Artificial grass could be your new best friend. Here's why. Many residents across America are opting for total lawn removal, especially in states like California. Mercury News as featured artificial grass as an alternative lawn option; and ran a story in April of this year highlighting how much of a permanent impact the drought has made on California and its residents. It has caused homeowners to rethink how they do things like water their lawn. In fact, it has made them rethink whether or not they even need one. Many are looking at other options, like drought tolerant landscapes. These dry riverbed themed lawns feature large boulders, sparsely placed succulents and mulch material. Over time, the plants will grow to fill in the space. More maintenance will be required at that point.
There is another option though, if you don't like looking at a yard outfitted with big rocks, gravel, mulch and a couple of flowering plants or scrubby shrubs. Case in point; when homeowners in the San Francisco Bay area were forced to address lawn maintenance during the drought, many turned to artificial grass. One local business saw an eight fold increase over a two year time period. That means a lot of people found the artificial grass to be greener on the other side. Maybe you should too. Here are several reasons artificial grass makes sense.
Why the Artificial Grass is Greener
- Once artificial grass is installed, you have very little maintenance. Of course, how your lawn is used will dictate how much maintenance is needed. If you have kids running around outside during the day, or animals that need to be let out from time to time, your lawn will obviously require more maintenance. However, all you have to do is spray it off with a water hose. That's a fair trade if you ask us. The best part though? No more cutting grass.
- Easy Installation. Most installs involve a simple two-step process. First, the old lawn is removed. This can take a week or more depending on the removal method. The key in this step is making sure all of the old grass is completely removed. Any left over roots or seeds could spur new growth.
Once all of the old grass is removed, a layer of substrate is applied. This serves as drainage when for rain or cleaning with a hose, and also acts as a barrier to prevent new grass growth. A moisture membrane is typically present underneath the substrate too prevent new growth too.
After the application of substrate, artificial grass is applied to the top completing the installation. A good installer can work with tricky edges, curve and obstacles. They are also experts at joining seams to make the invisible. Your lawn will be one permanent evergreen fixture.
- No bugs. You may still notice a few bugs here and there, but insects need nutrients to thrive. Artificial grass provides none of these so they tend to look elsewhere. Plus, the moisture membrane decreases the amount of oxygen needed for survival. The benefit to you is a bug free, beautiful lawn.
- Tax benefits. If you live in certain drought plagued states (like California) you could really benefit from an artificial grass install. They have programs designed to encourage artificial grass as a viable option your your lawn. For instance, in Los Angeles, home owners can get a rebate of 30 cents per square foot which equals $150 for every 500 square feet. That's not bad. If you own a business you could get as much as $10,000 in rebates. There are even programs for apartments and condominium owners too.
The rebates and maintenance aspects are enough to make artificial grass a worthy alternative to your traditional lawn. Plus, the average lawn pays for itself inside of 6 or 7 years. They typically have a life span of 15-25 years depending on traffic and UV exposure so you would have a true zero cost expense on lawn maintenance for 10+ years. That is music to many the ears of many home and business owners.
How Do You Find an Artificial Grass Company
There are many resources online to help. A quick search will yield information regarding artificial grass companies as well as companies who specialize in installation. Finding a company who does both is optimal. Take us, Artificial Grass Pros out of San Ramon, California for example. Artificial Grass Pros is sister company to NewGrass, an artificial grass manufacturer. We are also an installation company. We can walk you through the process start to finish, form artificial grass selection, to final installation by our experienced crew. Our one stop shopping aspect is attractive to first time buyers, or those who have been through the process before and prefer to deal with just one comprehensive company.
It speaks to how lawn care is changing in the US. If you look slowly, the grass is getting artificially greener. It's good for the home owner and makes a low impact on the environment. Expect this trend to continue as homeowners across the United States are wake up to the many benefits of artificial grass versus maintaining a traditional lawn.