The air was angry on the day my lawn died. It was one of those evil days where I could feel its oppressive weight around me, hanging on my shoulders like a blanket of humidity and heat. The sun exercised a personal grudge against me, throwing every ray at its disposal directly at me with nary a hint of cloud cover to be found. The stingy salt of my sweat clung to my brow for only the barest of moments before falling freely down my cheeks, onto my lips – and into my eyes. That was my tragic downfall, my personal demon. My vision blurred with sweat as I was trying to pour more gas into my hungry mower.
The can slipped from my hand, and my world changed.
The cap of the gas can popped clean off and poured half of the can’s contents onto my yard. I scrambled to recover the can, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Within a week a massive portion of my grass was dead, irrevocably lost. That was the final straw. No more would I devote my Saturdays to slaving in the heat for the sake of a good-looking yard. It was the excuse I needed to do something drastic: I switched to artificial turf. It’s been three years since then. Here’s what I’ve learned since making the switch.
What Should It Look Like?
Once upon a time your only option for artificial turf was a clearly fake, garish neon green color. For me, it’s impossible to think about that nightmare without also imagining a tacky pink flamingo or nine sticking out of it. Fortunately, the industry has made leaps and bounds in aesthetics since the 1960s when it first hit the market. You can still get the neon green if you like, or even bright orange and blue (if you’re a monster), but I and most people prefer a look that mirrors the real thing. A natural look is not only possible, but commonplace; you might have driven by an artificial lawn earlier today without realizing it, so indistinguishable are some options to a natural lawn. Things have come a long way, and only the keenest eye will be able to tell the difference!
Color isn’t the only thing to consider when deciding what you want your new yard to look like. There’s a surprising amount of complexity to artificial grass! Density, also known as stitch count, is one of those considerations. Density will determine your precise maintenance needs. Height is another factor, and an important one. The height of the grass can’t be changed without replacing the whole thing. The major determinant for height will be whether that part of the yard is subject to high foot traffic. Your new yard is going to look great regardless of what decision you make, but your installer can help find the right choice for your needs.
Form is Function
Aesthetics are important, but they aren’t the only thing you need to think about. What your lawn is going to be used for is just as vital a consideration. Laws do more than look pretty, they serve a variety of functions, whether you mean for them to or not. Artificial turf is resilient, and can be expected to hold up against a lot of weather conditions, but you still need to think about exactly what kind of weather you’re most likely to see. If it rains a lot where you are, you’ll need extra resistance to pooling and potential low level flood conditions, for example. Harsh winters require different things than hot, dry places. You can find more information at https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/artificial-turf-installment.
As mentioned previously, foot traffic is going to be a major determinant on what kind of turf you’re going to need. Everything from kids playing on the grass to having friends over for a cookout can put a lot of stress on the yard, stress we barely have to think about under most conditions. One of the biggest things to consider is whether you have pets who use the yard as their bathroom. What kind of turf you need depends on the uses you expect it to see; again, your installer can help you determine what’s best for you.
Maintenance
Here’s where fake grass is at its absolute strongest. If you, like me, are done with the Sisyphean rigamarole of lawn care, the fact that you won’t have to worry about maintenance for your new yard except under specific circumstances is the main selling point. You will need to take care of a few things here and there – such as infill, the stuff that goes between the blades to maintain its springy health – but overall you’ll find that care for artificial turf is a breeze. Any installer of artificial Turf worth their salt can set you up right. I’ve only had to replace one small patch in the years I’ve had it! Overall, artificial grass is the best lawn choice I’ve ever made.