So&#; you&#;re thinking about ripping out the natural lawn in the front yard and replacing that nightmare with some fresh new artificial grass?
Well, you are far on your way to a future of a maintenance-free lawn with artificial grass and we encourage you to take the jump and experience the bliss that is artificial grass, also called &#;fake grass&#; or &#;synthetic turf&#;. It&#;s eco friendly and it is truly one of those things only a few get to experience.
Now to decide which Artificial Grass to purchase&#;
With so many different brands and types of artificial turf, it can sometimes be cumbersome to decide upon which product will fit your landscaping needs best. We receive many emails with different questions about which synthetic grass product to choose, and how to choose the right synthetic lawn, etc.
Some helpful resources:
We do have a number of articles here on our website bellaturf.ca that go over the numerous different topics that you could need information on, so we, of course, encourage you to check those out.
-> View the Turf Blog
We also have many artificial grass videos that may be of assistance in your fake grass buying journey.
The Artificial Turf Buyer&#;s Guide
This article is meant to serve as a &#;Buyers Guide&#; on the few essential items that you need to confirm before you pull the trigger on your new investment. So, if you&#;ve decided you are ready to install and just don&#;t know which fake grass to choose, read no more&#; the &#;Artificial Turf Buyer&#;s Guide&#; is as follows&#;
We boiled it down to the most critical points you need to think about:
1. Type Of Use
The type of use is the first thing you want to consider. For most, the main use is to replace a natural lawn in the front or back yard with a synthetic lawn. Other uses could be synthetic turf for sports, commercial landscaping use, fake grass for low-traffic areas, or for use indoors. The type of use will determine the SHAPE of the artificial grass blades/yarn that you want to purchase.
If you are using artificial grass in your home yards, consider the following types of use:
Ornamental/show lawn
A low trafficked artificial lawn intended to improve the aesthetics of a garden whilst dramatically reducing maintenance. You might want to consider artificial grass with flat yarn or flat blades.
Family lawn/play area
A heavily-trafficked artificial lawn that receives high levels of usage all year round. You will not want to use a flat-yarn grade, you will want shaped-yard grasses, which are longer, shaped, and stronger, to be resilient against heavy foot traffic. Some shaped-yarn blade types you can consider would be WaveBlades, U-Shaped, Soft Blade, or Diamondblade artificial grass. You can learn more on our artificial grass products page.
Pet-friendly lawn &#; a heavily trafficked area that will also need to handle urine and excrement.
Pets, especially dogs, love artificial grass! If you have pets to consider, you will need to use an artificial grass suit for this purpose. At Bella Turf we would recommend our Artificial Grass product specifically designed for pets, Paw Pro.
Lawn for garden parties and entertaining &#; an occasionally heavily trafficked area able to cope with spillages and stains.
For entertaining and hosting events you will need to be extra cautious with low-quality artificial grass. Low-quality artificial grass is not suited for these type of events and could be ruined easily. We would recommend a high-performance product such as one of our artificial grass products from Bella Turf. We recommend something with a shaped-blade, which will bounce back and stand tall even after heavy foot traffic.
All-rounder &#; some or all of the above.
Ultimately you will want to choose the highest quality artificial turf for your budget. Artificial grass will last you up to 10 years if you buy a premium product, so you should not be worried about saving a few dollars here or there. Think in the long-term and consider this as an investment to your property. Review your budget and choose the best quality product you can. Consider visiting your local landscape store nearest you to touch and feel a sample product.
Bella Turf Artificial Grass Blade Types
3. Consider Kids and Pets
The benefits of having our eco friendly artificial grass as a parent are tremendous. You can feel save that you child is not playing with harmful debris in the natural grass, you can be happy that they aren&#;t tracking mud into the house, and you can also feel safe that if your child falls on artificial grass, as it is actually softer and safer than the normal grass and ground. (PS: Don&#;t forget you also don&#;t have to weed or mow the lawn either!)
If you have children, you may want to consider adding a foam underlay to the artificial grass, to absorb shock and make the grass more cushiony. For more information check out or Turf Cloud or Turf Cloud Flow products.
4. Your Environment
You may be asking, how do I decide on the colour, shape, texture of the artificial grass I buy? Well, the best way to answer that is&#;it&#;s ultimately your choice! But we do recommend helping nature guide you. Take a look at your existing yard area, observe the landscape and assess the colours of the environment. Imagine your yard with your environmentally friendly new turf in mind.
