Artificial Grass On Clay Surface With Poor Drainage

[needawin]

Neighbour laying artificial grass. Soil is heavy clay with obvious poor drainage.
Would a good layer of aggregate with gravel on top do ok instead of doing expensive drain options.

[woofgang]

depends how much rain you get. It wouldn't do in my garden even though I have gravel drains leading to a soakaway

[rockyracoon]

Are they laying it themselves?
We’re having it put down at Easter (a company is doing it) and they’re digging down a few inches and putting a layer of type 1, then a layer of quartz (I think).

[needawin]

What your drainage like rocky

[rockyracoon]

We’re on a slight slope where I’d say a fair bit of water runs into next door, but the ground does get a bit claggy after bad rain. I wouldn’t say there was a drainage problem though.

[Buenchico]

Quote (from a source where they seem to know what they're talking about): "Clay-based soils don’t offer good drainage. So, if this is the case, you’ll have to add a stone layer subbase. Make sure to choose a type one stone. Also, remember that the subbase should be with a depth of 50-100 mm"
https://blog.fantasticservices.com/artificial-grass-drainage-problems-and-why-they-happen/

800kg of Type 1 only costs around sixty quid
https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/bulk-bags-sand-and-aggregates/travis-perkins-mot-type-1-sub-base-bulk-bag/p/938251
so that would appear to be a fairly economic route

[The Builder]

Hard to say without a percolation test, but it does sound like Chris's links ^^ are needed.
It's the standard way to go. Otherwise there would probably be a great deal of unsightly "ponding".

[The Builder]

It's also worth remembering that a stone sub-base only provides "storage" for the water.
Without drainage, once the stone is full... you're back to ponding again.

[Zacs-Master]

Have we established whether the Artificial Grass being laid is the type with a permeable backing? If it isn't, all the sub soil prep won't do a darn thing.

[The Builder]

BA to Zacs...............

.......... although, no one likes a smartharse ;o)))

[Zacs-Master]

It's a bit of a 'check the fuse' situation, TB ;-)

[needawin]

Thanks to all who responded