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Usage, location, climate, foot traffic, budget, aesthetic preferences &#;so many factors go into choosing the best artificial grass for any project.
And despite what you may read on Amazon or eBay, all artificial grass is not created equal.
So, what is the best type for your particular usage and what&#;s to be avoided?
Whether you&#;re looking for synthetic grass for home usage &#;maybe for dogs, a pool area or a backyard putting green &#; or simply to make a great impression when a customer drives into your business or commercial premises, it helps to have a few pointers on what to look out for.
Here we take you through how to choose the best quality synthetic grass so that you avoid an expensive mistake and end up with something that both looks the part and lasts many years. Then we provide some specific product recommendations for various types of usage:
If you&#;ve spent any time online exploring the best artificial grass, you&#;re probably confused and worn out with the dazzling array of options available.
When artificial grass first came onto the scene in the s, there was a single choice (AstroTurf &#; and they still make sports fields today). Now there are thousands &#; with more cheap alternatives appearing online every day.
Choice is great &#; but only if you can separate the wheat from the chaff!
As a potential buyer of synthetic grass for a residential or commercial space, what do you need to consider before you settle on a particular type or brand of grass?
Which grass is going to provide the best value in the long run?
We&#;ve broken it down for you into the main considerations: a &#;broad strokes&#; guide to selecting the best quality artificial turf for your needs. Later, we&#;ll get into more specifics according to your intended usage.
So, you&#;ll need to start by considering the following:
You have all the resources you need to research everything you need to know about your artificial grass online.
Before you do that, you&#;ll probably want to familiarize yourself with a few terms that will come up again and again if you&#;re dealing with artificial grass professionals &#; because they&#;re important for understanding the quality, durability and appearance of your turf.
The main ones are:
Now that you&#;re familiar with the lingo you&#;ll see on artificial grass websites, let&#;s look at the main factors you&#;ll want to weigh up when you&#;re considering the best artificial grass options&#;
The most basic consideration is where you&#;re going to install your artificial turf.
An occasionally used patio or entertainment area will have different requirements of quality, durability and aesthetics to a heavy-use volleyball court in the backyard.
A busy kids&#; play area or backyard dog run will be different again from a landscaped lawn outside a business.
The intended location is directly related to the level of foot traffic that the artificial turf area will be subjected to. That&#;s an important consideration for the quality and durability you need.
The level of durability you need will likely dictate the yarn type that you need so let&#;s take a quick look at what you can expect from the three yarn types:
You can find out more about the three main artificial grass types here.
The hot and humid subtropical climate we enjoy in eastern Texas means long, hot summers that most readers are only too familiar with.
Excessive heat and sunshine can affect lower-quality artificial turf. But rest assured that all the artificial grass provided by the team at Artificial Grass Pros is designed to withstand the heat and sunshine that the Austin area experiences.
Our artificial turf has built-in ultraviolet (UV) protection that provides resistance to the sun&#;s rays: an important consideration if you want grass that looks and feels great even many years after you install it.
For the Austin area, flash floods are another important consideration. You&#;ll need your turf installed by professionals with experience in good drainage practices.
The many successful installations that our team has performed in the Austin area mean we&#;re well accustomed to the challenges posed by the climate here and know exactly what to look out for during the turf selection and installation processes.
If you&#;d like to talk your situation through with a knowledgeable professional, contact us here.
There&#;s no mowing, watering, fertilizing or pest spraying needed with artificial grass. One of its great attractions is its low maintenance requirements.
With most artificial turf, all you need to do is keep it clear of debris with a power broom or turf rake, hose it down once in a while to prevent matting and manage your pets&#; toilet habits a little.
How do you want your grass to look? Is it going to be in the backyard where only you, your family and a few guests will see it &#; or sitting prominently at the front of your home or business?
The highest-quality artificial grass has blades with soft edges and firm tips that look most like the real thing with a layer of thatch underneath to mimic the inconsistencies of real grass.
