When some people think of artificial grass, they immediately have visions of the AstroDome in the seventies, with a strange looking carpet of plastic grass covering the outfield. While this may have worked as far as simulating grass in an enclosed arena that did not allow sunlight, lets face it that it didn’t look very natural. Even though it was designed to look like grass, the technology had not yet developed very fully and it was pretty easy to tell the difference. The real changes began in the early nineties, when people started to install artificial turf in their own yards as a way to maintain a clean and functional space without the hassles associated with landscaping and running sprinkler systems. This influx of new demand caused the manufacturers to improve their products, experimenting with different plastic and nylon compounds as well as colors and lengths, all designed to more accurately simulate the look and feel of grass. The real breakthroughs came when installers began using a compacted filler material as a drainage assistant in the installations, accidentally adding a level of cushion that more accurately mimics the feel of walking of real grass. The combinations of improved textures and colors as well as the spongy feeling created a situation where a professional installation is difficult to differentiate from real grass. Most people would prefer to not have to regularly mow and water their lawns, leaving the only hesitation in many minds being the cost. Luckily, that is now lower as well due to drought conditions.
In Las Vegas, we are currently in a multi-year drought. This forces mandatory conservation efforts to kick in so as to save as much water as possible for drinking. These programs not only reduce the allocation of watering for landscaping by typical residents, but they also provide encouragement to install water smart landscaping instead of grass. This is accomplished in the form of rebates from the water authority on the installation of things like synthetic turf, if real grass is removed to do so. The current rebate from the SNWA in 2018 is three dollars per square foot, which is an increase from last year when it was two dollars. This means that for every square foot of grass that you remove and replace with water smart landscaping including artificial turf, you receive a three dollar rebate. This reduces the costs that a typical home owner would need to cover for the installation, and makes it more affordable for everyone to improve their home. What is even better is that you do not need to have specific types of artificial grass installed, and everything will satisfy the requirements from long and lush fake grass to the installation of short grass for putting greens. This means that in Las Vegas you can install a putting green in your back yard and the county will pay your three dollars per square foot to do it.
If you would like more information about artificial turf installations or backyard putting greens, contact us today.