Plastic lawns aren’t just for indoor sports arenas, golf courses, and football stadiums anymore. Quite the opposite. Every day, more and more Americans like you and me are choosing to rid ourselves of the constant agony of yard work by transitioning their property to one with an artificial turf. Not only is it environmentally friendly, it’s also one of the smartest business decisions you can make for the exterior of your house.
It’s the yard of the future and you know you want your children playing in it. Astroturf is soft, reliable, pliable, and easily cleaned. It comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures for your specific need.
It might sound crazy, but turf can even be recycled and reused or another lawn! There’s a growing market for used artificial Turfs that are available for a fraction of the cost at a quality comparable to a brand new landscaping job. It’s a cheap but reliable way to transition to an easy-to-care-for yard.
But before you pull the trigger on purchasing a used lawn for your home or business, you need to know a few basic terms that are thrown around in the landscaping business.
Table of Contents
Material (Yarn)
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have both approved the usage of three types of plastic in fake lawns: nylon, polypropylene, and polyethylene. The EPA has released reports here on their conclusive studies with turf. They pose no threat to the environment and actually reduce your carbon footprint.
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Nylon
By far the most expensive choice, but also the softest and most aesthetically appealing. It is also the most durable and long-lasting, but can be tricky to install.
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Polypropylene
This is the most popular type used by sports arenas, stadiums, and golf courses due to its rugged quality and thick, thatching abilities over large-swaths of ground.
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Polyethylene
This is the most popular and cost-efficient yarn choice for landscaping and making things look perky and nice. It’s very durable and as soft as cotton.
Denseness Level (Density)
This may also be referred to as a “stitch count” by some sellers, but is typically described as the turf’s density. It stands for the number of individual grass blades per every square inch, like the thread count of your bed sheets. The higher this number, the better your fake lawn will look and feel to you and your family.
Thatch
The thatch is a completely necessary (in my opinion) addition to your turf purchase as it is imperative to the natural, authentic-looking quality most people are looking for. It is simply bundles of other blades and fibers of inconsistent brown, yellow, and gray tones to better replicate real grass as best as possible.
If you’re not interested in the look so much as you’re looking for softness and reliability, thatch can be viewed more as an additional possibility as opposed to necessity.
Pile (Height and Weight)
The “pile” means the length of the grass blades (or how long they are). Small piles are common and typical for sports arenas, dog areas, and lawns. However, for more landscaping intensive jobs, a longer pile is usually recommended. The weight will impact the feel on your feet in terms of softness and realistic quality.
This is where things can get rather technical and specific. Click the following Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_turf for a more in-depth look at these terms and what they look like and mean. It is imperative to do visual research before any purchase of this sort.
Sub-Base (or Under-Layer)
Something you may not be aware of is that the soil actually expands and contacts depending on the temperature, season, and wetness level. If you don’t add what’s called a “sub-base” to your turf, you could end up with ocean-like waves and heinous wrinkles throughout your lawn as the material mutates on top of the ground.
What this layer consists of is typically rock fragments, baby rocks, road gravel or other recycled gravels, or sand that’s been compacted. This layer is pretty much the foundational support of the fake grass, but it can’t just be done you or made out of anything. Ground-seepage can infect water sources so make sure to hire a contractor versed in this.
Hue, Color, and Style
Fake grass thankfully comes in an array of colors, textures, and styles depending on what you’re interested in. Typically most artificial turf companies cater to a more realistic look for their grass as to trick most people into thinking it’s authentic and help the lawn better blend into their neighborhood and life.
And don’t just up and assume you don’t have options outside of green. There’s a whole world out there of pink, orange, purple, gold, and any other color your heart desires. Why go with the classic when you can really make your lawn pop?