Take pictures of your lawn and bring them to your local artificial turf installer (use our locater to find one near you!) to compare products, and/or bring a sample home from your local landscape store. Look at the different colour options of artificial grass online but be wary that the colours may not be exact to real life.
The best way is truly to get down to earth with your landscaping and understand the way it looks, and try to match the existing environment. Installing the right colour and texture synthetic lawn will make a huge difference in the long-run.
5. The Warranty and Manufacturing Quality Standards
Once you&#;ve locked in the level of quality, the colour, and any additional requirements for your synthetic lawn, you might be asking, which brand is best?
Every different type of artificial grass will be different and will boast different pros and cons, but we always recommend staying sure with their product warranty and manufacturing standards. Some brands offer 5 year, 10 year, or 15 year warranties on their product. Some brands and installers will have their own coverage on the actual installation process. We recommend reading up on this before putting the money down. You can view our 10-year warranty here.
Manufacturing standards are also a big deal and to protect yourself you will want artificial grass with ISO and SGS certifications. Bella Turf uses only the highest quality Synthetic Materials. Our surfaces meet all of the following guidelines:
The reasons why our customers choose Bella Turf vary, but the end result is always the same&#;perfect lawn you&#;ll love. We take great pride in our customer service and are available to help you through each step of the purchase and grass install process.
If you are considering artificial grass for your home or business, please visit one of our respected Bella Turf dealers and get your hands on a sample.
Also see: Why Bella Turf was voted the Best Artificial Grass
This page was last updated by Tyler from Bella Turf on October 28, @ 5:23 PM PST
With competitive price and timely delivery, Lvyi sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
Maintaining your lawn can be difficult in Australia, particularly in warm climates, and it can feel like a constant battle watering and seeding in dead areas after foot traffic. When it first came out, the concept of artificial grass went against the status quo in the s especially considering there had not been much product development. It was widely considered to look &#;very fake&#;.
Due to product development and a broader selection in recent years, fake or artificial grass has gained popularity and appearance. Housing areas are denser, and people generally work more and have less time to maintain a lawn. For some, there might be a slight sense of defeat when deciding to go with fake grass, but we believe you will be pleasantly surprised at how many benefits there can be. Artificial grass has taken hold and becomes a part of the modern Australian home, creating a low-maintenance outdoor space.
Although there is no more fighting over who has to mow the lawn; there are some points we would like to make you aware of before you finalise your purchase.
Overview:
Side note: Get clear on what you need fake grass for, as this will determine the type, colour and texture you decide.
From a time point of view, fake grass is cheap, but the initial outlay will cost more than natural grass (see our page for artificial grass price Australia examples). Fake grass is sold as square metres, making it easy to compare quality and cost. Be sure to measure your area well to get a good idea of the overall cost. DIY installation can be a good option, but if you are not already in the know-how, then extensive research on your behalf will be required to ensure you get it right. For the best result, we recommend a professional installer, which may save you money in the long run.
Artificial grass price fluctuates quite dramatically, and as we outline below generally, the more you pay in the beginning, the less stress you deal with later on.
We would also like to point out that there are great Australian made products that Australian suppliers will be biased towards. But in all honesty, some fantastic options are coming from places like China also, and at the Online Flooring Store, we believe in giving people a choice in both quality and origin of products (provided they pass our quality tests of course).
Side note: Installing fake grass will roughly cost double what it costs to grow a natural lawn area, depending on whether you use a professional installer or not.
Later on, we disclose approximate costs in a DIY/Professional installation comparison.
In a nutshell, infill is the stuff you spread on top of your lawn to anchor it in place.
Standard infill is sand, but some other products may be used:
Determining the amount of ground preparation work before artificial grass is put down will dramatically affect the cost. Synthetic grass is a porous surface, meaning water will drain through it. If the texture is too dense, you will need to remove some existing soil and introduce sand or gravel to ensure this doesn&#;t happen. This can be a huge job for DIY&#;ers.
For very high rainfall areas, you may be required to install a heavy-duty drainage system such as a soak well. Artificial grass is very problematic without proper drainage.
Side note: Polyurethane or latex is used for synthetic grass backing. We recommend sticking to polyurethane because it will not expand or contract in extreme heat fluctuation.
