Sprinklers in artificial turf? 3 tips to find out if you need to keep them or not

Léelo en español

Although artificial turf does not need water to maintain as natural grass does, there are times when it is necessary to install sprinklers or keep them in place if they were already installed.

In what type of projects sprinklers are necesary?

• Where pets are present: ?

  The grass should be sprinkled to remove urine that has adhered to the fibers to clean the grass and diminish unpleasant odors.

• In playgrounds or sports facilitiesortivas:

  It is recommended to water the grass to lower the temperature, especially during the hottest hours of the day. The advantage is that since there is no soil, no mud will form when watering the artificial turf, but it will cool down the area. That is why non-natural grass is ideal for children's playgrounds and sports areas.

• Wherever there is a mix of artificial and natural plants:

  Many times, there are trees within the area to be covered with artificial turf or shrubs or other types of plants in the surrounding area that require watering.

What to do with the sprinklers?

If the sprinklers are inside the area that is going to be covered with artificial grass, they should not be left in that spot but should be relocated to the perimeter of the installation. Because, if at any time it is necessary to repair or replace the irrigation pipes or any of their parts, it will not be necessary to cut the artificial turf around them and damage it.

If that happens, the warranty offered by the contracting company is immediately voided. Therefore, if the sprinklers are relocated to the perimeter before starting the installation of the synthetic turf, it is much easier to work on them directly in the future without causing problems in the grass. 

What to do if sprinklers are not needed?

In that case, there are two ways to remove them safely:

- The first way is to put caps on the sprinkler heads. However, be warned that this will require more maintenance in the future:

Roots or weeds may grow in the surrounding area, so a little weed killer liquid should be applied before removing the weeds, and it is important to consider periodic checks to control them.

Irrigation pipes can break or deteriorate over time, so it will probably need to cut the grass to find the damaged pipes and repair them. This can cause soil movement and the formation of holes or unevenness that will need to be filled, covered with aggregate base, and compacted again to return the soil around the sprinklers to its proper shape. But there is no guarantee that repairs won't be needed over time.

- The second way to deactivate the sprinklers will be a permanent solution but is more complex to achieve. However, it is the most recommended thing to do to eliminate sprinklers from a project. This solution consists of completely blocking the passage of water in the main pipe or matrix that leads to the sprinklers. In this case, it is necessary to remove all the sprinkler pipes and get to where the water exits directly and seal them from there.

A great tip for installers that clients will appreciate

At Diamond Artificial Grass, we want to point out the huge importance of being very clear and specific with the client when indicating what is best for the future success of the project and the total coverage of the warranty by following the correct indications. Everything the installers do before the installation won't be a waste of time but it is always better to present the ideal solutions and not go for short-term solutions. The plan is that the client fully enjoys the investment made without future worries that could have been avoided from the beginning of the project.

Want to learn more?

Stay tuned to all our updates to learn other interesting tips and super useful tricks to be a professional installer. But if you want to go deeper into the world of artificial turf, sign up for our Diamond University classes that we offer in all of our South Florida locations, in English or Spanish. We have expert staff with more than 10 years of experience that will share all of their knowledge with you.