An Overview Of Artificial Grass

Artificial grass has changed much recent years. Rather than looking like the artificial turf used in home backyards, today’s artificial grass looks and feels real enough that it fools even animals. According to a Wall Street Journal article, the sale of synthetic grass was expected to rise by 25 percent in 2010, making it one more option for home and business owners.
Initial Costs:
For the sake of comparison, we’ll compare the costs associated with artificial grass to the costs associated with real grass for a 1,000-square-foot area. The initial installation cost of artificial grass is $9 per square foot, whereas the initial installation of a “regular” lawn is $2 per square foot. That means that it will cost $9,000 to install artificial grass and $2,000 to install real grass on a 1,000-square-foot area.
The artificial Green
Upkeep Comparison:
The costs of upkeep for a real lawn includes water (irrigation), maintenance, fertilizers and other chemicals. Watering in some areas will run $100 per month, or $1,200 a year. Maintenance is estimated to be $100 a month for the average lawn, equalling another $1,200 a year. Fertilizers and other chemical applications cost an average of $200 per year. That is a total of $2,600 per year for lawn care. If the cost of lawn maintenance is cut by five months in areas that don’t enjoy year-round lawns, the cost is $1,600. The only maintenance needed with an artificial lawn is a power wash with disinfectant. The annual cost of such a power wash in 2010 was $350.
Long Term Costs:
The average life span of an artificial lawn is 10 years. To get a clear picture of whether it is worth the initial investment, one must compare the costs over that 10-year time period. Factoring in the initial cost of installation and the power washes that must be performed annually, artificial grass has a final price tag of $12,500 over a 10-year time frame. During that same time, a real lawn in an area that enjoys grass year-round is $28,000, including installation and yearly upkeep. The costs for a real lawn in an area that has only seven months of lawn upkeep per year is $18,000 over a 10-year period.
Other Considerations:
Pet urine can’t kill artificial grass, so there’s never a need to replace sections of the lawn due to brown grass. The time normally spent on mowing, weeding and fertilizing the lawn can be used in another way. A home with artificial grass is guaranteed a green lawn year-round.
Artificial grass is used in residential areas, playgrounds and for sports artificial turf. It is durable, lasting up to 10 years and easy to care for. However, even synthetic grass needs to be cleaned, particularly if pets are using it. Light, regular cleaning helps keep the larger cleaning tasks to a minimum. The frequency of bigger cleanings depends on how the grass is used. If pets are eliminating on the grass it will need to be sterilized more frequently.
Instructions:
Remove any debris, garbage or large clumps of dirt as soon as possible from the synthetic grass. This not only keeps the grass visually clean but prevents dirt from getting ground into the synthetic fibres.
Use a power washer to rinse the artificial grass. Use the maximum setting and spray the entire surface area. This will uproot the ground in dirt and remove any pollutants or spills from the surface.
Remove pet faeces from the grass as soon as they occur. Rinse the grass with a sanitizing solution regularly to keep the grass clean. Cleaning solutions designed for cleaning pet urine and faeces work well or a solution of 5 percent bleach in water will sterilize the area. Rinse well to remove the cleaner.

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