Having a backyard requires a lot of maintenance work for homeowners. Grass yards need to be watered consistently, mowed when the grass gets too high, and sprayed with pesticides to keep those pesky bugs away. It would be nice to not have to worry about all of that maintenance just to enjoy your outdoor space. Luckily, that’s now possible when you switch to astroturf.
Astroturf is installed by companies like Sportech and can give you the lawn of your dreams without all the hassle of caring for it. Unlike natural lawns, astroturf can maintain its appearance throughout all seasons while minimizing the need for watering and lowering monthly lawn maintenance costs. If you’re interested in a more hassle-free backyard, astroturf could be your best option. Here are a few of the pros and cons that come with making the switch.
Pros
Great for Heavy-Use Areas
In many backyards, there are areas that become more worn down than others. For some, it’s the grassy area right under a swing set or small playground. For others, it’s the area under and around above-ground pools. Over time, these areas begin to lose their pleasing appearance and fall victim to discolored or dying grass. Astroturf provides the perfect alternative to grass for high-use areas in your backyard.
Astroturf won’t be as phased by so much extra weight or use in areas in your backyard. Its artificial structure allows it to withstand the conditions that kill standard grass and remain looking as green and perky as it did the day it was installed. If you’re worried about how these high-use areas will affect the overall look of your backyard, switching to astroturf could be a good option for you.
No Need for Pesticides
The backyard is such a popular place for families to gather, so it’s important for it to also be as safe a place as possible. For many families, getting rid of bugs and insects is a way to make their backyard a more usable area. To best combat this issue, many people turn to the use of chemical-filled pesticides. While they can definitely decrease the number of bugs that call your backyard home, they can also create a more toxic environment for you, your family, and your pets.
When you switch to astroturf, you won’t have to worry about using pesticides to keep your lawn free from pests and bugs. Though astroturf isn’t a magical chemical-free bug eliminator, the materials used to create astroturf make it a much less appealing place for bugs to live. Astroturf doesn’t provide bugs with the food sources or organic material they need to thrive and survive, which makes hanging around a lot less appealing.
Looks Good with Minimal Effort
If you want your backyard to always maintain that freshly mowed look without having to mow it every week, you may want to look into astroturf. One of the most convenient benefits of having an astroturf lawn is that it will always look good. The second-best thing about it is that you won’t have to do too much to keep it looking that way.
Natural lawns require a lot of maintenance to stay manicured. In the summer, you have to keep the lawn on a consistent lawnmowing schedule. You’ll also need to apply the pesticides and the fertilizer necessary to keep it looking green and healthy. In the colder months, you have to deal with dead grass and a lackluster-looking yard, or perhaps a lawn with more mud than grass.
When you invest in astroturf for your backyard, you don’t have to worry about how the weather will affect your yard’s appearance. The materials used to create astroturf aren’t as sensitive to the elements as natural grass, which allows the turf to keep both its shape and appearance all year long.
Cons
Has a Higher Initial Cost
One of the cons of investing in astroturf is that it can have a higher installation cost than a standard grass lawn. When you decide to have astroturf installed in your backyard, it isn’t as simple as just laying it on top of whatever surface your backyard is currently composed of. On the contrary, the area will typically need grass removal first as well as a drainage system installed before the astroturf can be placed on top. The up-front payment includes the cost of those initial services as well as the cost of the astroturf itself.
Despite having a higher initial cost, however, astroturf has the potential to save you money in the long run. The money you’ll save on lawn maintenance—mowing, water, pesticides, and fertilizer—can easily even out the costs of astroturf in time.
Can Get Hot
Another potential con is the temperature of astroturf in hot conditions. Natural grass lawns have the added benefit of containing water, which can cool the grass off when temperatures are higher. Astroturf doesn’t have this natural added benefit. Depending on how hot it gets where you live, your astroturf could prevent you from doing things in your backyard, such as running around barefoot.
Though the temperature that astroturf can reach can be an issue for some people, there are ways that you can help to decrease the heat potential of your astroturf. There’s usually a filler material that is put under your turf between the actual ground and the turf’s surface. This material can either contribute to or help to avoid an influx of heat, depending on your need. Talking to professionals like those at Sportech can help you to find an option that keeps the temperature as low as possible so you can enjoy your yard every day of the year.