The Benefits Of Artificial Grass

By Roger Mckenzie

While artificial grass isn't going to be a real substitute for normal lawns, which owes something to preference and some people's fondness for riding lawn mowers, there are enough useful reasons to consider it for a business, home, or athletic center. Astroturf, as it is frequently called, is getting to be a more frequent choice when people get tired of a finicky lawn. Still, the product has a long way to go before most of the common myths about Astroturf are dispelled.

When considering whether or not to purchase Astroturf, consider the needs of the area it might be installed in. Is the area subject to constant wear and tear? How difficult is it to maintain a natural grass surface in this area? Is a natural grass surface becoming too costly or time consuming to keep?

It's astounding how much money is spent every year on lawn care and products, whether through a service or a homeowner themselves. When one considers even just the cost of fuel for lawn mowers and other accessories, it's not difficult to imagine that Astroturf can be so cost effective. The need for pesticides, herbicides, and all those complications is eliminated.

Despite the initial feelings of athletes and their fans that Astroturf was an unacceptable replacement for natural grass, synthetic turf has become used most frequently in athletic centers where growing natural grass is unfeasible. This stigma arose from very early Astroturf, which was coarse, abrasive, and much harder than a natural surface. The athletes and others felt that such artificial surfaces made them more prone to injury, considering the amount of contact that they have with the ground.

Newer artificial grass, however, is filled with sand and/or rubber to pad the surface and provide it with less resistance. These products are specially fabricated to avoid the kinds of difficulties athletes had in the past. The 21st century artificial fields are not nearly as prone to contribution to skin abrasion from the typical sliding and roughhousing that takes place during matches.

There are a number of popular applications for both home and business use. These smaller scale implementations of Astroturf include achieving an ideal, always well-maintained looking garden area, putting greens, play areas for children, and kenneling areas for dogs or other animals. The possibilities are really only limited by imagination.

Also, the newest and most advanced Astroturf isn't the solid sheet of the past. The new synthetic surfaces are breathable, which means that water can flow through them with ease, so they're very easy to clean. As mentioned elsewhere, this easy cleaning really makes the surfaces a very practical option for households with dogs. The surfaces aren't so porous, though, that they let in weeds or other growth through the artificial turf. The installation process practically insures that this won't be the case.

Product lifetime and appearance should also be taken into account when considering artificial grass. Artificial turf varies in terms of quality and esthetics, so cost and personal taste are going to be factors, considering the variety of blade lengths and colors available from most distributors. All artificial turf's lifetime is going to be limited, like anything else though, so check with the dealer to make sure that there is a good warrantee in place and that the Astroturf will last as long as you want it. - 33393

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