Artificial grass lawn

[UDRider]

Hi.

Anyone have any experience with it, suggestions? Starting to do research on it, but no solid leads yet on what are good brands, what to look for, etc. So I have figured someone here might have a personal experience with it.

Thanks.

 

[nine_inch_rear]

I havent had personal experience with it, but I know several neighbors that have it. Take a look at different brands and textures. Some have small little weeds, etc to make it look more real. Ive seen some fakies that have the color depth change a bit, since grass isnt completely the same shade of green throughout.
In all cases you can tell its fake, at least all the ones ive seen. Your eyes catch it, and your brain is like "something looks way too different about that lawn"
I dont know if prices have come down, but its extremely expensive. One small to medium patch of lawn to replace was about 8k

 

[redruM]

I went with artificial soil but real grass.

 

[Panamahaha]

Hardscape bud. Let your kids kick a soccer ball around with cactus.

Do they make a push vaccum for those outdoor rugs?

 

[explorin]

They sucks..I've never seen one that looks somewhat normal, and you cant stand on them in summer because it gets hot!

 

[Ant]

Friends of mine have it and it looks like real grass until you get close. Very expensive though if you want the good stuff. If you want it just because you hate yard work that's one thing, if you get it to save money on watering then it will take about 10 years before you break even, not worth it for that reason imho.

 

[}Dragon{]

You gonna plant some artificial trees to go with it?

 

[Archimedes]

There are basically three levels of this stuff. Shit, average, very good. The shit is like astroturf, the average is like fake grass (close but off and isn't designed all that well, e.g. Tuffgrass), and the very good looks like real grass, albeit too perfect real grass, and comes with a proprietary infill that is great. That stuff is called Field Turf and they make different lengths for different applications, from putting green to athletic field to residential lawns. I have that in my back yard and it is awesome. Same stuff they are using in all the high end stadiums now, though the residential cut is taller. No maintenance, drains great, great if you have dogs, and great if you have gopher problems, which I had. Two big drawbacks. It is expensive. Ridiculously fucking expensive. It does get warm on a hot day in the sun. That said, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Worth every penny to me.

 

[UDRider]

Hardscape bud. Let your kids kick a soccer ball around with cactus.

Do they make a push vaccum for those outdoor rugs?

Don't have kids, don't plan to, not an issue.

As for vacum, that would be awesome.

Friends of mine have it and it looks like real grass until you get close. Very expensive though if you want the good stuff. If you want it just because you hate yard work that's one thing, if you get it to save money on watering then it will take about 10 years before you break even, not worth it for that reason imho.

I hate yard work, plus water (which I believe will get more expensive), and maintenance (fertilizer and stuff). Of course now there is no irrigation setup, so if I go with real stuff that will need to be factored in also.

You gonna plant some artificial trees to go with it?

Hell, yeah.

There are basically three levels of this stuff. Shit, average, very good. The shit is like astroturf, the average is like fake grass (close but off and isn't designed all that well, e.g. Tuffgrass), and the very good looks like real grass, albeit too perfect real grass, and comes with a proprietary infill that is great. That stuff is called Field Turf and they make different lengths for different applications, from putting green to athletic field to residential lawns. I have that in my back yard and it is awesome. Same stuff they are using in all the high end stadiums now, though the residential cut is taller. No maintenance, drains great, great if you have dogs, and great if you have gopher problems, which I had. Two big drawbacks. It is expensive. Ridiculously fucking expensive. It does get warm on a hot day in the sun. That said, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Worth every penny to me.

Great will look in to it. Any companies in the Bay Area you recommend.

 

[Beauregard]

I have two personal experiences with the stuff:

A property I almost bought had it. In the inspection the turf was found to be pretty gnarly with mildew and bacteria.

I (we) played lacrosse against West Point on their turf field and by the end of the game I was covered in rug-burn.

 

[fast4d]

doesn't make sense unless you're in AZ or so cal/inland dessert.

 

[Daks]

Don't worry about your lawn so much?
I never really got the "OMG EVERYTHING HAS TO BE 100% GREEN" lawn obsession. It's fucking grass. Don't cut it too short and let it dry and grow back naturally.

 

[Zerox]

Probably cheaper to simply concrete the entire yard....pave the planet!

 

[Panamahaha]

Probably cheaper to simply concrete the entire yard....pave the planet!

You can only cover a certain percentage of the property with non-drainable space in most California cities. The foot print of the house and concrete flatwork are all taken into consideration during plan check in the permit process.

 

[UDRider]

Don't worry about your lawn so much?
I never really got the "OMG EVERYTHING HAS TO BE 100% GREEN" lawn obsession. It's fucking grass. Don't cut it too short and let it dry and grow back naturally.

I don't really give a shit either, but it's in the front and at the moment more dried up weeds then any resemblance of grass. I want it to look better, and not like bunch of hillibilies/red necks/insert stereo type here are living here.

Probably cheaper to simply concrete the entire yard....pave the planet!

Don't give me any ideas. Actually plan be is to remove all the dead grass, cover it with that tarp type thing, and put nice looking gravel. Then plant some native plants in strategic locations to give it some variety.

 

[UDRider]

I have two personal experiences with the stuff:

A property I almost bought had it. In the inspection the turf was found to be pretty gnarly with mildew and bacteria.

Recently, brand? Did you inspect the one that has been there for a while?

 

[Panamahaha]

Actually plan be is to remove all the dead grass, cover it with that tarp type thing, and put nice looking gravel. Then plant some native plants in strategic locations to give it some variety.

It's called landscape filter fabric. Keeps the weeds from growing up.

 

[Panamahaha]

With the amount of rain we get here in the afternoon during the rainy season (may-november our "winter months") shit just grows crazy like. My coffee-banana-papaya-passion fruit-pineapple-mango-palm tree varieties-grass-ect. grow and produce, and the up-keep is beyond my control. Luckily my gardner charges $20 a day and is needed once a week.

 

[UDRider]

It's called landscape filter fabric. Keeps the weeds from growing up.

Yeah. Never could remember what it is called, and I just used it too.

 

[Dubbington]

I'll get the brand my dad installed at my sisters. Was around $2.80 sqft not installed if I recall and that was middle of the road variety. VERY nice stuff! Look like just cut lawn 365. They have dogs so about once a month he hoses it down with vinegar to help with the pee smell.

Also, when installing you are supposed to add a very thin layer of sand rubber on top that works its way into the grass and keeps it upright.

edit:

like mentioned above. there is the good stuff and the already cut rolls Costco sells. You want the kind that has a thick base to it. The varieties my sister showed mean when she was choosing all looked amazing. Her's looks perfect a year after its been installed.