Winter Weather and Artificial Turf

Artificial turf eliminates the need for lawn care a majority of the year, but what about during the winter months? As turf installers, you should be equipped with the knowledge of how the winter elements effect turf before and after installation.

Is it possible to install artificial turf in the winter months?

Artificial turf can be installed during the winter months. It actually doesn’t differ much from when it is installed during any other season, even though it may seem more difficult. Here are some factors that you should be aware of before installing synthetic turf in the winter.

• The turf must be dry before placing the infill, otherwise the infill could clump and stick to the fibers.
• The cold of winter causes the seam tape adhesive to take longer to cure. After installation, stay off the turf for at least 24 hours.
• Depending on the type of soil in your geography, the clearing of dirt could either be easier or more difficult.
• If you’re storing the turf roll outside, you might have to occasionally rotate it to avoid flattening. The turf holds on to shape more in the cold, so try to keep everything uniform with this rotation.

What happens to artificial turf during the winter?

The turf is installed, the client is happy, all is right with the world. Then you get a call from the client about an approaching blizzard or nor’easter. They’re concerned about their brand-new turf getting destroyed. Here’s some information you can share with your customers (hopefully pre-storm) that will ease their mind and answer some of their care questions:

• Removing leaves from your turf before winter will prevent any mushy, bacteria-filled debris from building up.
• There is no need to clear the snow from turf because when the snow melts it will drain naturally. It will drain even better if you’re using our turf with ProFlow technology.
• Even if there’s a layer of snow down, you should not use anything that produces heat like fire, heaters, grills, etc.
• If you do want to remove snow, always do so when it has freshly fallen. Settled snow can compact and stick to turf fibers, making removal risky.
• Always use a plastic shovel, leaf blower to clear snow. Do not use your a metal rake/shovel to remove snow from turf, as this will damage fibers.
• Avoid using any ice melting products and salt as these could clog the drainage system of your turf. Salt will not damage the turf but it could cause issues with drainage. If you can’t wait for the snow to melt and do use salt, please only do so extremely sparingly.
• If you’re worried about snow damaging your turf, lay down a tarp.
• The blade fibers can freeze below 32 degrees after snow or rain showers, causing the fibers to become slippery. Use caution when walking on the turf during this time.
• The nails that secure your turf need to be checked often during the winter because of the extreme temperature swings. If the nails have become loose, add more nails or replace the ones that have come out.

After winter ends, what needs to be done with the turf?

Some homeowners might wonder if there will be any lasting effects to the turf once winter ends, especially in areas that get a lot of snow and ice. Fortunately, artificial turf holds up extremely well through the winter if you follow the tips above to eliminate any possibility of damage. It may end up laying a little flat from the weight of the snow, though, which can be fixed with a brooming.

If you have any other questions about how the winter months can affect turf, please reach out to us here: info@progreen.com

If you have any additional tips on winter turf installation and care – leave a comment below!