Who doesn’t love sitting on the grass in their yard – in the warming sun or the cooling shade? Young or old(er), we revel in opportunities to get down there at grass level for a relaxing sit or to stretch out for a snooze. Since artificial grass doesn’t grow, it doesn’t require water, sunlight, or gravity to remain its emerald best. That means you can install it and sit on it in lots of places, not necessarily at ground level.
Artificial grass is easy to cut, so cut it into squares or circles and sew it into cushions for patio furniture or beanbag-style lounging. Or make stylish take-along cushions that are sure to radically improve seating at your favorite stadium. The folks seated around you will be so jealous!
Whatever type of seating you choose to improve creatively with synthetic turf, you can be sure it will continue to look as fine as the day you installed it for years to come. No fading or stains, even when it’s left outside all year long.
But let’s not forget your interior space. A grassy covering for your favorite window seat will give that alcove a visual uplift and plump up your comfort level for those times when you want to get away and read in peace or simply gaze out the window.
Perhaps your idea of recreation isn’t sports, but hobbies. Especially do-it-yourself projects. Nothing says “creativity” like making things from scratch using your own tools, materials, and ideas. Here, too, artificial grass is not only useful, it’s one of the most versatile materials you can find.
What kind of projects can you do with fake grass? You can make anything “go green” or soften a surface. You can turn a bland space into something eye-catching, and make living spaces far more inviting as well as more functional. You can create unexpected decorative accents, indoors or out. Why not start a competition among your friends to see who can come up with the most imaginative idea?
As a first project, you might want to consider covering some flower pots or planters. Or covering your child’s (formerly) red wagon. Set aside time to help the kids cut shapes of turf to stick on the wall in their bedroom or bonus room.
Have you always wanted topiaries in your garden, but couldn’t face the amount of ongoing work involved? Now’s your chance to go wild with grassy animals or whatever you want. You can cover any shape with artificial turf, and it will always look perfect. You’ll never have to lift a finger or a tiny manicure scissor to trim them, and they’ll never need water. Perfect!
In an earlier section, we talked about decorating on your lawn. If you’re looking for a fun DIY project to involve the kids, why not make wooden (or Styrofoam) cut-outs of holiday decorations – trees, wreaths, candy canes, etc. – then cover them with artificial grass? Remember, you can think beyond green when it comes to creating with fake grass, becomes in colors, too.
Whether or not golf is a big interest in your family, there are plenty of other activities and games everyone can enjoy on your artificial grass. In many ways, it’s better to play on artificial grass than a natural lawn. Among other things, the faux alternative:
Gives you better traction Fends off bacterial growth Is healthier for people and pets as well as the environment Can keep up with the action no matter what games you play, without a dip in performance or gorgeous good looks Creative Ways To Use AG Int blog 2 Artificial grass makes a great court for net games, as well. You can say yes to at-home volleyball, badminton, and tennis, as long as you use the right equipment. It’s not OK to puncture the backing on your turf, but it’s not difficult to find nets and accessories designed specifically for use on artificial grass, with wheels or weights instead of in-ground poles. If you play often, our Heavenly Greens installation experts can implant permanent sub-surface pole-holders that close inconspicuously with caps when not in use.
Whether you’re playing team sports, net games, or you want to create a life-size chessboard on your artificial grass, you can use special paints to mark boundaries, etc. without damaging your lawn.
Of course, you don’t have to engage in organized games to recreate on your grass. Get out there and do some somersaults. Or teach the kids how to do handstands. Tumbling and “floor exercise” style gymnastics are great on grass, whether you’re a toddler or just a kid at heart. And speaking of the little ones, even if you do install a formal putting green, they’ll have more fun playing whiffle golf or baseball on the lawn.
And then there’s yoga. If you’re one of the more than 20 million Americans who practice yoga, performing your postures on soft fluffy grass is sure to elevate you to a Zen-like state. You won’t even need your mat.
Sometimes, you just have to put decorations on your lawn, right? Christmas and other holidays cry out for your own personalized displays. For special occasions such as birthday or graduation parties, starting the party curbside with front yard decorations lets everyone know, “This is the place!” And when Halloween rolls around, you’ll be the neighborhood’s must-visit house if you build a haunted house on your artificial grass lawn.
Artificial grass is a lot more accommodating than natural grass when it comes to this kind of decorating. No worries about rain or dampness, because fake grass drains far better than the real thing. No puddles or mud to damage your displays (or get your shoes and clothes filthy while you’re setting things up and taking them down).
