How to set up an outdoor pet toilet using artificial grass?

[MattoVonHatto]

Heya everyone.

Was just wondering if I could get some advice on something I was trying to set up.

We have a little courtyard area out back, and I'd had a corner with fake grass set up for the dog to pee and whatnot.

Trouble being, there's not really any dirt or grass patch for him to go unfortunately, and once the fake grass gets wet, seems like the moisture just gets trapped under there with the pavers underneath.

Was thinking of laying down some kind of tarp material in hopes of trying to keep things from soaking into the bricks underneath.

The thing I was hoping for advice on was if I should put some kind of sand or soil or whatever between the tarp and the turf, and if so what to use? Mainly to help with smells. I have a disability, and it can be difficult staying consistent with hosing down and cleaning the paving, so I'll take any extra help I can get.

The plan B was to likely just pull up a small section of the brickwork and just set up some proper grass in the corner. A bit more work to do that though of course, but thought that could be a better long-term solution.

Any suggestions appreciated, thanks!

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @MattoVonHatto. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about setting up an outdoor pet toilet area.

You're right that moisture trapped under the fake grass on hard surfaces like pavers can lead to unpleasant odours. Removing a section of the pavers and placing synthetic turf directly on the soil would be an ideal solution. This will allow water to drain more effectively, reducing the risk of smells.

If you're considering a less labour-intensive option, you could place a tarp beneath the synthetic turf and add a layer of sand on top. This can help with drainage and may also assist with odour control. For further support, I'd recommend using Tuff Turf 500ml Synthetic Grass Deodoriser, which is excellent for breaking down and removing urine odours from synthetic grass.

As for laying real grass, it might struggle to thrive in that spot due to the consistent exposure to urine. Synthetic turf tends to be more durable in this context.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[MattoVonHatto]

Heya Mitchell,

Thanks for all that. I've poked my head in here a couple times for random little things I've worked on in the past, so figured it wouldn't hurt to post something.

Was mainly sanity checking I was going in the right direction, so that more or less covers it.

I didn't think of just putting the fake grass on the soil if I took some pavers out funnily enough. That's a lot more straightforward than what I was thinking. I already have one of the 1m square grass mats, so just have to move some bricks basically.

Thanks again!