The 14-Day Danger Zone
For the first two to three weeks after installation, your new turf is incredibly fragile. The soil underneath is soft and heavily watered, and the grass roots have not yet anchored into the ground. If you walk on it in heavy boots, your heel will sink into the mud, leaving a permanent depression that ruins the perfectly leveled surface.
Use Turf Laying Boards
If you absolutely must cross the lawn (for example, to water the far corners or reach a shed), you must distribute your weight. Do not tiptoe. Instead, use wide, flat wooden planks (often called turf laying boards or scaffold boards).
- Lay the board flat across the turf.
- Walk gently across the board.
- As you move forward, place a second board in front, step onto it, and pull the first board up behind you.
By spreading your body weight across a large surface area, the board prevents your feet from indenting the soft, wet topsoil beneath the grass.