In this day and age of overcrowded schedules, many people look for every opportunity to save time in their busy routine. One time-saving method that is becoming increasingly common is synthetic grass, or artificial turf. The rationale behind synthetic grass is pretty easy to understand; even so, there are legitimate reasons why you should think twice before rushing to install synthetic grass. Below, we review the benefits of artificial turf, as well as the pitfalls of synthetic grass.
Should You Install Synthetic Grass
The benefits of synthetic grass
Obviously, the main benefit of switching to synthetic grass is that you will never have to worry about mowing your lawn. Along with this, you save money as a result of not needing a lawn mower, lawn fertilizer, or other lawn care products. Those with kids and pets will never have to worry about the damage done to their lawn by trampling feet and excessive lawn traffic. Another plus is that synthetic grass does not require watering; therefore, it is a good choice for those looking to help out the environment through water conservation. Also, the reduction in water consumption makes it easier to obtain LEED certification.
Why synthetic grass may not be the best option
On first glance, synthetic grass may seem like a great idea, but this is not necessarily the case. First of all, artificial grass tends to be much hotter than natural grass, even despite the fact that there are now artificial grass varieties that do a better job of deflecting heat. Nobody wants to be on a lawn that is burning up with heat, and this can be a major problem. In addition, artificial turf can contain lots of lead, which is obviously unsafe. Synthetic grass also tends to have difficulty soaking up water, which can lead to flooding in areas that receive heavy bouts of rainfall. Another matter to consider is that synthetic grass does not eliminate maintenance. Even though you don’t need to mow or water, you still need to clean it; regularly using a leaf blower to brush off debris is crucial.
Even though synthetic grass saves you money in the long run, it actually costs quite a bit of money to install and can therefore be financially prohibitive. In fact, the artificial grass regularly costs between $12 and $18 per square foot. In addition, once you install synthetic grass, there’s really no looking back, as it is virtually impossible for the subsoil to grow grass after the natural grass has been uprooted.
As you can see, there are pros and cons to synthetic grass, and it is important to think long and hard before switching. No longer needing to mow may seem nice, but the installation cost, propensity to overheat, and inability to switch afterward should make lawn owners reconsider switching to synthetic grass.