And no matter the weather or how long your decorations or large-scale displays remain, they can’t kill the grass. If your artificial grass becomes flattened, you can simply re-fluff it using your fingers for tiny spots or a stiff, natural bristle broom for larger areas. Good as new, green as ever, ready for its next grassy assignment.
But here’s the thing. Artificial grass does have one special requirement – you cannot put holes in it. Inflatables and other decorations that use stakes or pegs to hold them in place are not appropriate for your faux lawn. That’s really no big deal, though, because you can use sandbags or attach “feet” to most items to stabilize them. And if your kids (or your inner child) insist on inflatable decorations, you can always install them in areas other than on your grass.
It’s easy to learn the dos and don’ts of decorating on artificial grass. Once you do, you’re prepared to get creative without concerns about damaging your lawn.
The number one item to look out for is longevity. Ask yourself how long this provider has been in business. This has two key benefits. The first is that they will have additional expertise. The end result is going to be a superior quality install for you.
Secondly, you know that the supplier is going to stand by their warranty and performance guarantee. A new company might provide a warranty and guarantee but go bankrupt in five years, or the warranty could be completely fake. This can happen when you use Chinese importers or similar quality companies. By simply choosing a provider that has been doing business in your area for many years, you can’t go far wrong.
While attempting to lay synthetic turf will cost you money, you may be able to reduce costs by doing the preparation work yourself.
You’ll first have to remove the existing soil. The depth will be around 60mm for standard use. Next, you will have to fill the area with dolomite sand or similar (50mm) and smooth it out with a topsoil spreader. Use a plate compactor to compact the sand and a trowel to smooth any uneven areas.
The materials and depths will change depending on what you are using the astro turf for. For instance, a higher traffic area may need quarry rubble (80mm) with dolomite sand (10mm). Regardless, it will always have to be compacted and smooth for the installation.
It’s conceivable to do this in order to cut down on costs provided you have the tools at hand and are willing to put in the time needed. The artificial lawn simply needs a smooth, level, compacted base. If you’re laying on a slope, you might need to call in a landscaping expert.
Nothing. This is actually one of the biggest benefits. You don’t need to do anything. It requires no water, no fertilizer, and no cutting. Once it’s installed, it’s there to stay. This will save you a considerable sum of money over the long term when you tally up the costs of mowing, watering, and maintaining a traditional lawn.
Not to mention the stress of doing all of this every month. If a piece of the synthetic lawn gets damaged, you can simply replace it. You can just order some more and put it down or get a professional to replace it for you.
Typically, you can expect to pay between $35-55 per square metre for the installation. This is quite similar to the cost of the grass itself.
The price will be lower if you are combining both installation and supply from the same company. Many providers also offer a discount for bigger surface areas. See the table below as an example. There may also be a minimum fee if you have a small area to cover the cost of travel, time, and set up.
Area
1 – 100 m2
100 – 500 m2
500 – 1000 m2
1000+ m2
Installation Cost
$45 per m2
$40 per m2
$35 per m2
$30 per m2
Note that many providers do go the extra mile with the installation, and this can make your grass look incredible. So while the price of installation might be cheaper with some providers, this could simply mean a lower quality install that unravels pretty quickly, meaning you need to get it replaced sooner.
Before we delve more deeply into the price, we first need to understand what we’re paying for. There are two items to keep in mind in terms of the total cost:
Supply
Installation
This will help us to avoid any confusion later on. Many providers offer a combined service for both supply and installation, and this may be slightly discounted for getting the two services combined.
When providers advertise a price per square metre, this is usually for both the supply and installation. The price for the grass itself will be lower. The quoted price will rarely include preparation work because the provider has no way of knowing the difficulty of this work.
The advertised synthetic grass cost assumes a workable, smooth, and flat surface. If you already have this, it will make things easier (and more affordable). You will have to pay for preparation work separately from the synthetic grass cost, unless you go to the trouble of doing it yourself.
Some synthetic grass products include sophisticated permeable backing systems. These technologies facilitate improved air circulation, which contributes to more efficient heat dissipation. Because of this, even in direct sunshine, the artificial grass’s surface temperature stays lower.
2. Infrared-Reflective Additives
A few producers of artificial grass include infrared-reflective materials in their goods. By reflecting sunlight instead of absorbing it, these chemicals reduce the amount of heat that builds up on the turf’s surface. As a result, even on hot days, the fake grass is more comfortable to touch and stays cooler.
3. Cooling-Infused Fibers
Artificial grass fibers with cooling properties have been developed as a result of advancements in fiber technology. Compared to conventional synthetic materials, these specific fibers are intended to decrease heat absorption and maintain a lower temperature. Consequently, cooling-infused artificial grass provides more comfort and utility.