When people ask what goes under artificial grass, they are really asking the most important question about the whole job. In Vaughan, the base under the turf decides whether your lawn stays flat and dry for fifteen years or turns lumpy and puddled after one winter. The turf you can see is the easy part. The layers you cannot see, built for our clay soil and freeze-thaw winters, are what the crew at Artificial Turf Vaughan spends most of the install time getting right.
What goes under artificial grass?
Under a properly installed lawn there are several layers, not just dirt and turf. From the bottom up you have the compacted sub-grade (the native soil, dug down and packed), a geotextile weed barrier, a base of compacted crushed stone that provides drainage and a stable platform, a thin bedding layer of stone dust or sharp sand to level everything smooth, and finally the turf itself, pinned at the edges and filled with infill. Each layer has a job, and on Vaughan clay the crushed-stone layer is the one we build up the most.
Layer by layer, from the ground up
Compacted sub-grade
First we strip the existing lawn or surface and excavate down, usually 100 to 150 mm, then compact the exposed soil with a plate tamper. On clay this step matters because loose or uneven clay will settle unevenly later and telegraph through the turf as dips.
Geotextile weed barrier
A woven landscape fabric goes over the sub-grade. It stops weeds pushing up through the seams and keeps the clay below from mixing up into the clean stone above, which would clog drainage over time.
Crushed stone base
This is the heart of the install. We bring in an angular crushed aggregate, often a granular A blend or a clear stone, and compact it in layers to form a firm, free-draining platform. Angular stone locks together when compacted, unlike round pea gravel, so the surface stays solid under foot traffic. On our slow-draining Peel Plain clay this layer carries water down and away from the turf.
Bedding layer
A thin skim of stone dust or sharp sand is screeded over the compacted stone and levelled to a smooth, even grade. This is what gives you that flat, carpet-like finish rather than a lumpy one.
Turf and infill
The turf rolls out over the bedding, gets cut to shape, seamed, and secured with landscape nails or edging around the perimeter. Then infill (silica sand, or zeolite for pet areas) is brushed into the fibres to weigh the turf down, keep the blades upright, and protect the backing.
Why the base matters more in Vaughan
Vaughan sits largely on Peel Plain clay, which drains slowly and heaves with our freeze and thaw cycles. That combination is exactly what a bad base fails against. Water that cannot drain sits under the turf and freezes, and as the ground swells and shrinks through winter it pushes a thin or poorly compacted base into ripples. A deep, well-compacted crushed-stone base absorbs that movement and keeps water moving down instead of pooling. This is why cutting the base short to save a few dollars is the most expensive mistake we see on Vaughan lawns.
Clay yards versus sandy Kleinburg soil
Not every Vaughan lot is the same underfoot. Most of the city, including Woodbridge, Maple, Concord, and the newer Vellore and Patterson subdivisions, sits on clay-rich soil that needs the fuller base treatment and careful drainage grading. Up toward Kleinburg and the edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine, the ground turns sandier and gravelly and drains more freely on its own, so the base spec can sometimes be a touch lighter. A good installer checks your actual soil before quoting a base depth rather than applying one recipe to every yard.
The installation process step by step
A typical Vaughan install runs like this: mark out the area and remove the old lawn, excavate and compact the sub-grade, lay the weed barrier, bring in and compact the stone base in lifts, screed the bedding layer to grade, roll and cut the turf, glue or nail the seams, secure the perimeter, then spread and brush in the infill. We finish by power-brushing the fibres upright and rinsing the surface clean. If you want a homeowner-level walk-through of the same idea, our older guide on how to install artificial grass on soil covers the basics too.
How long does it take?
Most residential Vaughan lawns are a one to two day job. A compact 300 to 500 square foot backyard in Patterson or a townhome near the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre often finishes in a single day, while larger estate lots around Kleinburg or a project with a putting green and shaping can run two or three. Weather and access play a part: frozen winter clay and hand-carrying material through a narrow side yard both add time. Whatever the size, most of that time goes into the base, which is exactly where it should go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a weed barrier under artificial grass?
Yes, a geotextile weed barrier is standard on a quality Vaughan install. It blocks weeds from growing up through seams and stops the clay sub-grade from migrating up into the clean drainage stone, which keeps the base working for the long haul.
What infill is used and why?
Most lawns use rounded silica sand, which weighs the turf down and holds the blades upright. For dog areas we switch to a zeolite infill that traps ammonia and controls odour. The infill also protects the turf backing from UV and foot traffic, so it is not optional.
Can the base be reused if I replace the turf later?
Usually yes. Turf typically wears out before a well-built base does, so when it is time to replace the grass in 12 to 15 years, a sound compacted base can often be topped up and reused, which lowers the cost of the second install.