Artificial grass is becoming more popular due to its low maintenance and the benefit of always looking green. It requires no watering or feeding and can last up to 25 years. But is it really as good as it sounds? The pros and cons have been debated for many years when it was first introduced towards the end of the 1960’s. Since then it’s come a long way in look, texture and environmental concerns.
What is Artificial Grass?
Basically, artificial grass is made of polymers which is plastic. If this makes it sound like its hard and prickly, like sitting on a pile of lego, then don’t worry! The way the grass blades are shaped and cut change the texture and make the synthetic grass feel soft to the touch while still being durable.
Benefits:
- Easy to Maintain.
Artificial lawn is easy to maintain as it doesn’t need water, fertiliser, weeding or to be mown. All it needs to remain looking beautiful is good sweep with a broom or a once-over with a vacuum cleaner to clear any debris like fallen leaves and dust.
- Always green.
Unlike living grass, artificial lawn isn’t affected by drought, excess water or enthusiastic pets. It stays looking green, lush and healthy with no unsightly brown or yellow patches to ruin the view. With the advances in technology, colour and length artificial grass looks almost like the real thing, with basically no effort from you.
- Great for kids
Artificial grass is great for kids because there’s no mud, weeds or bindies to hurt little feet. If your child suffers from a grass allergy, then they can play outside without fear of sneezing or itchy rashes. And you can say goodbye to needing to drag and shove your kid’s toys around the yard to avoid dead patches underneath!
- Save on water.
Maintaining living lawns accounts for a huge amount of residential water use. Artificial grass only needs a little water to wash it down, then it’s good to go.
Drawbacks:
- Not real grass.
This is an obvious one, but should be stated. As much as it looks like real grass, it isn’t. Theres no mowing needed (which may be a benefit) but means if love the smell of fresh cut grass maybe this isn’t the right option for you.
- Higher up-front cost
The cost for installation of artificial grass is generally a little higher than turf. Although once it’s done the long-term costs to maintain artificial grass are significantly less than living grass.
- Heat
As artificial grass is made of plastic, it can heat up in the sun. If your yard has no shade, this provides an opportunity to plant trees and create shade to make the space usable all year round.
At Iconic Outdoors we work with you to find the best solution for your space that suits your lifestyle. We use FieldTurf, an Australian company that supplies artificial turf in a great range to meet all your requirements. Iconic Outdoors are experts in installation, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy!
And if reading this list has changed your mind about artificial lawn, we have a whole range of other grass-free options like bark mulch, paving and decking, to create a low maintenance backyard oasis for the whole family! So contact us today on (02) 6360 1001 for a free consultation.
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