Garden Flooring

No, rubber grass mats are designed for grass to grow through the open holes, so the lawn stays alive. In the first few weeks the mats are visible, then the grass grows up through them and hides most of the rubber. Mow over them as normal once the grass is established.

Lay the mats on the grass, butt them together and push ground pegs through the holes into the soil. Several listings include free pegs with the mats. On soft or sloping ground, use more pegs near the corners so the mats do not shift.

A rubber roll cut to the size of the floor suits most garden sheds, because it covers the boards in one piece and is easy to sweep. A coin pattern gives grip when boots are wet. If the shed floor is uneven, fix or replace loose boards first, as rubber follows the surface under it.

Choose rubber grass mats if you want to keep a real lawn and stop it wearing out along a path or gateway. Choose artificial grass if you want to replace the lawn altogether, for example where it never grows well. Grass mats keep the look of real grass; artificial grass stays green all year without mowing.

Shorter piles of 6mm to 7mm suit balconies and areas where you want a flat, low-maintenance surface. Piles of 20mm to 30mm are a common middle ground for family gardens. The 35mm and 40mm piles look and feel the most like a thick lawn.

Yes, a weed membrane under artificial grass stops weeds pushing up through the backing. The heavy duty weed control membrane here is 108cm wide and 50m long. Lay it over the prepared ground with overlapping joins, then lay the grass on top.

Yes, rubber grass mats work on gentle garden slopes and help stop paths there turning slippery and muddy. Peg them more closely than on flat ground, and start at the bottom of the slope working upwards. On steep banks, extra pegs at the top edge stop the run of mats sliding.

In the growing season, grass usually starts to grow through rubber grass mats within a few weeks. Laying them in spring or early autumn, when grass grows fastest, gives the quickest result. Avoid heavy use of the area until the grass has grown through and knitted with the mat.

Yes, the artificial plant wall panels are sold for indoor and outdoor use, and come in 50cm x 50cm and 1m x 1m squares. They fix to fences, trellis or walls to hide bare surfaces. Several designs are available, including fern and moss panels.

Measure the longest length and widest width of the area and order a little extra on each side for trimming. Artificial grass here comes in widths from 0.5m to 5m, so choose a width that covers the area in as few pieces as possible. All pieces should lie with the pile running the same way.