Artificial Grass: Keep it Green Forever

Artificial Grass: Keep it Green Forever Artificial Grass History of Artificial Grass David Chaney headed the team of RTP researchers who created the famous artificial turf Artificial turf first came to prominence in 1965, when AstroTurf was installed in the newly-built Astrodome in Houston, Texas Polyethylene is very soft in texture, I) making it perfect for play areas it can also mimic several types of grass PET Types of Materials used for Artificial Grass Polypropylene is the least expensive artificial turf, but this type of material can't tolerate heat and will melt at temperatures above 155 degrees Fahrenheit PP Where to use Nylon is the strongest, highest quality, artificial turf and it will not become matted with extreme weight, unlike other materials Faux Grass CO2 CO2 Home Putting Greens Rooftop Gardens Easily cleanable areas for small pets Anywhere you want to reduce your carbon footprint How is Synthetic Turf made? Most synthetic turf systems installed today include a drainage layer, a multi-layered backing system, and resilient "grass" blades that are infilled with a granular filler to resemble natural turf Turf Fiber Infill - Backing Layer w/ Weep Holes Energy Pad Levelling Layer- Drainage Stone- Geotextile Natural Subgrade Artificial Grass VS Natural Grass WATER Usage: Does not require irrigation for growth, some watering require for maintenance of specific types Usage: Require significant amounts of irrigation for growth Storm Water Includes draining systems to compensate for their Capture: inability to take in water, capture and storage systems that can harvest rainwater for reuse Storm Water pProvides natural infiltration of water through the Capture: soil profile. Reducing runoff Potential for nutrient/chemical leaching from Runoff Water Potential for leaching of heavy metals and other Quality: residues from synthetic material and/or rubber infill Runoff Water pesticides and fertilizers into water waste If not Quality: managed perfectly CARBON Carbon emissions come from the processing Carbon production, transportation, installation, Footprint: maintenance and disposal stages. These materials impact over the entire lifecycle significantly raising the carbon footprint Carbon Carbon emissions generally come from the installation and maintenance stage. Tends to have lower carbon footprint over entire lifecycle Footprint: CO2 Carbon Sink: Helps remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere Carbon Sink: It does not have the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere flew through photosynthesis and stores it as organic carbon in soil MATERIAL Manufacture: It is petro-chemical product which uses mostly virgin materials and some of the materials can be made from recycled content (eg. rubber granules infill and shock pad) Manufacture : Natural product grown from seed and requires water and chemical inputs in the form of fertilizer and pesticides for growth and quality Transport: Generally speaking it is transported long distances mostly overseas, resulting in high transport cost Transport: Natural instant lawns haveshort shelf lives and canonly be transported shorter distances or they are planted from seeds which have been minimal transportation costs End of Life : Ends up in landfill where it takes a long time to break down. High disposal costs End of Life: It does not have definitive end of life, however, maybe replaced to enhance the current surface Soil: Heavily compact in the soil before installing artificial grass damages soil structure, soil microbes and soil life Soil: It improves the soil by stimulating biological life and by creating a more favorable soil structure Dust Covered surfaces are effective dust stabilisers and Dust Well-maintained grass captures the dirt and dust from Stabilisation : synthetic turf will provide dust stabilization even through drought periods Stabilisation: the atmosphere. During severe drought periods and tight water restrictions, natural gas can deteriorate and dust may become an issue Heat Heat reflection. It absorbs and radiates heat Can be Dissipation: uncomfortable and unsafe in hot weather conditions. Colour of the synthetic turf may influence the level of reflection Heat Heat is naturally absorbed by turf grass and cools the Dissipation: surrounding environment Noise: Grassed areas present an irregular soft surface which makes them effective at reducing noise levels Noise: Artificial grass fibers absorb some noise but not as much as natural grass Biodiversity No organic biodiversity due to compacted base and and Habitat: synthetic surface Biodiversity Provides natural environment for organic biodiversity and Habitat: in the soil Glare : High levels of glare can be created from sunlight and floodlight depending on the type of surface used Glare: Natural grass assists to soften and reduce reflected light, lessening glare 10 Advantages A of Artificial Grass THE COST 1. Once installed, it requires little maintenance Quality fake grass is around £400 per 20sq m 2. Save on the cost of water and buying and operating a lawn mower 3. No need to buy expensive fertilizers and weed killers 4. Because you do not need to use chemicals to grow or protect the grass, you are not adding to pollution levels and affecting the environment on an ongoing basis 5. You will not have to spend time pulling out weeds 6. Synthetic grass is long lasting and you will not have to incur the expense or hassles of period replanting that natural grass will require. 7. It offers excellent drainage so the grass will dry quickly even after rain or the use of water to wash it. 8. The good drainage also means that you don't have to worry about puddles of The most basic kind costs less than half water or mud 9. Playing sports on the lawn will not damage the grass. 10. Synthetic grass will always looks perfectly manicured Concerns on Artificial Grass Artificial Grass Installation Is synthetic turf safe Design Considerations Maintenance Tips For 40 years, under EPA oversight and OSHA-regulated manufacturing, not one person has ever reported ill effects related to any materials associated with synthetic turf Drainage Preventing Weed & Plant Growth Soil Condition Perform Visual Grass Checks Imigation Avoiding Future Damage Stay Cool I Measurements Weight Watch Design Tips Keep Unused Material LANDSCAPIA RESOURCES: htp/www.syrittveticturfcouncio turft http://www.wsegeekcom/what-is-a http://www.edbeacon.com/hg/pros-and-cors-synthetic-grass/ http://www.eaygrassecazalassets/documents/What-is-Artificialpdf http://www.turfotartificiakgrass.comau/artifkial turf-vsnatural-grass http://www.turkirectarizonacom/blog/instaling-and-caring-for-artificial-grass/ http://www.houzzcom/deabooks/17393905/Ist/is-t-Time-to-Conskder-Fake-Grass- http://www.dalymailcouk/home/gardening/article-1 195736/Super-grass-Are-artificial-lawris-good-real-thinghtrml Artificial Lawns and Landscapes www.landscapiaartificialgrassbirmingham.co.uk