When shopping for synthetic grass products for supply or installation, it is important to know all the
facts and purchase a product better designed for your individual needs. We've put together this
glossary of unbiased facts to better explain the differences in products.
Important Facts About Artificial Grass Products
Installation Methods:
Because there is no linear method for installing synthetic grass, installation techniques are still open to
interpretation. There are many techniques and many different tools used to install synthetic grass. Here are
some of the basic steps that should be done in any installation.
Installation Process Video
The below video is quick look at the basic steps of an installation for the typical residential landscape
installation.
facts and purchase a product better designed for your individual needs. We've put together this
glossary of unbiased facts to better explain the differences in products.
Important Facts About Artificial Grass Products
Installation Methods:
Because there is no linear method for installing synthetic grass, installation techniques are still open to
interpretation. There are many techniques and many different tools used to install synthetic grass. Here are
some of the basic steps that should be done in any installation.
- Basework: This can vary greatly depending on climate, in Arizona we only require a decomposed
granite base because our soil is already very stable and porous. For landscape installations a 2-4
inch thick base is laid and graded using a grading rake. It is then soaked with water and compacted
using either a plate compactor, roller, or tamper. In other regions, sometimes an aggregate base is
used first to further stabilize loose soil. - For putting greens, the basework is far more specialized and further care is taken to create a very
smooth rolling surface, it takes much longer to perfect the methods used for putting green installation
and some specialized grading tools are used. For some homeowners, it may be worth the added cost
to have putting greens professionally installed. - Laying Turf: Rolling out the product is not hard, transporting the roll may be the only difficult part.
Turf can weight 1-2 pounds per square foot, and most products come in 15' width. So the average
500 square foot roll can be awkward and may require more than a couple people to move and
position. - Seaming: Seaming methods and materials very greatly. For landscape, nails, pre-glued tapes, and
glues are all used to seam sections together. All work great and one is not necessarily better than
another, sometimes a combination is used depending on the application. Whichever material you use,
it is more important that care and time is taken to do tight seam work. Good seam work can leave an
almost invisible seam, poor seam work can leave a visible seam that will separate and need repair.
Installation Process Video
The below video is quick look at the basic steps of an installation for the typical residential landscape
installation.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Density/Face Weight:
Face weight is a industry wide used term to describe the amount of material attached to the backing of the product. Generally, the higher the face
weight is, the thicker, fuller, and more durable the product is. It is also a determining factor in the final price of a product aside from yarn material
quality and backings.
- 30-50 oz.: Products in this category would be considered economy or entry-level products. The lower density is ultimately going to be less
durable, but far less expensive. These products work well for beautifying low traffic areas.
- 50-65 oz.: These products are considered medium density and are also priced accordingly. They can work well for moderately used
backyards and will require far less infill material because there is usually a secondary thatch on these products.
- 65-90 oz.: These would be your higher end turf products, the high density and secondary thatch means these products could be installed
without any type of infilling. Infilling them will even further increase the durability of the product. There are many ways manufacturers get to this
density. Sometimes by making them taller and sometimes by making them denser, or a combination of both.
Yarn materials are just as important as density. Products built with inferior yarns will not survive, these days there are not only different
materials but also different shapes. By shaping yarns a certain way it strengthens them and leads to increased durability.
- Polyethelene: PE is quickly becoming the most widely use material to produce turf yarns. It is very cost effective to make, and can be very
durable. Polyethelene does not react with or absorb pet waste, so it makes for a great pet-friendly product. It is also safe to spray anything
housed in a plastic bottle on polyethylene turf products, such as weed killer or pesticides. - Polypropylene: PP is typically used in the secondary thatch of some turf products because it has better memory retention of its original
curled shape. It is a stiffer yarn so it generally is not used as a monofilament (the long, primary blades). PP is also commonly used in
production of poly-based putting green products as a pet-friendly alternative to nylon. - Nylon: Nylon is considered the most durable yarn material. However, it is also considerably more expensive to manufacture and still has it's
disadvantages for use in landscape applications. Nylon is not pet friendly and has some reactivity to chemicals used in landscape
maintenance. Where nylon is still used in turf applications is mostly in higher end putting greens. Nylon has the best memory retention of all
yarns, so it holds a tighter curl which yields a smoother roll of the ball, it also holds up better to incoming shots from longer distances. - PE Slit Film: Slit Film is an outdated turf material. Older generation heavy sand-filled greens still use these types of products, These products
are similar to what first-generation turf products looked like years ago, they do not have a realistic look or feel. We do not stock any slit film
based turf products. - Shapes: Today's most technologically advanced products are starting to use unique yarn shapes. That include spines and unique shapes
that run the length of the long monofilaments. This strengthens the blades structurally and increases the durability of the yarn.
Infill
Infilling is the process of adding a granule on top of the surface to fill out the space between the turf blades. The granules add density to the surface
and help support the blades of turf. Typical infill products are:
- Crumbed Rubber: Crumb rubber is usually made by cryogenically freezing and grinding recycled tires. It makes for a very soft infill and is
found in sports field all over the world. The problem with crumbed rubber is there is a high ratio of heavy metal found in the recycled tire
rubber, many manufacturers try to clean their products before resale, all to often testing shows that there is still a presence of harmful
substances within the crumb rubber granules.
