Also known as synthetic lawns, artificial turf has become the buzzword among niche consumers looking to beautify their properties without the cost and hassle of maintaining a natural lawn. It's true, real grass has a feel that cannot be matched and if money and time are what you can dedicate, there's nothing like it. But in an age where recessions pop up every so often, experts say switching to artificial turf may be wiser.
A few years back and the only places that had synthetic lawns were commercial and sporting establishments like football stadiums. Today, however, more people are opting for them because maintenance is near zero, the use of pesticides is not required and aesthetics is maintained all-year round. Can you say same about natural grass?
The idea of having a plastic lawn gracing the yard sounds absurd to some but not when they realize how much they stand to gain. For landscapers working with artificial turf, they claim that it's one of the few products which is resistant to recessions and that strikes a chord with home sellers who may even be able to push up the value of their properties.
Natural grass has a tendency to wither or overgrow without maintenance and homebuyers looking for property don't ordinarily like to be saddled with the onus of investing so much time and effort just to maintain a patch of green. When they're presented with an artificial turf, misgivings go out the window because there's nothing to maintenance.
As for homeowners with pets, the turf is treated just like grass by their furry friends. They make no distinction and despite being made of plastic, there's no leaching of toxic substances like certain plastic products. Animal droppings can easily be cleaned and you don't have to endure patches of grass pulling apart and frustrating mud stains.
In regions where scarcity of water doesn't permit the growing of grass artificial turf presents the perfect solution. Households use 30 percent of their daily water consumption for outdoor purposes, racking up water bills and leading to unnecessary wastage of the precious natural resource. With a synthetic lawn, all worries are put to rest and the water saved can be put to better use. In fact, even households that face no water shortage would do well to switch to artificial turf to enable better water management.
Grass is slippery when wet and cannot bear heavy foot traffic hence the numerous signs warning people to 'stay off the grass'. This is a problem with pets and children who can't be forced to do the same. Artificial turf doesn't face these issues because it's designed to hold up well even under heavy traffic. That's one of the reasons why it's so desired in sports stadiums.
With so many benefits, there must be disadvantages, right? Well, there aren't any except for some turfs needing an infill in the form of sand or rubber crumbs but you can request for turf that doesn't require it. And if it ever needs to be replaced or you decide you don't want it, it's easily removed.
For the adventurous homeowner, there are artificial turfs in tile form sporting colors others than green. They're great for creating eye-catching pathways and surrounds. If not, stick with the standard color while enjoying the numerous benefits a synthetic lawn has to offer. Your children and pets will also thank you for it.