Everybody wants turf that looks beautiful but you may need to balance practicalities (robustness for high usage) with budget and aesthetic considerations.
How realistic does your artificial grass need to be? The color is likely to be a major factor in the decision of the type of grass you want &#; the variations can be quite stark:
Remember, the overall color of your artificial turf depends not only on the main blades of grass but the thatch underneath too.
You want artificial turf that looks great and lasts. There&#;s usually a premium to pay for that.
But it&#;s not just about the sticker price of the grass. You&#;ll need it professionally installed to ensure that it looks great and lasts as long as you expect it to.
Your budget will be a major consideration when you buy. It&#;s best to view your artificial turf project as an investment in your backyard or business that will pay back over the years with lower water and gardening service costs.
This should help you set a realistic budget that ensures you get artificial turf that does its job for many years ahead.
What you&#;re looking for when selecting your artificial turf will vary depending mainly on the installation location, intended usage and size of the area (which affects budget).
There&#;s a suitable artificial grass product for almost every climate, use, location and budget. The choices you have in the Austin area are many and varied.
Once you know the main features to look out for, you can choose the best grass for your space.
To help you, it&#;s good to know the features that should be common to all virtually all quality installations &#; whether a seldom-used patio or a dog run in the yard. Most home and business owners want to ensure that their artificial grass ticks the following boxes:
Let&#;s start with the most common usage of all artificial turf installations: a backyard lawn.
Key features for this type of installation generally include the following:
The overall best artificial grass for the backyard is a polyethylene-based turf with soft wave-shaped blades and a rich field and olive-toned yarn. With a medium face weight (approx. 60 ounces) and a 1.5-inch pile height, you&#;ll end up with a plush backyard lawn.
A drainage rate of 30+ inches of rain per hour per square yard is ideal for the Austin climate.
Best artificial grass for dogs
Pets may add some complications for homeowners when it comes to artificial grass areas.
That said, the best artificial grass for dogs provides a durable and lasting area that looks great and requires little maintenance.
Key features to look for with this type of usage are:
The best artificial grass for dogs installed by our team uses a revolutionary draining technology that makes for very low maintenance, a constant fresh smell and no yellow patches. It is made of polyethylene and has a face weight of approximately 80 ounces with a pile height of 1.25 Inches.
Dog urine generally drains through the backing of artificial grass, so that it leaves no trace. Microbial treatments to the grass dispel any odors.
If required, you can further clean and deodorize artificial grass with a special enzymatic cleaning spray or natural cleaners like baking soda or water and vinegar.
Artificial grass around backyard swimming pools is a popular choice in Texas homes. Strip and grid designs between the pavers and flagstones look great.
Special attention needs to be paid to drainage in this location because of the threat of pooling water on artificial grass, which can attract unwanted problems.
Key features to look for with this usage are:
The best artificial grass for a pool area is a polyethylene-based turf with soft wave-shaped blades and rich field and olive-toned yarn. Its 1.75-inch pile height is ideal for a plush feel next to your swimming pool and its excellent drainage rate should be well suited to this usage.
Texans are golf lovers. Around one in ten artificial grass installations in the state are putting greens.
Artificial backyard putting green grass should mimic the look, feel and roll of your favorite course&#;s putting green and has some special characteristics.
Key features to look for with this usage are:
The best artificial grass for a putting green has an ideal pile height of 0.5 inches and a face weight of 50 ounces. Made of polyethylene, it provides a realistic roll and a vibrant color for your backyard golf green.
If your kids need a place to play in the backyard, you&#;ll want an area that looks pristine all year round but, more importantly, is focused on safety.
Artificial grass is the way to go for play areas and playgrounds &#; and you&#;ll need a quality that stands up to plenty of rough and tumble. Some play areas are installed with a base layer of foam for additional padding and protection.
Key features to look for with your artificial grass in this location are:
The best artificial grass for kids&#; play areas is soft and lush and ensures excellent drainage (30 inches of rain per hour per square yard minimum). It has a face weight of ~80 ounces and is hypo-allergenic and repels insects.
