When you hear the words synthetic grass it wouldn’t be a surprise if astro turf and the game of soccer were the first things to spring to mind. While its common knowledge that astro turf is widely used in the commercial market it’s now starting to make headway into the residential market as an alternative option to traditional garden grass.
For many the very idea of replacing a natural lawn with synthetic or artificial grass would probably be greeted with plenty of cynicism and derision. However synthetic lawns have many advantages and benefits and in certain circumstances and situations they can provide a practical alternative to a real lawn i.e.
They are;
- Low maintenance; no cutting or trimming, even cleaning is easy
- UV stable, so it won’t not fade!
- Provides a durable child and pet friendly surface
- Ideal for situations where owners require a real alternative for garden spaces where natural lawn is not practical
- Will not stain (therefore no worries if you have pets fouling is easily removed)
- And some they are eco friendly i.e. no more petrol fumes from your lawn mower
Synthetic lawns can be ideal if you have a garden grass that has;
- Continuous damp patches and where you find it impossible to retain any reasonable grass surface or lawn
- Receives constant wear and tear
- Has bare patches or very weak and areas of poor grass
So how easy or difficult is it to install a synthetic lawn?
The ground preparation for installing a synthetic lawn is broadly similar to installing a paved area, ie, remove lawn, excavate soil area, the compacted hardcore is blinded with compacted sand. This provides a secure base for the synthetic surface which is secured by fixing to a pressure treated perimeter timber frame.
Below are picture of a real example in which the owners had tried in vain to retain a lawn and despite replacing the lawn on a number of occasions. Having considered a number of options, it was decided to replace the lawn with synthetic grass and also include some Raised Planting Beds to provide better growing conditions as well as some protection for the plants from the pet dog.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern announced earlier this week the long awaited initiation of a property sale price database that will be used to monitor market trends, house prices and ultimately create much-needed transparency in the property market. “I am very aware of the need for reliable and up-to-date data on house prices and other property,” he said.
Although the news has been welcomed by many organisations and agents who say the planned database would be of benefit to individual buyers and sellers as well as to agents and would provide an accurate picture of the market, the news has been met with mixed feelings by… Read More »
Dare we mention that the back to school madness is already nearly upon us once again! However the summer holidays are not over just yet and there is still plenty of time to head away for a few days before we all settle back into routines for another year.
If you are thinking of holidaying in Ireland MyHome.ie is on hand with new research of holiday home rentals in Ireland detailing the most popular holiday destinations in the country AND also which counties offer that best value for money. Kerry tops the poll as the most popular destination for self-catering “Staycationers”, Galway follows close behind in… Read More »
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern announced yesterday that under new legislation a database of property sales prices for both residential and commercial property is to be set up and made available to the public in order to (finally) provide transparency about what is going on in the housing market. The news has been welcomed by many organizations, agents and punters saying the planned database would bring much-needed and overdue clarity to the property market.
The responsibility for publishing the data will fall on the… Read More »
Garden lighting is quite a handy way to ensure safety and add security around your house but garden lighting doesn’t have to just be there for “serious” reasons and there is definitely no need for it to be boring! Along with security and safety, garden lighting is a great way to highlight particular features of your outdoor space, showcase trees and lawn décor, illuminate pathways. Not only that but outdoor lighting is also easy way to create ambiance and add atmosphere to your garden which is especially great when you want to sit out and make the most out of those long summer evenings with BBQs and outdoor parties! Read More »
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan and The Commission for Energy Regulation have come under fire from many parties, punters and businesses with the announcement / realization that electricity bills are to rise come October.
The electricity price hike is due to a Public Service Order (PSO) levy, a levy that was suspended in 2007. But, the levy is back and plans to raise €156 million euro to support and subsidise peat and renewable energy generators in the country – which all sounds well and good in the long run, however we are left shouldering the brunt of the Minister’s bill for his “green energy revolution and unwillingness to squeeze ESB” commented Leo Varadkar, the Fine Gael spokesman on energy. The levy will mean that householders will pay an extra €32.76 a year on their bills, while electricity bills of small and medium-sized businesses can expect an added €99.03.
Not only that but the levy will be introduced as a flat rate hike i.e. all electricity users will pay the same rate regardless of consumption… “A granny living on her own using very little electricity will pay the same amount as somebody who leaves their boiler on all day,” added Varadkar.
Following Irish Life & Permanent and EBS, Bank of Ireland are increasing their mortgage interest rates and AIB are not far behind with talks that their rates are likely to rise by half a percentage point in the next few weeks.
Many have voiced their concerns that the latest round of mortgage rate increases is putting families under enormous financial pressure as they struggle with their mortgage repayments. Not only that but many have to live with the burden of continuing to pay a mortgage which is now more than likely worth significantly less than the purchase price.
However on the other side of the fence there is a general consensus that mortgage rates must rise. “Banks have to borrow on the money markets to get the funds to lend the money for mortgages. If bank profits continue to deteriorate they will need even more of a bailout of taxpayers’ money”.
Mortgage Interest Rate Rises
- Are they justified? Or
- Are do the Banks “…not care about families or people and the profit margin is their main driver”
In a time when our economy is fairly broke and grasping at straws the last thing we need is a bill for illegal dumping totally €36 million – however it serves us right.
Between 2002 and 2004 some 250,000 tonnes of Irish domestic and commercial waste is believed to have been illegally dumped at 20 identified sites in Northern Ireland. To avoid large fines from the European commission, Environment Ministers from both sides of the border have agreed to “repatriate” the waste over a 5-year period to the Republic. More than 70 prosecutions involving the illegal dumping of waste from the South have already been taken by the Northern Ireland authorities, 4 landowners have received prison sentences for allowing Irish waste to be dumped on their lands and fines totaling about £800,000 (€965,000) have also been imposed.
While we are now taking responsibility, how did we allow the illegal dumping happen in the first place? Read More »
“Ireland is awash with buildings that few people either can afford or want to purchase,” states a new report published by The National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (Nirsa).
Based at NUI Maynooth, Prof Rob Kitchin the Director of the State-funded academic institution said that a post-mortem is needed into the Government’s failure to control the property bubble… “An independent inquiry is needed to investigate all aspects of the planning system and its operation within and across different agencies and at all scales in Ireland including charges of localism, cronyism and clientelism,”… “It would be foolhardy to carry out a banking inquiry without also looking into planning mistakes” he said.
Findings of the report include: Read More »
Yesterday a man in Arklow, Co. Wicklow barricaded himself and his sister into their family home using machinery from his plant-hire business in order to stop the house from being repossessed. The man said his actions were an attempt to reopen negotiations with an unspecified lender that had attempted to serve a repossession order.
New figures show that 600 new cases of repossessions have come before the courts in just one month and according to the Financial Regulator as of May just gone by, 32,321 mortgages or 4.1 % of all 791,000 mortgages in the State were in arrears for more than 90 days during the first quarter of the year. Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that Ireland is facing repossession “disaster” if steps are not taken to aid homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages.
Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen said “With so many people struggling to keep up with mortgage payments it is vital that action is taken now to force the banks to make repossession the absolute last resort; if this doesn’t happen… Read More »
