Adding artificial grass to your roof deck is a great way to incorporate lush, verdant landscaping into an urban jungle. Green space can be a precious commodity depending on where you live, so opting for rooftop turf can help you enjoy the soft, natural feeling of grass underfoot without the maintenance and square footage required for a natural grass backyard.

If you want to install synthetic turf onto your roof, choosing Tile Tech’s turf tray makes it easier than ever — but there are a few important things to keep in mind before you begin installing your roof turf.

1. Drainage

Efficient drainage is one of the biggest benefits of artificial grass over natural grass, and it’s especially important on a rooftop. If you’re installing roof turf, ensure that your rooftop has adequate drainage and water flow to avoid pooling water. If water builds up, you could have issues with mold, mildew or roof leaks.

Before installing your turf tray, confirm there’s somewhere for your water to drain. Then, be sure to utilize adjustable pedestals such as Tile Tech’s hybrid adjustable pedestals or standard adjustable pedestals during installation. Placing your turf trays on top of adjustable pedestals will allow you to create room for water flow underneath the turf. Setting the turf at a slight slant will also help ensure adequate drainage.

2. Magnification

Artificial turf is an incredibly durable and long-wearing product, which is why it’s preferred over natural grass for rooftop applications. However, magnification can be an issue since turf is made of plastic polyethylene fibers.

To gauge whether magnification, or the melting of turf caused by direct sunlight, will be an issue for your rooftop, place a plastic bag in the area where your roof turf would be. Supervise it over the course of the day, and if it hasn’t melted by midday, your rooftop turf will likely be just fine.

Magnification is most common on balconies or rooftops where you’ll experience the direct reflection of sunlight off of a neighboring building. White reflection lines along the surface of the rooftop are often a good indicator of whether your artificial grass will melt in that area.

3. Frame Installation

Whether you’re installing porcelain outdoor tiles or turf trays (and most property owners will install both), you’ll need to construct a frame using our adjustable deck supports in order to install the rooftop turf. 

We recommend measuring where the deck trays will go with chalk, then placing an adjustable deck support at each corner of a tile, including around the entire perimeter of the rooftop area. Don’t forget to leave room for spacers if needed. Once you’ve done this, you can easily snap your turf tray into place — no frame construction or adhesive necessary.

Rooftop turf is one of the most cost-effective and functional ways to add vibrant greenery to small, outdoor spaces like balconies or rooftops — and, thanks to Tile Tech, it’s also one of the easiest. Whether you want roof turf for a lounge space or spruce up a balcony, Tile Tech’s turf tray deck system makes it possible. If you’d like to learn more about Tile Tech’s full range of products and services, including adjustable pedestals and turf trays, give us a call at (888) 380-5575 or fill out our online contact form. We’re always happy to provide you with a free product sample, catalog, or quote for your next project.