With our professional team of installers, you can be sure that the play area will be evenly laid with no bumps, divots or rocks underneath to create trip and fall hazards for your children.
Synthetic turf can add a splash of color to your patios or deck &#; or even a rooftop or balcony area if you live in an apartment.
The best artificial grass for patios has the following features:
In fact, the artificial patio grass we like best is a high-quality multi-purpose synthetic turf that is ideally suited to most areas of the home and yard.
Best budget artificial grass
Some types of artificial grass are cheaper than others &#; but be wary of trying to over-budget and don&#;t cut corners when it comes to installation.
Good quality artificial grass professionally installed and reasonably maintained can last until your young children have grown up and fled the nest. But skimping on either grass quality or installation could backfire and take years off the life of your patch of artificial turf.
With that in mind, what&#;s the best budget artificial grass? We like the Bermuda Blend. It has a lower face weight than most of the other artificial grass types recommended here (approximately 55 ounces). This means that it provides good durability with moderate foot traffic.
With a pile height of 1.5 inches and a natural aesthetic from its mini-wave-shaped yarn fibers, it is a good mid-range grass that comes in at a slightly lower price, making it cost-effective for larger spaces like in many commercial projects.
Bermuda Blend disperses sunlight well and keeps the turf sheen-free and cool even in our hot Texan summers.
In fact, every type of artificial grass mentioned above can easily withstand our climate &#; it&#;s partly why we choose it for residential and commercial projects all around the Austin area.
Just as there&#;s no single best artificial grass, there&#;s no one worst-quality artificial turf either.
But you need to be on the lookout for the following red flags, which can result in an artificial grass area that neither looks the part nor lasts:
You may not be able to readily gauge the quality of synthetic grass in the shop. It&#;s best to work with a reliable supplier that only deals with quality products.
If you decide to buy from a shop, ask for a sample so that you can test it in situ at your property. This will also give you time to check reviews and previous installations so that you have some benchmarks to work with.
Rest assured, all of the synthetic turf installed by Artificial Grass Pros is high quality, uses the best quality materials, contains no damaging metals or low-quality resins and is well suited to the hot climate in Texas.
Now you&#;re armed with the information to confidently choose the best artificial grass &#; whether that&#;s your backyard lawn, a playground area, a patio or a putting green.
The best quality synthetic turf for your particular usage depends mainly on the location of the installation, the level of foot traffic and the face weight, blade shape and materials used.
Choosing a product that best matches what you need is only the first step. The installation quality matters as much as the turf quality. That&#;s where our experienced team comes in.
Our products come with our 15-year guarantee on installation work as well as a 15-year manufacturer&#;s guarantee.
If you&#;re based in the Austin area, get a quick quote for our professional artificial turf services by calling Artificial Grass Pros at 512.296..
When artificial grass was invented in the s, there was only one brand and one product: AstroTurf.
Since then, dozens of companies have sprung up offering hundreds of different types of artificial grass&#;so many, in fact, that shopping for fake grass for your home or business can be a bit daunting.
There&#;s a surprising amount of information and terminology to learn when you&#;re shopping for fake grass.
With all the different looks, grades, and prices, you may be wondering how to choose the best artificial grass for your location.
We&#;ve created this complete buyer&#;s guide to artificial grass with our new customers in mind.
By the end of this article, you&#;ll be equipped with all you need to know to confidently choose the best artificial grass for your home, playground, patio, or putting green.
Artificial grass is far from a commodity.
There are different types of turf made for specific uses and applications.
This guide will cover the different elements of artificial grass and explain what you should be looking for in an artificial turf product.
Shopping for synthetic turf can be overwhelming, as there are so many brands, features, and products to choose from.
Here&#;s a step-by-step guide on choosing the best artificial grass for your space.
First of all, research the space the turf will go in.
Will it receive a lot of foot traffic?
Is it prone to puddles or standing water?
Is it in the sun or the shade?
Will it be used by pets?
