Artificial Grass Vs. Real Grass Several states are having water shortages. In addition to this, water can be expensive. People have been asked to cut back on their water consumption. Smart measures have been taken to lessen the amount of water need in the yard while accomplishing a beautiful landscape. For instance, more and more home occupants are turning towards fake plants, succulents, rocks and smart irrigation systems to conserve water. However, there is a way to go a step further and save even more water without suffering the beauty of a lawn.
Maintenance
Lawns require a lot of work. Beyond watering the lawn, there are several other tasks that need to be performed to ensure it’s growing healthy and strong. Pests can inhibit grass growth and may require certain types of pesticides. Grass needs to be mowed, at least, weekly. Grass requires regular grass food—whether this is in the form of fertilization or a spray system. Weeds may also become a problem. Certain types of grass are harder to grow than others. The lawn may require reseeding to fill in bare patches. Artificial grass reduces the amount of maintenance needed in the yard. Artificial grass does not need to be mowed. Besides the fact that grass does not need insecticide, it doesn’t attract insects on its own. However, if someone spills something sugary, this may attract insects; however, this can be remedied by spraying down the area with water. Artificial grass does not need to be fertilized. It stays a consistent height throughout the year. Home occupants needn’t worry about bare spots in their lawn either.
Look and Feel
The argument of artificial grass looking and feeling fake is due to the way artificial grass used to look and feel. Today’s artificial grass is made with the intent of making it look and feel real. High-end artificial grass is soft to the feel. It is arguably better than real grass. Grass can become soggy, have ants in it, pokey, wet and sticky. However, artificial grass isn’t any of these things. It is made to be life-like, and it is made to be durable. This means that it will always be a joy to walk barefoot in, have picnics on or play with the kids on. In addition, artificial grass can be made to mimic differentiations in color between blades so that it is more life-like. Neighbors will believe the grass is real as well.
Cost
Artificial grass can cost more upfront. However, with the amount of water, fertilization, mowing and other grass care needed, artificial grass ends up being more cost-efficient in the long-run. Artificial grass can last between 15 and 20 years—sometimes longer. The prep work behind an artificial lawn includes: removing the old lawn, sand to be laid down and leveled and rubber pellets to be laid down. Artificial grass is laid on top of the rubber pellets. Water, alone, can cost as much as artificial grass and surpass that amount. This is especially true for residents with numerous water fees.
Environmental Impact
Artificial grass offers a greener way to live for home residents. It does not consume natural resources the way natural grass does. Beyond water, lawn mowers require gasoline to run. Artificial grass helps to save on these resources. In addition, since fertilizer and insecticide won’t be needed, the soil will stay cleaner, which, indirectly, affects water quality down the road. Some people are concerned by the antimicrobial treatments, which are used to clean artificial grass. It is debatable whether these pollute water run-off and drinking water. A plus is that artificial grass can be made from recycled tires; however, because it is durable, it does not break down over time. Artificial grass is an immediate green solution. If it can be recycled after it has been used, it can avoid sitting indefinitely in a landfill. Artificial grass is lovely to look at. It can look and feel like the real thing. It doesn’t require watering and other forms of maintenance. The possible downside is that real grass can be helpful in reducing heat when the temperature is in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. However, there are few places, relatively speaking, that experience this type of heat consistently. If heat is not a concern or a house relies on some form of home cooling, it may be a slight concern. Overall, artificial grass looks and feels like the real thing, reduces costs and reduces the amount of maintenance needed to maintain it. This is why people love artificial grass.
