What Is the Best Adhesive for Gluing Artificial Grass to Concrete?
A big part of our residential synthetic grass services here at Santa Cruz Artificial Grass is greening up hardscaping like concrete driveways, decks, and patios. It’s an excellent way to soften the look of concrete while extending the usable space of your outdoor living area.
One of the most important parts of this process is using the correct kind of adhesive to bond the turf to concrete. Adhesive helps lock the turf into place, preventing shifting, rippling, or other movement that could allow weeds to grow or ruin the look of your synthetic lawn.
While we’ll take care of this for you during the installation, we get asked about this often by our clients. So if you’re curious about this topic as well, please keep reading.
Common Types of Artificial Turf Adhesives
When installing artificial grass on top of a concrete foundation, you have several options for durable, high-strength adhesives.
Single-Component Adhesives
Single-component adhesives come ready to apply straight from the container. This type of adhesive for artificial grass has only one part and cures through a chemical reaction with moisture in the air. Single-component adhesives provide a long-lasting flexible bond.
Two-Component Adhesives
Two-component adhesives consist of a resin and a catalyst that harden when mixed together. This adhesive for synthetic turf may take longer to cure but forms an incredibly strong, resilient bond that stands up well to heat and foot traffic.
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives
Pressure-sensitive adhesives contain an acrylic or synthetic rubber compound and use pressure to form a permanent bond between surfaces. No curing time is needed for pressure-sensitive adhesives. Some versions are waterproof or weather-resistant as well.
Choosing the Best Concrete Adhesive
With several types of high-bond adhesives to pick from, we consider these key factors before installing artificial turf for residential homes:
Weather Conditions
If the concrete underneath your turf will be exposed to moisture from sprinklers or rain, use a waterproof adhesive like a pressure-sensitive acrylic. In hot climates, heat-resistant adhesives are less likely to soften.
Size of Installation
For larger lawns, the working time (how long it can stay wet before drying) and size of the adhesive container is important. Multi-gallon two-component urethanes have working times around 45 minutes, letting you adhere up to 500 sq. ft. before the mixture hardens.
Level of Traffic
Adhesives meant for indoor-outdoor carpeting may not stand up to pets, children playing, or heavy foot traffic. Opt for an artificial grass adhesive made specifically for landscape use.
How We Apply Adhesive for Artificial Grass
The exact process varies depending on the type of installation, but here’s a quick breakdown:
Clean and Etch Concrete
Remove all oils, excess moisture, and residue so the adhesive can form a tight bond directly to the concrete. Acid etching opens pores in very smooth concrete so the glue can key in.
Roll Out Turf and Cut to Fit Shape
Unroll your artificial grass and trim as needed to fit the area, leaving 2-3” extra on each end to turn under when securing to the edge.
Apply Turf Glue
Spread adhesive evenly across the underside of the turf using a notched trowel. Wait 5-10 minutes for the glue to become tacky before placing grass.
Set Grass in Place
Roll out the grass and press down firmly across the entire area so the adhesive makes full contact with concrete. Use a lawn roller filled with sand to add extra weight.
Seam Edges
Where two pieces of turf meet, spread adhesive on the underside of both and press the backing together tightly so no gaps show at the seam.
Allow Proper Curing Time
Avoid foot traffic for at least 24 hours. Wait 72 hours before placing furniture or doing additional landscaping on top of your new synthetic grass.
Let the Experts Handle It!
Installing artificial grass over concrete can be challenging if you aren’t experienced working with specialty adhesives. For seamless results backed by our exclusive warranty on installations, have Santa Cruz Artificial Grass handle your project. All services in Santa Cruz County begin with a FREE quote – call 408-723-4954 today or fill out this form to schedule your design consultation.