These questions and more will help you hone in on what features you&#;ll need in your artificial grass.
Next, research the brands and products available.
Turf distributors and installers should provide you with all the information you want about their synthetic grass products.
To assist with your research, you should check out the following blog posts:
Who knew that fake grass could be so complicated?
In this section, we&#;ll demystify all the specific terminology in the artificial grass world so you can interpret product specifications and find the synthetic turf that will be the best fit for your project.
Only three types of yarn are used in artificial grass: polyethylene, polypropylene and nylon.
Polyethylene is the most commonly used because of its versatility and balance between durability, aesthetics, and softness.
Polypropylene is typically used for putting greens and as a thatch layer on landscape grasses.
Nylon is the most expensive and durable yarn material, but it&#;s not soft and is most commonly used for putting greens.
Yarn comes in a variety of colors, thicknesses, and shapes to mimic specific species of grass.
Also called stitch count, density is the number of blades per square inch.
Similar to thread count in sheets, a denser stitch count signifies a higher-quality turf.
Denser turf products are more durable and provide a more realistic artificial grass lawn.
Pile height refers to how long the blades of artificial grass are.
If you need fake grass for a sports field, dog run, or other high-traffic area, look for a shorter pile height, between &#; and &#; inches.
A luxurious, true-to-life look for a front yard is achieved by products with a longer pile height, between 1 ¼ and 2 ½ inches.
Face weight refers to how many ounces of material per square yard a type of turf has.
The heavier the face weight, the better quality and more durable the artificial grass is.
Face weight does not include the weight of the backing material.
Thatch is additional fiber with varying color, weight, and texture that mimics the inconsistencies of natural grass.
Thatch often includes brown fibers that replicate the dying underlayer of grass beneath the vibrant green, growing one.
If you&#;re looking for a synthetic grass product for your front or back lawn, a product with thatch will get you the closest look to the real thing.
Infill plays many roles in keeping your artificial grass pristine.
Lvyi supply professional and honest service.
It keeps fibers upright, acts as a stabilizer to prevent the turf from shifting, and makes the grass look and feel more realistic.
Without infill, turf fibers would quickly become flat and matted.
It also cushions feet and paws that walk on it, as well as protecting the backing from sun damage.
Infill is made from a variety of materials, including silica sand and crumb rubber.
Some brands come with antimicrobial, anti-odor, or cooling properties.
The backing on synthetic grass has two parts: primary backing and secondary backing.
Both the primary and secondary backings work together to provide dimensional stability to the entire system.
The primary backing is comprised of woven polypropylene fabrics that allow the artificial grass fibers to be tufted into the material in rows and facilitate seaming between artificial grass panels.
In other words it&#;s the durable material that the grass blades/fibers are stitched to.
A good backing will resist stretching.
The Secondary Backing is often referred to as the &#;coating&#; and is applied to the reverse side of the primary backing in order to permanently lock the tufted fibers permanently in place.
Together, the primary and secondary backing make up the back weight.
You can expect to see a back weight above 26 oz. on a high-quality turf product.
A decent back weight is a must for any installation area that will see heavy traffic.
Just as natural grass comes in a variety of colors, so does fake grass.
High-quality artificial grass will include a number of colors to mirror the look of real grass.
Choose a color that most closely mirrors the natural grass species in your area.
If you try to install artificial grass directly onto soil, you&#;ll get dimples and wrinkles as the soil expands and contracts during wet and dry seasons.
So while it&#;s not an official part of your artificial grass, having a good sub-base is critical to a quality turf installation.
The sub-base is a layer of compacted sand, decomposed granite, river rocks and gravel beneath the artificial grass.
It acts as the foundation for your synthetic turf and needs to consist of the right materials to ensure proper drainage.
Now that you&#;re familiar with the terminology in the artificial grass world, you&#;re armed with the knowledge you need to compare the different fake grass products available.
Here are a few specifications you&#;ll find on each synthetic turf product:
Not all of these features are equally important, however, and the weight of each one will depend on the location and purpose of the installation area.
