The Pros and Cons of Artificial Grass

From cutting down water consumption and saving hours on lawn maintenance to sprucing up sporting events and social gatherings, the applications of artificial grass are widespread.

For more information, our article covers the pros and cons of artificial grass, why you should avoid installing low-quality synthetic grass, and how artificial grass pros can guide you.

Artificial turf and grass are eco-friendly, improve water conversation, and don’t require the need for harmful chemical pesticides or fertilizers like real grass. For additional pros and cons of artificial grass, let’s cover the additional benefits first:

Fake grass, or synthetic grass, offers greater fall height protection than real grass. In addition to being non-toxic, artificial grass is pet-friendly and drastically cuts down on the hours required for lawn care.

One of the biggest pros of artificial grass and turf is that it is allergen-free, making it safer for family and friends who experience seasonal allergies, hay fever, sneezing, and watery eyes from grass pollen.

Top-quality artificial grass installation easily pays for itself over the course of its lifespan with drastic cuts to lawn care utility and maintenance expenses. Additionally, when professionally installed, artificial grass can add tremendous resale value to your property.

Natural grass develops humps and dips that may result in injury when playing and running whereas artificial turf and grass are laid smooth and evenly, fade-resistant, exceptionally durable, and dig-proof for dogs. Artificial grass, installed properly, won’t fray at the edges and is more durable than traditional grass lawns.

Maintaining curb appeal year-round is much easier with an artificial grass lawn. Unlike real grass where you’re mowing and touching up your yard a few times every month, with artificial grass you don’t have to worry about bald spots, yellowing grass, or how you’ll grow and maintain grass in heavily shaded areas.

High-quality synthetic grass is manufactured free of harmful materials that may prove dangerous to humans, pets, and other wildlife.

When you switch to synthetic grass, the need to invest and maintain costly lawn care equipment like weed whackers, riding mowers, and lawn care oil and gas diminishes.

Additionally, the need to use harmful chemicals and pesticides also reduces, as weed membranes are generally used as a preventative barrier between weeds and artificial grass. When you consider how around 7 million birds die annually from lawncare pesticides, you start to realize how you are not only doing yourself a favour but also local wildlife.

Outdoor water use accounts for roughly 30% of household water consumption.

Considering how the average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day, about 90 gallons of water are used for outdoor purposes. In hotter and drier regions, outdoor water use can account for as much as 70% of the total water consumption.

Therefore, not only is artificial grass eco-friendly but also budget friendly. For instance, our synthetic grass installations save more than 16,500,000 gallons of water annually.

From residential applications to sporting events and business venues, the versatility of synthetic grass and turf is broad.

While artificial grass drastically reduces water consumption, some of the environmental benefits of grass, like soaking up moisture and serving as a home for insects are impacted. Additional disadvantages of artificial grass to know include:

When exposed to direct sunlight, artificial turf and grass can become quite hot. To combat this, better-quality artificial grass products are engineered with cooling technology that keeps surface temperatures lower.

While upfront costs may appear high, the reduced costs in lawn care and maintenance, pesticides, water consumption and improved safety, deliver considerable return-on-investment. Compared to traditional sod and real turf, artificial grass is more expensive per square foot and should be considered a long-term investment.

Although it is not recommended, some companies use an infill with their artificial grass which can be an additional expense if replenishment is required and may cause health concerns over a long period of time.

Similar to messes made on real grass, should the mess be allowed to fester then odor and bacteria may build up. In addition, some artificial grass infills are known to lock in odors while debris build-up may occur without quick clean-up.

Poor quality resin is a substance commonly found amongst low-quality synthetic grass that sometimes melts and fades. Decreasing the safety and maintenance benefits of artificial grass, low-quality synthetic grass is not only frustrating for consumers but potentially harmful.

It doesn’t take a mathematician to deduce that the benefits of artificial grass far outweigh the cons.

Get your artificial grass installed by professionals for stunning lawns year-round. Having installed over 300,000 square feet of synthetic turf each season, we know how to deliver incredible landscaping projects. Tell us about your next landscaping project or order supplies for your business today.