How Artificial Grass Is Made

If you’re old enough, you remember the original Astro Turf – an indoor-outdoor “carpet” product that resembled grass in color only. It got its name because it was first used to create a fake grass surface for the then-new Houston Astrodome. Real grass couldn’t grow on the field, because the dome admitted no natural sunlight.

Several “generations” later, today’s artificial grass is light years ahead of that old Astro Turf. And, boy, are we glad. Synthetic turf is now made to look as good and perform even better than the real thing, in several ways:

• It’s environmentally friendly, especially here in northern California, because it requires no water (depending on your lawn size, switching to faux grass could save you as much as 56,000 gallons of water a year)
• It’s soft and fluffy like natural grass, so it’s barefoot-friendly as well as enduringly beautiful
• It drains better than natural grass, so water doesn’t puddle and it dries quickly
• It’s reliably tough and durable, so it doesn’t develop ruts or bare patches, eliminating muddy paw and foot prints in the house
• And, of course, it requires no costly, tedious maintenance

How did they do that?

Most modern artificial grass is manufactured using a blend of polypropylene and polyethylene formed into individual “blades.” They may be combined in different lengths and/or shades of green, to give the most realistic look and feel. Artificial grass systems also include silica sand and/or tiny rubber granules, to give the turf its expected springy texture underfoot.

There are many formulations used to make fake grass, each one designed to meet specific performance requirements. For example, you’d want one thing for a soccer field, and something different for a putting green or your front lawn. You can download our product comparison guide to learn more about which kind of synthetic turf is best for various applications.

Not all artificial grass is made the same, though. It comes in a range of qualities and costs, so it’s important to know what you’re getting. The better the quality – of the product and its installation – the greater return you will see on your investment. Here at Heavenly Greens, we offer only superior quality products and a complete grass/installation system that ensures you get the closest alternative to real grass, whatever your application. Our synthetic turf carries warranties from 8 to 15 years.

And speaking of applications  . . .

Because there are so many varieties of artificial grass, and it can “grow” anywhere, there are almost unlimited ways you can use it to enhance your home or commercial property. We have found the four most popular applications are:

• Lawns for front and back yards, where you want maximum curb appeal (and homeowner pride) with minimal effort
• Outdoor living areas, such as patios, decks, balconies, pool surrounds, and children’s play areas
• Dog-friendly surfaces that won’t suffer damage from urine, digging, or hard-core running and playing
• Custom-designed backyard putting greens (or bocce ball courts)

You can even use fake grass indoors, to give new meaning to “carpet” in your sunroom or give unexpected dimension to a wall in the kids’ room. Or you can “plant” it on your flat rooftop to expand outdoor living space.