In the past, only sports clubs – and affluent ones at that – used artificial grass in the UK. Today, the chances of seeing it on your neighbour’s front lawn and on the playing field are about the same. This article explains the pluses and minuses of artificial grass in your garden.
The biggest advantage of artificial grass to homeowners is convenience. It doesn’t require much maintenance – it doesn’t require mowing, fertilizing, or watering. It will look beautiful in all weather conditions. The weather does not affect its appearance in any way
No Mowing!
Having to use a lawn mower has many drawbacks. It can be dangerous and it is damaging to the environment. It is very time-consuming too. A normal-size garden can take up to 3 hours a week to mow. For three months, that’s 36 wasted hours! And that’s just three months! Having artificial grass will free up loads of time.
There are two different groups of people who will find artificial grass very valuable. The first is the elderly, who are unable to mow their lawns physically, but don’t want to give their pristine lawns up. They also don’t want to have to pay someone to mow their lawn as these costs rack up and can be hard to cover when you’re living from pension to pension. A lot of elderly people cannot operate machinery like lawnmowers because they are on certain types of medication. Other times, they have bone or spine disorders preventing them from doing so.
The second group is that of holiday homeowners who live away from their properties for long periods of time. Artificial grass requires no maintenance. It saves these busy people time.
Good for the Environment
Contrary to popular belief, natural grass is not greener or environmentally friendlier to maintain. According to a 2009 publications in the National Geographic, using a petrol-powered lawnmower for an hour is equivalent to four hours of driving a car in terms of the pollution caused. You’re automatically eliminating carbon emissions because you’re not using a lawnmower. There is also no risk of having chemical-containing water seep into the drains.
Special Uses of Artificial Grass
Artificial grass is great as ground cover for swimming pools beyond the splash back zones. There are no muddy areas to reckon with that will drive dirt and dust into the pool. It is also suitable for dog runs because it’s easy to clean, it can’t be dug up, and it’s easy to keep sterile. Your dog’s paws won’t get muddy. We can all imagine the nightmare of muddy paw prints all over the carpet.
Installing artificial grass is perfect for roof gardens because usually, the roof is not solid enough to support natural turf. This grass is much lighter than the natural kind. What is more, grass clippings won’t be anything to worry about.
Artificial grass is often used for events with high attendance, like a marquee. It’s suitable for high wear and tear areas in general. Families with small children often discover grass won’t grow in parts of the garden that are constantly being treaded on. Bald patches will appear there. When it rains, these will become muddy and problematic. You can overcome this by having artificial grass laid because it will blend in with the surroundings seamlessly.
Cons
Of course, nothing is without its disadvantages. This section will explain the downsides of artificial grass.
High-Quality Grass is Expensive
If the artificial grass is of superior quality, it can be expensive to install. It also takes longer to install compared to natural grass. This is because of specifics involving fitting. Some people have subjective resistance to artificial grass. They take pride in taking care of their gardens and see this solution as “cheating.”
Can be Eco-Unfriendly
If the artificial grass is of superior quality, it can be expensive to install. It also takes longer to install compared to natural grass. This is because of specifics involving fitting. Some people have subjective resistance to artificial grass. They take pride in taking care of their gardens and see this solution as “cheating.”
Shorter-Lasting
Finally, artificial grass doesn’t last as long as natural grass. Its lifespan ranges from 7 to 15 years. However, we don’t feel this is a short time. It’s a sufficient period to be enjoyed over. The maintenance efforts you save more than compensate for the shorter life span.
Want to Know More?
If you want to know more about artificial grass, get in touch with our experts at PI Gardening. Our company operates in London and the surrounding areas offer very competitive artificial grass laying prices and have a team with a collective experience of many decades. We are available on weekends and bank holidays and are fully insured. Give us a call today!