Is Installing an Artificial Turf Yard Worth the Cost?

As the summer starts to ramp up, you might find yourself looking more carefully at your lawn and wondering whether installing an artificial turf yard is a good idea. You may spend so much time in your yard, between watering and performing maintenance on it, that you may not have enough time to also enjoy it. These benefits also apply if you decide to install artificial turf at your place of business. Don’t worry, Sportech can help with both so you can focus more on what’s important.

As experts in the field—no pun intended—we can honestly say installing an artificial turf yard is worth the cost. Here are five of our favorite reasons why.

1. Watering and Maintenance Costs Go Way Down

Even in the Pacific Northwest, summers can get dry and hot, so watering becomes a major ritual to keep your grass green throughout the hottest months. That won’t be necessary with artificial grass. And if you use a landscape contractor, you may find that with artificial turf, you won’t need their services nearly as much. On top of that, you won’t need to remember to fertilize or mow your lawn because it will already look lush and beautiful.

The same applies if you have artificial turf at your place of business as well. You can see artificial turf lawns and sport surfaces at schools, sports facilities, rest areas, businesses, and parks. Not only will your maintenance team have less work, but the work they have to do will be less strenuous and time-intensive.

2. Enjoyment of Your Space Goes Way Up—Inside and Out

Homeowners can spend thousands of dollars and as many hours working on their lawns and landscaping every year. If that time was even halved, think of how much more time that is to enjoy the yard. The curb appeal of your home will also increase, making your home more valuable and a beautiful place to enjoy spending time with your family and friends. There’s no better way to work smarter rather than harder.

And what about the days when you forgot—or “forgot”—to mow the lawn, but that evening there’s a spur-of-the-moment visit from your neighbors? With a synthetic lawn, you’re ready to entertain at a moment’s notice. Plus, you have a beautiful outdoor space to gather with your guests if it’s a beautiful night.

3. Maintenance Is Super Easy and Doesn’t Take a Lot of Time

Consider your current maintenance schedule for your lawn. Watering, mowing, pesticides, weeding—it’s exhausting just thinking about it sometimes. With an artificial lawn, the maintenance costs much less and takes less time. Regular traffic on your synthetic grass—which can mean foot traffic, pets running around, or even the natural effects of the weather—will cause it to flatten a little bit at a time. This is simply the artificial blades of grass mimicking real grass by bending when they’re stepped on.

The simple solution is to brush it up. This will fluff up the grass and give it that “newly mown” look. Use a brush with synthetic bristles to ensure it doesn’t damage the blades of grass. With a moderate amount of pressure, brush the grass in several directions, and you’ll see the grass will have a natural and full look when you’re done.

And while your lawn may not require true watering, a spray-down every so often won’t go wrong. It will rinse off debris, pollen, and the remains of pet urine. In the autumn and winter, you may see more debris accumulate as the leaves fall. You can use a leaf rake (not a garden rake, as they are too heavy-duty), a leaf blower, or even a broom to get rid of the extra leaves and detritus off your lawn. It’s important you don’t leave the fallen leaves to decay.

This sort of project doesn’t have to be done on a weekly basis (except maybe more in the autumn, depending on how many trees you have). Every month or couple of months should keep your lawn looking nice and neat.

4. You’ll Have More Peace of Mind Because Synthetic Turf Is Safe for Children and Pets

The materials high-quality turf is manufactured from do not seep out over time, making this a safe surface for children and pets to play on. All the components of the synthetic backing and the blades of grass are non-toxic materials—nylon and polypropylene, for example—that are safe for human use. For instance, nylon is used in the production of clothing, and polypropylene is used in food containers, such as you might buy your yogurt in.

So what happens if your child is running in a synthetic yard and falls down? Well, it turns out that when installed by a professional company, synthetic turf can act as a natural shock absorber, just as good as grass would be in that same situation. There is also an underlayer to the turf, which is usually sand, and it works great as a shock absorber if you or your child trips over something. Once your turf is installed by professional contractors, there won’t be any tripping hazards or “potholes,” since we work with the most highly qualified technicians.

5. Say Goodbye to “Heavy-Use Areas”

It drives you crazy all year long. Maybe it’s the space under the swing set or around your kids’ playground. Maybe it’s a path down the middle or around the fenceline of your yard, a constant little track your dogs always walk when they’re outside. You’ve fertilized and re-seeded and watered and done everything you can do, and yet, still, it’s there. A bare patch. A brown path. An eyesore.

An artificial grass lawn will eliminate this problem. Neither your children nor your pets (nor you) will be able to wear through the artificial turf, and maintenance of these spaces is easily completed. Spray it down, brush it a little to fluff it up, and it’s good as new.