Artificial lawns and artificial grass in general have always been viewed with a little scepticism. When artificial grass was first developed, it was almost exclusively used in the USA for sports arenas that didn’t get much sunlight, replacing the natural grass with a long-lasting, durable alternative.
The only problem was, back then the artificial grass was far from natural. It was rough underfoot, required sand to stay stable that always got stuck in your shoes and could only ever be found in a single, vivid shade of green that made it look more radioactive than grass-like. I’m sure many of you will remember the wonders of playing sports on AstroTurf at school and how you would be finding the little pieces of sand in your bag for months to come.
Since then, artificial grass manufacturing has drastically improved. Gone are the radioactive green days, now these grasses use a blend of different colours with softer, curled plastic fibres which make them appear and feel a lot more like grass should.
This has led to a resurgence in artificial grass’ popularity, with many choosing it as a replacement for their home’s natural lawn. The question remains though, is installing an artificial lawn the right option for you?
In this post, I want to talk about three of the major advantages of investing in an artificial lawn and hopefully, with this information, it’ll be much easier for you to decide on the future of your garden.
Price
When we get to the nitty-gritty of it, price and budget are the most important parts of your decision-making process. You’re not going to buy and install an artificial lawn if you can’t afford it; so, how much does an artificial lawn cost? The answer is that it varies.
Different artificial grasses from different suppliers come at different prices per square metre. Some grasses can be as low as £10 per m2, whilst others can reach upwards of £60 per m2. Plus, on top of this, you have to consider that every garden is going to be different and everyone’s needs are going to be different. Some grasses are more suitable for display rather than for direct use, whilst others are more versatile and adaptable, it’s all about doing your research and finding what’s best for you.
Most artificial lawn installers and suppliers offer free quotations too (See here for an example), making it easy to find out how much your project is going to cost without signing yourself up for anything. This is always the best course of action before making a decision.
Overall, artificial lawns vary in price, meaning that no matter your budget you should be able to get one installed if you really want one.
Durability
Considering they’re made from plastic fibres woven into a carpet backing, artificial grass has a long lifespan. Depending on what grass you are purchasing, synthetic turf can last 10-25 years, all the while being resistant to the majority of extreme weather, easily handling whatever the British climate can throw at it.
This makes an artificial lawn a long-lasting solution, which is particularly important considering some people are even estimating climate change will affect natural grass lifespans. If you want a durable answer to your lawn, then you can’t really go wrong with artificial grass.
Maintenance
The most noticeable advantage of artificial grass is the lack of maintenance it requires. We live in a time when people spend almost two months of their lives mowing the lawn, a scary figure when you think about it. Obviously, most people would prefer to spend this time doing something a little more enjoyable, which is where artificial grass excels.
The only light maintenance requirement of artificial grass is the removal of foreign objects like sticks, the cleaning of stains whenever they appear and a light brushing once a week. Fifteen minutes maximum; cutting down your gardening time significantly.
With any luck, this will have highlighted some of the good bits about having an artificial lawn so that you can decide whether it’s right for you or not. Remember, always do your research when it comes to these things and when you are also considering a lawn franchise.
