One of the commonly asked questions on Google that comes from people living in communities that are effected by drought is “should I install artificial turf into my yard?” The answer is yea and no. If you live in a community that is attempting to conserve water, or if you are attempting to conserve water for your own reasons, then yes installing artificial turf into your yard is a great idea. If you are asking if you should attempt to install artificial turf yourself, the answer is no. Synthetic grass is a great way to keep the green look and feel of your yard without all of the inconveniences of real grass, but it is far more difficult to install than you would expect, at least to install correctly. Improperly installed synthetic grass will almost always suffer from aging issues like seams coming apart, bagging and shifting of the turf, pulling away from edges and other issues as well. The turf itself is a product that is nearly indestructible today, benefiting from years of science and improvements to the blends that make up the grass blades and the backing. It is to the point where people have a difficult time differentiating between synthetic grass and real grass, even when they are touching it. The majority of ways that people can tell it is fake grass is because of poor installation.
There are numerous aspects of the turf installation process that must be completely correctly if the job is to remain realistic looking over the years. First, it is critical to install an underfill material that is made up of compacted, spongy materials. This is installed over a weed barrier that will prevent any growth of plants up and through the turf itself. The underfill is what gives the turf the soft feel that we have come to appreciate, and separates it from the old and hard feel of astro-turf. The feeling of a carpet being staked down to hard ground is what made turf feel fake in the past, and if time is given to install a proper underfill it can make all the difference. Another aspect is the correct procedures to follow at seams as well as edges. These are the areas that will be under stress to come apart, and over time the wear of motion on top as well as the contracting and expanding due to weather conditions will work to split the seams. If they are appropriately done they will not come apart or stretch. The most important aspect of installation is the proper staking patterns and techniques. This is the way you assure even stretching over time and prevent the ripples or bags that are common in carpeting. By creating a pattern where the turf is affixed securely to the ground with only minimal space in between stakes is the key. Time and attention must be given to this step to assure even aging.
If you are thinking of installing artificial turf into your yard congratulations you have made a great choice. It will help you to have a maintenance free yard and to conserve water. If you are thinking of doing it yourself, we would suggest contacting a licensed installation company like Desert Greenscapes to find out how low our prices are. We very well might be able to make you reconsider trying to save a few dollars doing it yourself, and get it done the right way. It will save you money and aggravation over time.