Read on to know which features are the most relevant for your project.
An artificial grass installation can be quite a hit to your budget, but it&#;s important to look at more than just the sticker price when weighing how much you can afford.
When comparing fake grass vs. real grass, the long-term savings on water and maintenance alone enable artificial grass to pay for itself in about three to five years.
Other financial benefits to synthetic turf include less hassle for mowing/weeding/fertilizing, increased home values, and boosted curb appeal.
Many turf companies offer financing options to assist you in your investment in artificial grass.
Now that we&#;ve inundated you with everything you need to know, we&#;ll break down the most important characteristics to look for to find the best artificial grass.
Keep in mind that there is no one &#;best&#; product&#;the ideal turf will be different depending on the installation area and intended purpose.
However, the key elements we cover below are fairly universal.
Different turf products will withstand differing amounts of useage and foot traffic, so choose one that will last through everything you will throw at it.
Will your artificial grass host children?
Or pets?
If so, how many and how frequently?
Keep in mind that while you&#;ll pay more for extra durability, artificial grass is one of those &#;buy it nice or buy it twice&#; purchases.
You don&#;t want to have buyer&#;s remorse in just a few years if the turf product you chose isn&#;t up to the job.
If a lush, full look for the grass is important to you, pay extra attention to pile height, thatch, infill, and density.
Each of these elements add to the natural look of the best artificial grass products.
Also, take care to maintain your synthetic turf regularly with a Power Broom for Turf Rake to preserve the fluffy, plush appearance of your grass and to prevent matting.
To learn more, check out our detailed guide to Artificial Turf Maintenance.
It&#;s easy to forget that artificial grass is out in the heat, cold, sun, dust, and rain 24/7.
Choose a product that has the features that will help it endure through the weather that is common in your area.
Note that the materials used in making artificial turf are extremely durable and able to withstand high-levels of foot traffic for many years with only the occasional hose-down and fluff-up for maintenance.
The best artificial grass is specifically designed to resist matting and laying flat.
Turf fibers should return to an upright position when you walk across them.
This is partly due to the structure of the fibers and partly to the infill that&#;s used.
We recommend rounded silica sand infill and T°Cool&#;s Evaporative Cooling Infill in our turf installations.
They keep the synthetic turf springy and cool, just like the real thing.
While you might not think about it in the showroom, a quality turf drainage system is an important consideration when choosing the best artificial grass.
It&#;s important that water and pet urine are able to pass through your turf and into the sub-base below.
In order to do that, the liquids must pass through the turf&#;s backing.
There are two types of turf backings or drainage systems: 100% permeable and hole-punched.
The 100% permeable backing allows water and pet urine to pass directly through any point in the turf.
This drainage system is ideal for the wet areas of Texas near the coast, as well as lawns with pets or areas prone to flooding or pooling water.
Hole-punched backing has drainage holes every few inches and is best for dry areas that seldom see excess runoff.
We carry a proprietary hybrid drainage system called &#;DUAL FLOW&#; that is both fully permeable and hole-punched.
The beauty of modern synthetic turf is not only how much it looks like natural grass but how closely it can mimic different species of grass.
Take a close-up photo or (if your neighbor will let you) a small sample of grass from a neighboring lawn.
Use this as a guide when choosing a color and texture of artificial grass for your lawn so you can be sure your lawn will match the surrounding ones.
If you have pets or children on your lawn often, you should strongly consider an artificial grass product with antimicrobial properties.
In these products, antimicrobial additives are added during the manufacturing process.
The antimicrobial backing found on Ideal Turf&#;s best artificial grass products, called &#;Microbe Safe&#; helps to prevent the buildup of odors from pet urine, as well as germs and bacteria, keeping your backyard denizens clean and healthy.
Even if you choose the best artificial grass product, a subpar installation can ruin the entire look of your landscaping.
Choose a reputable and trustworthy artificial grass installation company that has experience and expertise in the business.
Check out reviews from multiple sources when comparing turf installers.
