Artificial grass can be a good choice when the grass on  your property doesn't seem to grow on its own, when pets and children tear up your real grass, or when you want a lawn with less needed maintenance. If you're thinking of having artificial grass installed on your property, you want to ensure you know what's involved and may have some questions about the material overall. Note a few of those questions here and then bring these up with a contractor as well.

1. Can artificial grass be installed over natural grass?

While in many cases you can put artificial grass over natural grass, this often isn't recommended. The reason for this is that the natural grass will eventually die away due to no sunlight and oxygen, and this dead grass will create an uneven surface under the artificial grass. In turn, your new turf may seem bumpy and uneven. It's often good to have your natural grass pulled up and the ground then graded and leveled so the artificial grass stays even and level.

2. Does artificial grass create flooding hazards?

It's easy to think that turf will collect water and allow it to puddle and pool, but this is not typically true of artificial grass you install on your lawn. There are certain types of artificial grass that are used as a covering over porches and decks and which are made of a solid material that doesn't allow for drainage; you may be assuming your artificial grass will be the same. However, the turf you put over your lawn is aerated and allows water to flow through. Your property will still need to be graded properly, and you may need a retaining wall to protect your property from water runoff, but the artificial grass itself should not cause any additional flooding hazard.

3. Can barbecues and heat sources be used on artificial grass?

Typically turf is treated with a fire retardant so that it's protected from the risk of fire from heat and flames. However, it's still good to put a barbecue, outdoor heater, fire pit, and other such items on a slab of some sort. If you're thinking of having an outdoor cooking area or fire pit, have your contractor or landscaper create a slab over your artificial grass. This can be stamped concrete, stone, or another material that will protect the area of grass in particular.

For more information about using artificial grass in your yard, contact a local supplier or installation company. 

Share