What is Artificial Grass? A complete guide

Artificial grass is a substance that resembles actual grass but is made of synthetic, artificial fibres.

Green artificial grass blades come in a range of pile heights. It has a sturdy backing and is built similarly to how carpet is made; after that, the blades are machine stitched on. The majority of brand-new artificial grass being created nowadays also incorporates a brown thatch to replicate the appearance of dead grass you would see on a real grass lawn. Artificial grass has advanced significantly in terms of how realistic it looks thanks to modern technology.

History of artificial grass?

The Houston Astrodome, the first indoor dome sports stadium in the world, housed artificial grass for the first time in 1966. When the stadium opened for business in 1965, they had a terrible time planting actual grass. The field conditions were so terrible by the second half of the season that artificial grass was put down.

Benefits of using artificial grass.

For the buyer, artificial grass offers a number of advantages. It is a great landscaping choice that saves time and money. Artificial grass doesn’t need any water, which greatly lowers monthly water expenditures. Natural grass needs 55 gallons of water per square foot yearly.

Landscaping accounts for the majority of home water use. Water conservation is essential in areas of the country where drought conditions are present. Many individuals believe that saving water for food production is more vital than using it for landscaping enhancement. People can have the landscape appearance of green grass with artificial grass, but without the upkeep.

Real grass has a mortality rate. Artificial grass can create a “forever lawn” by lasting twenty years or more. It has the advantage of constantly being green once it is installed. Lawns are impervious to overgrowth and brown stains.

There is no longer a need for landscapers. You no longer need to pay a landscaper to maintain your lawn because artificial grass doesn’t grow. The use of fertilisers, weed killers, pesticides, and lawn maintenance tools is no longer necessary.

Because it doesn’t need to be maintained like a genuine grass lawn, artificial grass saves time. You won’t have to mow your lawn every week if you take care of it yourself. Additionally, the elimination of lawn mowers benefits the environment by reducing the quantity of emissions released into the atmosphere. A lawn mower emits the same amount of emissions in one hour as 11 cars.

Manufacturing process of artificial grass.

The “grass” component of a turf system is created using the same tufting processes as carpets. a complete process with steps is mention below.

1. The proprietary ingredients are combined in a hopper as the initial stage. To give the lawn its customary shade of green and to shield it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, dyes and chemicals are added.
2. The batch is fed into a substantial steel mixer after being completely mixed. The batch is mechanically blended until it resembles thick taffy.
3. The thickened liquid is then put into an extruder, where it emerges as a material strand that is both long and thin.
4. A loose rope is created by spinning the strands on a carding machine. The untied ropes are straightened, tugged, and made into yarn. After that, the nylon yarn is wound onto sizable spools.
5. The twisted shape is then set by heating the yarn.
6. The yarn is then delivered to a tufting machine. The yarn is wound onto a reel that is mounted on a bar behind the tufting machine. The tufting needle is then fed with it through a tube. The yarn is pushed into the loop when the needle pierces the turf’s main support. The backing is moved forward, the needle is pulled back up, and the loop of nylon is caught and released by a looper or flat hook.
7. Moving backward more. Several hundred needles are used in this procedure, and several hundred rows of stitches are made each minute. The artificial grass carpet was once made of nylon yarn.
8. The synthetic turf carpet is now rolled underneath a dispenser, which coats the turf’s underside with latex. A sturdy secondary backing is also coated in latex at the same time. Following that, a marriage roller is used to roll both of these together into a sandwich and seal it.
9. The latex is then cured by placing the fake turf beneath heat lamps.
10. Any tufts that rise above the turf’s level surface are clipped off by a machine that processes the turf.
11. The turf is then packaged after being rolled into long V-shapes. After that, the rolls are delivered to the wholesaler.

Raw material used in artificial grass.

The performance of turf systems depends heavily on the quality of the raw materials. The backing material has included jute, plastic, and polyester, which are all materials that are typically used as carpet backing. The backing for premium fake grass is a polyester tyre cord.

The nylon or polypropylene fibers used to create the blades of “grass” can be produced in a variety of methods. The nylon blades can be made as thin sheets that are sliced into strips or as fibers that are extruded through molds and have a circular or oval cross-section. Blades produced by the extrusion process behave and feel more like biological grass.

