Artificial Grass - Recommendations and Prices

• 

  ms_caz on 14/03/2020 - 10:10

  +1

  I cannot tell you anything about price or where to buy, but I can tell you that artificial turf still needs to be looked after.

  You will still need to monitor your turf for weeds - it is laid on a sand base and weed seeds will still germinate and poke through your turf. It can be hard to pull them out as you have to pull through the turf. As you can imagine, anything that can germinate and make its way through turf is a fairly sturdy plant. Low growing/spreading weeds can easily take over. It can be hard to find the root of the plant. You may have to spray weed killer to keep them under control, and still have to find a way to dispose of rubbish.

  I live in an area which was once a street of display homes. We got rid of our artifical turf ASAP - it looked lovely when it was a display home but it really doesn't last. Our neighbour still has his - he is out there weekly, pressure washing it with a detergent and sweeping it down as well to remove the dirt and grime from the turf. He has removed it from the backyard as it gets very hot in hot weather - too hot for little feet and pets. And speaking of pets, if you happen to have a dog, you will need to be particularly vigilant cleaning up after it. You'll need to wash down your turf with disinfectant because the urine just lays on the turf, it doesn't sink into plastic in the same way it would into organic grass.

  I know managing a natural lawn takes a lot of work, but an artifical turf one still requires work as well.

  • 

    ChmpgneTasteBeerBdgt on 14/03/2020 - 10:26

    Thank you very much for the feedback. I was not aware of any of this. Sounds like it may not be a wise choice for the backyard as we have a small dog and the spot she poops in has direct sun all day.

    Might still be worth considering for the nature strip but your comment regarding having to clean it has me concerned. Do you live on a busy street? If I didn't pressure wash it, would it go brown from dirt? Is it fairly durable or would we need to replace it every 5-10 years?

    • 

      Brightland on 14/03/2020 - 10:43

      +1

      Check with your council on the nature strip. I know my local council has banned it. Either you maintain your nature strip, or they'll come and poison it so you have dirt (or in my case, I planted a garden in it for the postman to run over because staying on the concrete footpath is so difficult).

      • 

        ChmpgneTasteBeerBdgt on 14/03/2020 - 13:40

        I've seen a couple in the neighborhood that have it on the nature strip, but I'll definitely look into that. Might have to consider whether it can cope with people driving / parking over it. Doesn't happen often, but I'd hate to have to redo it the first time someone parks their car on it.

    • 

      justhooked on 14/03/2020 - 10:46

      +1

      We have it out the back as well , we had a small dog no issue at all it’s in the sun which was good the poo would dry easy to pick up never pressure sprayed just hosed it down every so often the grass has holes that let the water go through. Maybe every few months we would disinfect it with pineoclean . Very easy .

• 

  ozbs25 on 14/03/2020 - 10:13

  +1

  I've never really stopped to take a look at the prices but Costco have artificial turf. Do you have or know someone who has a membership?

  • 

    ChmpgneTasteBeerBdgt on 14/03/2020 - 10:29

    I think it's free to browse so I might check it out to see how natural it looks. I'd just need to find an installer. I'm fairly handy, but I'd want it to look indistinguishable from natural grass so not sure that DIY is wise for this particular job

• 

  justhooked on 14/03/2020 - 10:33

  +1

  Had my artificial grass down for 12 years out the front best decision I have made very low maintenance, yes a few weeds but just spray them . We live near the beach so get a bit of sand build up but a blower vac every few months all good, looks so much better than the dead grass across the road and cheaper than the maintenance needed to keep real grass green.

  Just laid some at my sons new house very easy to do but don’t just go for the cheapest as some are really crap.
  Go to a couple of places get them to explain the different weaves about laying direction and infills . Then make a decision
  Some of the cheap deals that include installation just use crap because they have to sell at a price to get you to go with them. Also don’t let just any landscaper install it look at there work first seen plenty lay in the wrong direction and not cut roll before doing joins .

  • 

    ChmpgneTasteBeerBdgt on 14/03/2020 - 13:37

    Anyone 8n particular that you'd recommend?

• 

  Brightland on 14/03/2020 - 10:41

  +3

  Our entire front yard is artificial. I hate it with a passion. The man loves it - it was there when he bought the house before I met him, but also frustratingly refuses to maintain it as he says it "doesn't need maintenance as it's fake". It needs be vacuumed or swept regularly and the leaves and other debris removed, as there is nothing organic to break it down or a regular mow to pick it up. I'm now at the point in my pregnancy where I can't shovel leaves so it's had to be left and it looks terrible. Sadly there is about 10-15cm of dolomite underneath it, and it's a reasonably big area so removing it and replacing it with grass is going to be a bitch of a job, let alone expensive.

  On a hot Adelaide summers day, it can be over 70 degrees - hotter than the slate footpaths around it that at the same time are about 60 degrees. So many times I've absentmindedly walked to the letterbox barefoot and then had stinging feet for the rest of the day. I'm trying to grow more plants in the garden beds around the house to help cool the front of the house but with the heat it holds, nothing will grow. I water morning and night during the heatwaves, mulch, shade in super hot weather etc, but it's still too hot!

  Weeds are also basically impossible to remove by hand, so also consider how you feel about regular use of weed killers. I try to hit them a kettle of boiling water as they come up, but some of them still need RoundUp, not to mention it takes a good hour or so of boiling the kettle and walking around when weeds are peaking in Spring. Honestly, I'd prefer to just mow a lawn….

• 

  chumlee on 14/03/2020 - 19:31

  It's like fake breasts. Good from far but far from good.

  Natural is always breast, i mean best

• 

  Jade81 on 15/03/2020 - 13:14

  I agree with the first post.

  Everything sticks to it. I ripped out my lawn because I hate mowing but I still needed an area not paved for my dog.

  Deciding point , fake lawn bakes!!!

  Imagine a hot summer with 30-40degree days then add 10degrees all summer.

  Remember that that's not just heat you and your dog can't walk on but also radiating into your plants (they will die) and your house, increasing your indoor temperatures and any cooling bills.

  I put down a thick layer of big bark chips like playgrounds use instead.

  Cheap light easy to spread especially if you get a bulk delivery by truck into your front yard.

  No objections or problems with the dog

  • 

    Euphemistic on 15/03/2020 - 21:08

    This is a good point. If you want it to look like a lawn, get real grass. If you don’t want to mow it rip out the grass, mulch and plant. You still need to maintain it a bit, but a lot less than a lawn if you choose your plants right.

• 

  barbarista on 20/03/2020 - 13:50

  Depends on the size of your lawn - usually the smaller the space, the better they look. Our neighbor had one installed in a front yard area which is about 20x10', so it's like a living room rug. I think he vacuums it from time to time and if his dogs poop on it I he hoses it off.
  But keep in mind, it gets really hot under the sun. If you have pets and kids, it could be dangerous.

  A better alternative is to probably to xeriscape with gravel and native plants.