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How to Fix Burnt or Melted Faux Grass (2026): Patch It in 6 Steps and Stop It Happening Again

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Melted faux grass can't be brushed back; the fix is to cut the damage out and set in a patch.

A burn on faux grass is a patch of melted or singed plastic blades caused by heat. Once plastic melts, it hardens into a crusty, flattened, often brown or black spot. It can't be cleaned or brushed upright. The only real fix is to cut out the damaged area and replace it with a patch of matching turf.

This guide covers what causes burns, a six-step patch and how to stop it happening again. It's about heat damage to turf, not first aid. We drew on repair guidance from installer Heavenly Greens and Synthetic Grass Warehouse (SGW). Keep fire safety in mind: no residential turf is fireproof, and plastic can catch fire.

What causes burns on faux grass?

Six heat sources cause almost every melted patch:

1. Fire-pit and barbecue embers. Heavenly Greens names embers as a common cause. One spark from a fire pit can melt a small hole.
2. Dropped cigarettes. Also named by Heavenly Greens. A cigarette left on turf melts blades in seconds.
3. Hot grill and heater bases. A barbecue, a patio heater or a pizza oven standing on turf can melt it from the heat underneath.
4. Fireworks. Sparklers and fireworks drop hot debris onto turf.
5. Reflected sunlight from windows. Some energy-efficient (low-E) windows reflect and concentrate sunlight, a little like a magnifying glass. A strip of melted turf in a line near the house is a common sign.
6. Hot car exhausts. A car parked over turf, or a mower or generator, can melt the patch below its exhaust.

Why did my artificial grass melt? Usually from embers, cigarettes, a hot appliance or concentrated sunlight reflected from a window.

The 6-step patch

Cut along the turf's rows so the patch lines up with the grain. Here's how:

Step 1: Trim the melted blades. Use sharp scissors to snip off the crusty, melted tips. On a very small burn, trimming alone can make the spot much less noticeable.

Step 2: Cut out the damaged area. Brush back the infill, then cut a clean square or rectangle around the burn, from the back of the turf if you can reach it. Follow the gauge rows, the lines of stitching in the backing, so the edges are straight. Heavenly Greens suggests a seam cutter for spots under about 4 in.

Step 3: Cut a matching patch. Use an offcut from the same roll, or at least the same product. SGW stresses using the same dye lot, so the colour matches, and the same gauge direction, so the grain lines up. Lay the removed piece on the offcut as a template. See our offcuts guide.

Step 4: Lay seam tape. Slide seam tape under all four edges of the hole, so it overlaps both the lawn and where the patch will go. Linghou's 6 in self-adhesive tape is wide enough to overlap both sides of a small patch. Check price on Amazon · Seam tape guide

Step 5: Glue and weight. Spread turf adhesive on the tape, drop the patch in, and press the edges tight against the surrounding turf. Keep blades out of the glue. Weight the patch while it cures. Threlaco's 10 oz turf glue tube suits small patches. Check price on Amazon · Adhesive guide

Step 6: Infill and brush. Once cured, top up the infill and brush across the patch in several directions to blend it in. See our infill guide.

Our take: from our hands-on work cutting and joining artificial grass for event sets, the grain is what gives a patch away. A patch from the same roll, laid with its blades leaning the same way, all but disappears once brushed; one turned the other way catches the light differently and stays visible from across the lawn.

How do you repair melted artificial grass? Trim the melted blades, cut out the damaged square, set in a matching patch on seam tape and glue, then infill and brush. For other damage, see our repair guide.

How do you prevent burns?

A heat-proof pad under every hot thing prevents most burns. Use this checklist:

• Put fire pits and grills on a fireproof pad or pavers. Better still, keep them on a patio rather than turf. If you must use one near turf, put a fireproof mat underneath. DocSafe's 40 in square fire pit mat is listed for decks, patios and grass. DocSafe on Amazon
• Follow your fire pit maker's guidance. A mat reduces ember and heat damage, but it doesn't make turf fireproof.
• No smoking on turf. Provide an ashtray on a hard surface.
• Fix reflective windows. Window film, external screens, awnings or plants can break up reflected sunlight. Ask a window specialist which film suits your glass.
• Keep heaters and ovens off turf. Stand patio heaters and pizza ovens on paving.
• No fireworks over turf. Light them on a hard surface well away from the lawn.
• Don't park over turf. Keep cars, mowers and generators off.

And for the full care routine, see our maintenance schedule.