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.