Uneven ground such as tree roots, weeds, and mounds must be removed and rectified before installation. You shouldn&#;t install over rough ground, and you need a completely level surface to lay on. Installing artificial grass on uneven ground leaves you wide open to various problems, including unsecured edges, visibly messy appearance, inevitably uneven joins and drainage issues. But by far, the biggest concern is a safety issue for kids and pets who run around in the area.
Levelling sloping gardens can be a tedious job for inexperienced first-time DIYers.
Generally, you will need to dig up the entire area, remove older grass and debris & smoothen out the ground with sand and gravel.
Whether you can drive on synthetic grass will depend on proper ground preparation. The ground will need to be well compacted and 100ml plus of a gravel & sand subbase to sustain the weight of an SUV in parking areas adequately.
Various grass heights (Pile heights) are measured from the backing to the end of the tip. It would help if you chose a pile height in congruence with your lifestyle needs.
Grass over 30mm will give a greener, luscious look, whereas below this measurement will give a neater look for high traffic areas. Be careful not to choose longer blades in high traffic areas as they will bend over time. You will still have to brush forward any blades with a broom but not nearly as much. If backyard cricket is your family&#;s jam, opt for the shorter option and happy batting.
If you intend to lay tables and chairs over the grass, the shorter option will be a superior choice for your family.
Denser and often more expensive options will also come with more substantial and extended guarantees, so check that information before purchasing. Although some suppliers offer up to 25 years or even a lifetime warranty, standard warranties are ten years.
Put simply, Good quality grass will generally be heavier. Density refers to the number of yarns per square foot, and higher density means more durability. If you are installing on an elevated platform such as a patio, you will need to be aware of the load-bearing capabilities of the structure.
Side note: Density is measured by dividing face weight by pile height.
Weight is broken up into two categories:
Face Weight
Backing Weight
Total Turf Weight
There are two elements to keep in mind here. The grass colour and also the thatch (fake dead grass), and there is a vast range of combinations to consider. What looks natural in your garden will be different in another garden. The best and only way to get this right is to order samples and look at the sample at different kights and times of the day.
The best products to choose from have varying shades of green to create a much more natural look.
Side note: Artificial grass can often look &#;too immaculate&#; with cheap alternatives, and it will be so obvious it is not the real deal.
You can also compare quality with colour when you have samples. Look at the yarn and backing quality and make sure there is something that guarantees minimal (if any) fading from sun exposure. Texture-wise it should feel close to the real thing. Be sure to make sure water can quickly get through with larger holes for heavy rainfall.
A good quality synthetic grass will be made of polypropylene, polyamide, and polyethylene yarns and often blended. Look for an even backing and well-stitched tufts. Although pricier initially, you will save more later with a quality product.
You guessed it. The more it generally costs, the less time and money you will spend maintaining it.
Also, consider the area you live in. Will heavy runoff or tree limbs fall onto the synthetic grass? And will the durability match up?
We recommend cleaning your artificial grass by using a leave blower, stiff brush or rake to remove leaves and other debris. You will also need to use turf deodoriser to drive away pet urine stench if you have pets. Alternatively, you can use baking soda washed away with a water and vinegar solution, and solid pet waste requires a scoop followed by a quick hose squirt.
It is not just burning the grass itself we are concerned with. The air temperature surrounding unshaded fake grass can be elevated, which can be an issue for children and pets. In Australia, a hot summer&#;s day is already scorching, and in combination with hot artificial turf will increase the risk of dehydration and heat-related health issues.
If there is little airflow surrounding your property, it can even feel hotter inside your home. So your water bill might be lower, but your aircon bill could skyrocket.
How do we combat this? Simple! The online flooring store&#;s &#;cool touch&#; artificial grass is the perfect solution to this problem.
As we touched on before, the following will have the biggest bearing on immediate pricing:
Side note: As a loose general rule, expect to pay double if you use an installer.
Many suppliers, including us, sell directly to customers. We estimate laying 50m2 yourself could cost you anywhere from $ to $.
DIY saves you money but put your ego aside and ask yourself if you have the required skills because there are a few.
If you get it right, installing artificial turf undoubtedly saves you money. But is it worth the risk?
Some common pitfalls include:
Side note: For the above reasons; we recommend using a professional installer.
Expect to pay $50 &#; $65 per square metre for labour, depending on the intricacy of the job. A combination of turf plus labour costs will be anything from $80 &#; $105 per square metre.