The artificial turf samples arrived the other day. I was prepared to not really like it…mostly just not like it in my head I guess. As I wrote in my previous post about it – I do know there are some really good looking artificial grasses out there so I’m willing to go for it.
We are in a severe drought here in California. In fact, they’ve just put out a new recommendation that perhaps homeowners just let their grass die. They would like to see as many homes as possible transition to either mulch or other drought friendly ground cover, succulent beds or artificial grass. A combination of those could be pretty. Just not as pretty as the grass I’ve grown up with. So I started considering a move to artificial turf when the construction began. In reality, the grass in my front yard looks pitiful anyway (not so great gardeners + the heat + less watering = not the healthiest, greenest grass). Plus the addition of the new yard space out back means potentially adding more grass that might eventually look just as pitiful. I certainly can’t water sod in this drought the way it needs to be watered. In the end, real grass is probably a waste of resources and money.
Off to the sunlight with my samples. I was surprised by what I immediately discovered – artificial turf has a nap. Those of you who sew or are around fabric a lot know what that means. Just like fabrics such as corduroy, velvet and suede, artificial turf can look shinier, darker or lighter depending on which direction you look from and how the blades are laying. I also discovered that based on the variety of samples I have, this seems to be based a bit on the brand and price point. It also explains why I’ve never liked the new turf lawn at a nearby house. I now know that the installation wasn’t done correctly and the turf is facing different directions. When we look at the lawn we see shiny, lighter pieces next to darker pieces. It is now crystal clear how important good, professional installation is with this product. We’re pretty good DIY’ers with other things, but uhhmmm…no thanks here. I don’t want my lawn jacked up and I don’t like to waste money.
Next, I saw some shine that made me feel some of the samples weren’t so real looking. They are out. I now have 3 samples left – all from the same company – Synlawn. I chose to look at the Synlawn brand based on the claims that it is fantastic for dogs, has a long warranty and most of all has heat blocking properties. One thing I know from my sister’s beautiful artificial grass – it gets hot. Like you can’t walk barefoot on a really hot California sunny day hot. They cool off well if sprayed with water – but with a small dog I don’t want to take any chances. We don’t have super warm weather the next couple days to really put these samples to the test, but I’m going to put them out to get some sun and see what happens.
The third thing I notice is how it feels. I brought the samples inside and spread them out on the family room floor. The kids (and the dog) romped all over them. The longer blade samples feel like buttery, airy, cushioney (new word) grass under our feet. It feels the most like my Midwestern backyard did. Everyone agrees they like the way this one feels the most.
Here are the 3 remaining contestants in my turf war:
- A shorter cut, a medium and a long. The long blade is about 3″ long.
- A variety of fake thatch looks.
- A variety of blade shapes.
- A few differences in coloring.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the samples and think we will enjoy the clean, mud free, critter free and most of all maintenance free grass. I have to make a decision by Wednesday. When we get around to the install I’ll be sure to come back to it and give you more info.
edit. your. life. 