The company should be willing to provide you with all the information you want about their turf products and the installation process.
Different artificial grass products are suited to different applications, so there is no one &#;best&#; artificial grass product or brand.
To put it in perspective, if you tried to paint your home&#;s siding with chalkboard paint or to top your chicken parmesan with strawberry jam, you&#;d get a less-than-desirable result.
It&#;s not that chalkboard paint and strawberry jam are bad products, but they are best when used for the intended situation.
Below, we&#;ll show you what type of turf products work best in specific applications.
One of the most common applications of artificial grass is in backyards.
Key features to look for in the best artificial grass for your lawn are a high face weight and long pile height to ensure a nice soft ground cover that&#;s able to withstand moderate to heavy foot traffic.
We also recommend using a cooling infill (for little feet and paws).
If you see a lot of heavy rain in your area, you should look for turf products with a fully permeable backing or our hybrid &#;DUAL FLOW&#; backing to allow for maximum drainage.
If your downtown apartment, deck or patio needs a little greening up, artificial grass is a great way to do it.
Because it&#;s installed over concrete or other hard surface, the best fake grass for patios should have a fully permeable backing to allow for draining and deter mold from growing.
Since a small deck or patio won&#;t see the heavy foot traffic that a yard would, you can afford to go with a short pile height.
Fake grass for dogs has exploded in popularity in recent years as homeowners recognize the value of creating a dog-friendly backyard.
Whether you&#;re considering replacing your entire lawn or looking to build a dog run, the best artificial grass for dogs & pets should have a fully permeable backing to allow pet urine to pass through.
We recommend using T°Cool Infill with dogs and pets because its antimicrobial properties will prevent the buildup of odors and bacteria, and the evaporative cooling will protect your pets paws.
Make sure you choose an infill that is non-toxic to pets.
A short pile height will also enable quick, easy cleanup of solid waste. (Read more about the specifics of artificial grass for pets here.)
Many homeowners choose to install artificial grass around swimming pools.
The best artificial grass for around swimming pools will have a fully permeable backing to allow splashed pool water to drain away rather than puddle up and foster bugs and messes.
Because of all the excess water, antimicrobial additives and a lower face weight are a good idea for artificial turf near pools or backyard ponds.
For an at-home putting green, choose a short pile height, around ½ to ¾ of an inch.
The best putting green turf products will have nylon fibers.
If you want to get fancy, you can choose two different pile heights to differentiate between the putting green and the fairway.
When you have the site prepped for your putting green, make sure there are no rocks, rough spots, uneven areas, or debris as these will affect your golf game.
Also, choose a high-quality infill to allow golf balls to roll consistently across the green.
A fully-permeable backing is ideal for playground turf.
The last thing you need in a children&#;s play area is stagnant water.
Choose an antimicrobial product to reduce germs, odors, and bacteria.
As for the fake grass itself, the best artificial grass for playgrounds and play areas should have a good thatch layer because it provides extra traction and cushion from falls.
You can even get a base layer of foam underlay for additional padding underneath the artificial grass.
You&#;ll also want a product with a good face weight so it will be durable enough to withstand continual foot traffic.
Regardless of what brand you choose, make sure the site is well-prepped to ensure there are no rocks or uneven areas beneath the artificial grass installation.
This will increase the life of your play area and prevent injuries from trips and falls.
There&#;s an artificial grass product to fit nearly every climate, use, location, and budget.
But don&#;t be intimidated by the volume and variety of fake grass products.
Once you know a few terms and features you&#;ll be well on your way to finding the best artificial grass for your space, whether it&#;s hearty turf for sports arenas or springy grass for your toddler&#;s playground.
If you&#;re interested in an artificial grass installation in Texas or Oklahoma City, please contact Ideal Turf today to get your FREE Artificial Grass Design & Installation Estimate by clicking &#;GET A QUOTE&#; button.
We will assess the needs of your location and offer product recommendations for your specific situation.
Feel free to give us a call at 800-204-.