and soft spots within a season or two.
Will weeds grow through it?
Not from below, if the base is built correctly: excavation removes the seed bank, and the aggregate layer plus a barrier gives nothing to root in. Seeds that blow in can germinate in the infill at edges and seams, and they pull out easily or can be spot treated.
How does it handle heavy rain?
Water passes through the backing into the base and out to the outlet, which is why the base build matters more than the turf specification. A properly built system drains and is usable again quickly after a storm, with no mud and no low spot that stays wet.
Does it fade?
Quality turf is stabilized against sunlight and holds its color, though any outdoor surface changes slowly over years. Matting from traffic is usually more noticeable than fading, which is why brushing the traffic lanes is the main maintenance task.
Can I put a grill or a fire pit on turf?
No. Synthetic fibers melt, and embers mark the surface permanently. Grills and fire features belong on a hard surface, and we plan that into the layout so the turf stops short of them.
Free estimate
Ask about residential turf
Send the address and a short description. We will arrange a time to walk the site, then put the scope and the price in writing.