Localized Heating: The #1 Way to Melt Artificial Turf.

Localized heating occurs when light from the sun is focused onto a small area. For artificial turf, that’s bad news. It can melt the blades, the backing material, and leave obvious discoloration, pictured here.

Not pretty!

If you’re thinking about purchasing artificial turf, don’t worry. By taking a few simple precautions before installing your grass, you can easily avoid localized heating damage.

Reflective surfaces, such as windows, are usually responsible for localized heating damage. We have found low-e windows to be particularly troublesome. So, before installing your grass, look for reflections on the ground where you want to install between the hours of 11AM and 2PM, when the sun is most direct. If you see any, determine where the reflection is coming from.

If it’s coming from one of your windows, then installing an awning, an outdoor solar screen, or tinting the glass will help eliminate the reflection. If it’s coming from an object in the yard, like a glass table, try moving it to another spot in the yard, or covering it with something non-reflective.

Additionally, while ambient air temperature doesn’t effect the temperature of artificial turf, direct sunlight does. In fact, aside from contact with hot objects, like frying pans (yes, we’ve seen that happen), sunlight is the only thing that significantly affects the temperature of artificial grass. For this reason, it’s important to take precautions against localized heating.

Yes, localized heating can be a problem for artificial turf owners, but if you know what to look for, you – and your turf – have nothing to fear!

Got questions? Feel free to give us a call or stop by one of our stores, and one of our artificial grass experts will be happy to help.