Some of the materials used in backing can come from plastic or rubber recycling programs, and rubber tyres are occasionally included in the composition of the rubber basis. The top fabric panels and the thread used to stitch the pads together must all adhere to the same standards for strength, color retention, and durability as the rest of the system. The choice of the adhesives used to assemble all the parts must be made with caution and expertise.

What Makes A Good Quality Artificial Grass?

There are a few critical elements that are crucial when comparing artificial grass and foliage products. The backing material of a product determines its level of quality, thus look for polyurethane backing rather than latex. The product should also have a UV-resistant protective layer. This is crucial because it will shield the synthetic grass from the sun and keep it looking lush. Without UV protection, products might fade, rendering the grass blue or white. Additionally, confirm that the synthetic grass is lead-free.

• UV Resistant Coating
• Washable
• long life
• Looks so natural
• Lead-free
• Toxic Free
• Pet friendly
• Child friendly

Pros and cons of artificial grass

Pros Artificial grass

1. Water conservation. The state keeps tightening its water restrictions. With artificial grass, it’s simple to adhere to the criteria set by homeowners organizations for aesthetics without sacrificing water usage. Water conservation is extremely cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

2. Non-toxic. Artificial grass is made without the use of any toxic substances.
3. Non-allergenic. False grass does not expand. The grass pollen has left. Hello, taking in your yard in any weather.
4. No traces of dangerous chemicals. Herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers are not necessary for artificial turf to stay aesthetically pleasing and bug-free. That is safer for the environment and for your family.
5. Durability. Artificial turf is made of incredibly strong materials that can endure practically any form of abuse. Dog- and varmint-proof, incredibly stain- and fade-resistant, and won’t fray at the edges.
6. Stronger surface Natural grass can develop dips and humps that kids (and adults and pets) can trip over when running and playing, leading to injury. Artificial grass always has a uniformly flat surface. Additionally, installing artificial grass with our unique FallSoft technology actually helps shield children from falls up to 5 feet.
7. Income from an investment. Due to the elimination of continuing lawn maintenance costs, premium artificial grass pays for itself in a matter of years. Then it’s all about saving. A lovely synthetic grass lawn also increases the value of your home when you sell it.

Cons of Artificial grass

1. Surface warmth- Artificial turf might feel warm to the touch because it retains more heat than real grass does. The surface temperature can also be increased by certain types of infill.

2. Although fake grass doesn’t catch fire, it can melt if something hot, like a piece of charcoal, falls on it or if it is exposed to a lot of sunshine from a window. Fake grass can be fixed, though.

3. Odour accumulation- On artificial turf, spills will fester if you don’t wipe them up right once, just as on real grass. Additionally, some infill materials are prone to holding odours.

4. Concerns about toxic runoff. Water run-off from crumb rubber infill used to cause people to worry that it would be bad for their families, their pets, or the environment. Numerous alternative filler materials are available now, and years of scientific research have revealed only very low quantities of hazardous residue.

Environmental impact of Artificial vs. natural grass.

Artificial turf raises a number of environmental issues, such as the destruction of wildlife habitats, toxic runoff, and migration of synthetic elements. Stormwater runoff from artificial turf has been discovered to include pollutants that are detrimental to aquatic life, such as zinc. Microplastic contamination is a result of both infill particles and frayed synthetic grass fibers migrating from yards or sports grounds.

Chemical hazard.

Any of the synthetic materials used to make artificial turf may include chemicals of concern. The use of recycled tyre materials as a filler to secure artificial turfgrass and provide cushioning has drawn particular criticism. Recycled tyres are one of these filler materials that TURI has examined in a report.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metals including lead and zinc, and other substances can be found in recycled tyres. Some of the compounds included in recycled tyres are known or suspected to cause cancer or to have other negative health consequences. Other forms of infills may potentially contain chemicals of concern (see the TURI study for further information). By selecting natural grass, you can lessen your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and the resulting health risks.

Heat issue

On a warm day, artificial turf can get much hotter than actual grass. According to experts, those who are exposed to high temperatures, especially sports, are at risk for developing potentially fatal heat-related disorders. On artificial turf, high temperatures have been recorded in several investigations, some reaching 160oF.

Conslusion