- EPDM Granules: Much harder to find, but a much safer and cleaner alternative to crumbed rubber. These poly-based granules have the
same benefit as the crumbed rubber in regards to increasing the bounce properties of the surface. Because they are usually produced from
virgin materials they usually do not have any harmful substances in them. The cost of this type of infill is high, and availability is low as it is
generally imported in large quantities. If increasing surface bounce-back properties is a concern, we advise our customers to opt for
engineered, fall-rated paddings that can be installed beneath the surface of the turf. It is far more effective in both performance and cost. Both
crumbed rubber and EPDM granules are also buoyant and will float when flooded and typically collect in the lowest part of the yard.
- Copper Slag: Copper Slag is a completely inert bi-product of smelting copper, being inert, it has no reactivity with its surroundings and does
not contain any harmful substances. It is almost always black in color so it hides well like crumbed rubber. Copper slag does not contain any
harmful substances and cleans very easily as it is not porous. Lastly, it is a very dense material so it adds more weight per volume than other
types of infill to the surface, it does not crush, and it does not float. It’s only downfall may be a slight increase in heat to the surface. Copper
slag is our recommended infill product for almost all residential and commercial application besides sports fields.
- Typically stocked in our warehouse!
- Silica Sand: Silica sand is very common because you can find it at almost any home improvement warehouse or landscape yard. There are a
couple issues with silica sand, one being is that silica is a known carcinogen, and should not be in an area where people or animals tend to
spend time as the silica spores easily become airborne. Also, silica sand is bright white in color, so it is easily noticeable when standing over
even a high density turf product. Silica sand is also porous, meaning it will absorb some of what it comes in contact with, including pet wastes.
Though it is easy to source and cost-effective, it is not a recommended infill choice for turf products.
- Coated/Acrylic Sand: Acrylic sand is a coated Silica Sand, but because it is a coated sand the silica dust particles are almost non-existent,
making it a safer product. Generally, coated sand granules are sealed and therefore non-pourous, so they will not absorb pet wastes. Coated
sand is generally round in shape, making it far less abrasive. The biggest benefit of coated sand is that generally green in color, which means
it hides well in the thatch and also reflects far less heat. The product can be up to 20% cooler than other infill products.
- Typically stocked in our warehouse!
The primary backing on all turf products in the industry is always a woven poly matrix, sometimes multiple layers are used to increase turf bind (the
grip the grass blades have on the backing). The below information is in regards to coatings or “secondary backings”.
- Urethane
- Urethane is still the most popular backing used on synthetic turf applications as a binder for the tufted yarns. Many other backings have
become available but urethane still remains the most proven and cost effective backing available. Urethane backings will not begin to degrade
when moisture is present until at least 5 years after installation, and the degradation is a slow process once it has begun. Despite what
manufacturers of alternate backings say, Urethane is a proven, reliable binder for field and landscape applications.
Most products stocked in Urethane!
Perforated Urethane coated backings will pass rainfall through at a rate of up to 30 inches per hour. This is more than adequate for
installation anywhere in the world regardless of the climate.
The Glossary of Meteorology classifies the heaviest rainfall as “Violent Rain” , precipitation is considered Violent Rain when it exceeds 2.0
inches per hour.
Source link: http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=rain1
For Example: Hurricane Katrina at its most violent dumped an average of 1in./hour across much of the coast.
Source Link: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/special-reports/katrina.html
Hurricane Ike (Category 4 max) reached land in September of 2008, radar records show rainfall reached 50mm/hour (1.96 inches) in the most
violent parts of the storm.
Source Link: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-7JCBDJ?OpenDocument
Perforated urethane backings will exceed any landscape or field customers need for drainage and performance, it’s important that the existing
soil be able to meet the demands of the regions climate.
- Non-Woven backings
- Non-woven backings are also starting to make there way into the artificial turf industry as secondary backings. Non-woven backings are
generally made of the same materials as commercial grade weed barriers, the main component being polyester or similar poly material. They
are also attached to the primary tufted backing using a poly based adhesive which fortifies the backings yet leaving it very flexible..
- Latex
- Latex backings are also popular low cost backings for artificial turf. The negatives of Latex are that some people are allergic to latex and
second, that latex begins to degrade much faster than urethane when moisture is present. Once the latex backing has degraded, the tuft bind
will weaken, making it very easy for turf blades to come loose from the backing. Though some U.S. manufacturers still use Latex or a blend
including Latex, most of the products using latex being sold are internationally sourced products.
- Cushion backings
- Attached foam cushion backing are a great product for playground use. These attached cushions can help soften the surface underfoot. The
cushions are perforated similar to the way urethane backings are perforated. Cushion backings are also being found on the back of putting
green products as a way to make new-age greens more receptive to long-distance shots. Select products will soon be available in Cushion
backing soon!
Call (480) 244-0322 to speak to a friendly representative or
regarding product information!
Arizona Turf Solutions and Greens, Inc.- ROC #252443
regarding product information!
Arizona Turf Solutions and Greens, Inc.- ROC #252443
 |  |
| Synthetic Grass & Putting Green Products |
| Valley-wide FREE Estimates! Residential Estimates: 480-244-0322 Wholesale & DIY Supply: 480-331-8313 |
| Request An Estimate |
