What is a Warranty?

Warranties seem to play an important role in the artificial turf industry. The warranties available to consumers range from 8 years to span the full lifetime of the product. Judging by the titles alone, it is easy to dismiss the 8 year warranty and the company behind it as insignificant and untrustworthy. However, like an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean, there is usually much more beneath the surface. Here are a few factors to consider when comparing warranties:

Read the Fine Print

This cannot be stressed enough – READ THE FINE PRINT. Many warranties claim to cover the artificial turf for the entire lifespan, but what exactly are they covering? What are the stipulations for making a claim? Is the warranty null and void if you do not hire the company for regular maintenance and cleaning? There are usually many conditions in order to keep the validity of the warranty, and if you do not want to take the chance of violating any of those conditions, then that “lifetime” or extended warranty is not for you.

Warranty is Not Synonymous with Lifespan

Just because a company warrants a product for a specified number of years does not mean that is how long the product will last. Look at cars – they are under warranty for 3 to 5 years, but can last 15 to 20 years. The same can be said with a quality artificial turf product. While the manufacturer will only warrant a specified number of years, the product will continue to look great long after the warranty expires. At ProGreen, our turf is manufactured to be of the highest quality, and will last over 20 years. We have installations from the late 1980’s that are still in the ground today and looking great.

A Warranty is Only as Good as the Company Behind It

Artificial turf is a widely growing industry. As such, companies are popping up everywhere to capitalize on the market. Yet, just as many companies are vanishing. If you purchase your turf from one of these “here for the party” companies, there is a good chance it will be gone before you even have an opportunity to make a claim. Talking about warranties only being as good as the company behind them always reminds me of a scene from the movie Tommy Boy – have you seen it? Enjoy the clip below (disclaimer – there is some adult language), but his sentiment is spot on!

In short, don’t be a victim to the warranty game. If you have any questions about the legal jargon in a warranty, ask the company about it. Also, ask how many claims they receive per year on the warranty. Take the time to really evaluate and compare warranties, and never make the warranty your deciding factor when choosing an artificial turf product. While warranties are important, at the end of the day, the quality of the product itself and the integrity of the company behind it should be what determines your decision.