We hear it all the time, people who would like to get an installation of artificial turf hesitate because they have dogs and think that the turf will be ruined by them going to the bathroom on it. They realize that artificial turf in Las Vegas would be a perfect ground covering for children and pets to play on, and they probably have touched some of the new turf products and been amazed at how realistic they look and feel. Artificial turf would be perfect for a yard where children and dogs run and play, but because there is no way that you are going to be able to stop the dogs from going to the bathroom on it, you fear that it will be ruined almost immediately. You have visions of your new turf being installed and a few days later it stinks and has big yellow spots on it, like what happens when dogs urinate on real grass in Las Vegas. Luckily, these assumptions are totally unfounded and incorrect, and artificial turf is actually perfect for Las Vegas home owners who own dogs. This is because of the addition of a few improvements that have evolved over the years.
When artificial turf was relatively new, it was very much like a blanket of plastic grass attached to a rubber backing material. The problems started when water is added, and it created pools because it could not effectively drain through the backing material the way that real grass would allow. Manufacturers realized this issue, and began using backing materials that were able to allow water and other liquids to pass through instead of pooling. The other significant improvement is the addition of underfilling material and weed barriers to the installation. One issue with Las Vegas soil is that it is tightly compacted and hard, unlike soils outside of our desert climate. This means that water cannot penetrate very easily, and instead will run along the surface. If you simply staked the artificial turf to this ground, liquid would still pool beneath it even if the backing material allows it to pass through. It was discovered when creating installations that were requested to be more spongy that putting down an underfill of compacted material will create an artificial surface that actually allows for more appropriate drainage, and virtually eliminates pooling. This means that when your pets urinate on a professional installation of artificial turf, the urine will pass through and be allowed to dissipate more naturally, which cuts down on the odors that arise when pet urine is allowed to concentrate and dry on the surface of the ground. In our installations that request it we also add a specialized crystal compound to the turf which naturally eliminates the smell of urine by counteracting the ammonia in it. The product is safe and natural, so you don’t have to worry about your pets of children being exposed to it. This will create a nearly total elimination of smell, and the turf itself will not be stained or impacted at all by the pet urine. Artificial turf is the perfect ground covering for your pets, so contact us today to find out more.