For those who love a touch of green in their house, the grass is something precious. When you wake up and get your first glimpse of the beautiful, lush green grass, it can be an instant mood lifter. Nothing works the charm like nature. However, grass requires a world of maintenance and care with regular mowing and watering to keep it alive. Therefore, this part can deter many from it.
But then artificial grass makes its grand entrance and has revolutionized lawn keeping. With synthetic grass, all you need is to buy a grass carpet/turf, and you are good to go! No more hassle of trimming the grass or watering it and kids getting grass stains. Everything is smooth sailing after that. In this article, we will give you a detailed artificial grass guide and tell you about the best synthetic grass options in the market. So read on and find out all you need to know before you go and buy your favorite artificial grass.
What Is Artificial Grass?
Artificial grass consists of synthetic, human-made fibers, and they look like actual grass. The green synthetic grass blades come in several pile heights. It is created in the exact way that a carpet is; it features a strong backing, and then the blades are stitched on by the machine. Many current artificial kinds of grass being manufactured are woven in a brown thatch that imitates the appearance of lifeless grass that one sees on a natural grass lawn. With modern technology, artificial grass has amassed many improvements in its natural-looking appearance.
Artificial Grass Buying Guide
Buying artificial grass can be a little tricky, so this is where we give you a detailed guide. We will provide you with some valuable suggestions about what you must look for before spending your money on artificial grass. We will assess the main features and elements and evaluate practicality to help you make the right choice. If you are from Worcester, you can check the best quality artificial grass Worcester here with all details. Now let’s start our guide in detail and try to cover all the important points.
1. Fibers
These are artificial threads utilized for manufacturing artificial grass. These strings determine the quality of a man-made product. And there are some significant facts for your consideration. Fibers are prepared from resin, and the better the resin class, the extra you can expect from the artificial turf. When this synthetic material is of low quality, the fibers will be vulnerable to fading, melting, or both.
2. Pile and Its Height
Piles are the short threads forming the soft surface of artificial grass or the grass blades. Thus, it is inextricably bound with the quality and installation of artificial grass turf. Relying on the marked area for the artificial grass, you need to choose a pile with the right length to conform to your needs. There is no standard rule, but be mindful that blades below 0.98 inches can deteriorate faster. Furthermore, if they are higher than 1.77 inches, your green artificial lawn might glisten too much and look plastic.
Another thing is its installation. We suggest a pile between 1.5-2 inches if you are planning to utilize it on playgrounds, or terrains that get high traffic. If you plan to put it on a balcony or roof terrace, then the exact pile height should be around 1.5 inches. Mentioning pet parents is necessary as most of them are always searching for top grass for their beloved animals; we suggest that the blades stay shorter than 1.3 inches.
3. Synthetic Infill
Another significant key factor to consider is the artificial thatch. It helps keep the grass blades in an upright position and gives that soft feel you experience when your feet step on the artificial grass.
When buying artificial turf, you might discover that some products do not come with thatch. In such cases, you might need to purchase a granular matter, like sand or rubber pellets, and disseminate it evenly around the grass carpet with a rake to keep the blades right. Also, this can soften the green synthetic surface.
Numerous artificial grass products on the market feature in-built thatches, meaning that you do not need to purchase anything extra. The thatch comes in a distinct color from the blades with curly and short threads to establish an extra realistic look. Moreover, the colored yarn retains a memory purpose and supports the straight fibers in an upright position. This guarantees you the durability of the grass unit.
4. Colors
Green appears in several shades, even naturally. Thus, artificial grass makers have chosen to cultivate as many green hues as possible to mimic biological grass. This is why quality artificial turf comes in 3-4 color ranges like yellow-green, olive green, and simple forest green. It all depends on how striking you want your turf to look, so you can pick a color accordingly by looking at samples.
5. Material
Artificial grass consists of different materials. The most widespread ones you will find while navigating through artificial grass are polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). Here is a breakdown of them all.
- Polypropylene (PP) is an economically priced material for fake grass. The fibers made of PP are UV-resistant, chemical resistant, and immune to molds or fungus. Furthermore, polypropylene grass carpet is water-resistant, which implies that damp weather cannot defect the product. However, this substance does not feature much strength in durability under high temperature.
- Polyethylene (PE) is the first-ever wielded material for producing artificial grass. The fibers prepared from it are super soft and elastic. The rule is that the less the density, the more soft artificial grass is. This substance has a low melting point, heavy furniture can damage the fibers, and you will end up with flat-looking grass.
However, you will find that some artificial grass features a blend of both these materials, which can be a great option. You get the best of both materials with better durability and long-term usage.
6. Drainage
Artificial grass makers know how crucial it is to include a drainage system in the grass if your pet pees on it or you wish to water it. Moreover, cleaning grass turf is another crucial matter. It is best to opt for grass that has some drainage system like tiny holes or openings on the side, so no water accumulates, and it can dry faster.
7. Good Backing
Your fake grass must be produced with solid backing. It is allowing to the backing that practically holds everything together. The artificial grass-making process entails stitching the fibers to a backing membrane that makers later coat in latex. Selecting a turf with poor backing can stem several issues. Therefore, look for solid rubber backing in your grass turf to ensure durability and no slipping.
