How to properly measure your garden for landscaping projects

Measuring your garden correctly is paramount. When it comes to ordering the right amount, if you mess up and order a piece that is too small, there is nothing that can be done as artificial grass, like carpet is cut to size... You will have to either have a join (take a look at how to join) or order a full new piece of artificial grass for your garden project.

Either way, measuring incorrectly, could result in you spending more money, which no one wants to do. Additionally, it could result in you spending too much. If you over measure your area you will have paid for lots of grass that you don’t need, now there are ways to use left over artificial grass, but the less waste the better. Not only for your bank, but the planet too.

 

What you'll need to measure your garden properly:

 

1. Measuring Tape:

   Ensure you have a reliable measuring tape, preferably one that's long enough to cover the dimensions of your garden accurately. Sometimes multiple can be useful. Ideally a 10m tape measure and a 30m tape measure for larger areas.

 

2. Pen and Paper:

   Keep a notebook or use your smartphone to jot down the measurements as you go. This will help you stay organized and prevent any confusion later on.

 

3. Calculator:

   Have a calculator on hand to add up the measurements and calculate the total square footage. This will be crucial when ordering the right amount of artificial grass.

 

How to measure your garden accurately:

 

1. Setting Out:

   Divide your garden into simple geometric shapes such as rectangles, squares, or circles. Measure each section separately for more accurate results. Where possible you want to look for any right angles in the garden to use a starting point. This can often be from paving or buildings in the garden. Knowing measurements around a right angle will help for drawing it out afterwards.

 

2. Measuring:

   For rectangular areas you want to make sure to always measure all 4 sizes. even if an area looks square, it may not be and one side may be slightly longer than the other. In gardens, fence lines are often not square and are usually on a small angle. This can mean the sizes are slightly different. As a general rule you always want to make sure to take at least 4 measurements. Also making sure to take into account the maximum length and maximum width of an area.

 

3. More complex measurements:

  If your garden is square you can probably skip this step. For gardens that are not straightforward you will need to take more than 4 measurements. Measure every straight side in the area to give you the maximum number of measurements possible. Where you have curves, or sizes on angles you want to take some diagonal measurements, ideally from a right angle point in the garden. If you take some diagonal measurements from a few points in the garden out to another point on the perimeter it will help you to draw out the area without having to measure angles in the area.

 

4. Draw It Out:

   As a general rule, unless you have a straightforward rectangle you don’t need to worry about working out your grass cuts on site at the time of measuring, you can do this afterwards once you have drawn the area. Ideally you want to draw out the area on graph paper to scale. Start off with any right angle and use your measurements to draw out the area to scale. You can use some diagonal measurements to be able to draw on any sides that are on an angle, and use them to draw on curved areas freehand if needed. If there are any areas you weren't able to measure or missed, drawing it out to scale should help you get these as you can use your graph paper to measure any missed measurements as it will be to scale.

Drawing out your area will also help you to work out the exact size of your area which will help you decide how much aggregate you need for the groundworks. As well as how much edging you need for the perimeter of the area.

 

5. Work out Grass Cuts:

Once your area is draw out you can work out the cuts of artificial grass that you need. As a general rule you want the pile of the grass pointing towards the house (or the area it is going to be viewed from the most). This will mean that the length of the grass cuts will be running towards the house, with the widths running perpendicular to this. Usually you can start from one side the left or right and work your way across in 4m wide sections. Depending on your measurement you may be able to make the final piece a 2m wide roll if you don’t need more than 2m on the last roll. You can sketch the roll layout onto your drawing, always making sure to take the maximum length of the roll for your grass cuts. If drawn to scale, you can use a ruler to measure the cuts if it's not a straightforward shape and size.  Sketching the rolls onto your drawing will also help you to work out how much joining tape and glue that you need by looking at the lengths of where each grass roll come together.

One thing to bear in mind is that when you have the cut length, you will want to add a little extra onto the roll to allow for cutting in. sometimes you may need to fold the grass over something like an edging which will require a little more. As a general rule add on 0.3m onto each grass cut.

 

Top Tips:

• Double-check your measurements to ensure precision. Small errors can add up, and accuracy is crucial when ordering artificial grass to avoid unnecessary costs.
• Start from right angles.
• Take as many measurements as possible.
• Draw it out to scale.
• Grass pile towards the house.
• Allow a little extra onto your cuts.

 If you're unsure about measuring or calculating, consider consulting a professional. Many suppliers provide guidance on measuring your garden, and some even offer professional measurement services.

By taking the time to measure your garden accurately and accounting for potential variations, you can ensure a successful artificial grass installation without the stress of running short or overspending. Remember, a little extra effort in measuring can save you both time and money in the long run.