Whenever homeowners embark on a landscaping project for their garden, one of the biggest decisions they have to make involves their lawn. The decision entails deciding whether they wish to keep the lawn as it is, have a new grass lawn laid, or if they want to change everything completely and opt for an artificial lawn.
The third of those options often excites homeowners as they believe an artificial lawn means no more maintenance and that it will be completely hassle-free. Whilst an artificial lawn has many benefits, we have to dampen that misguided enthusiasm and advise that artificial lawns also have their downsides.
We are not going to dismiss artificial lawns as an option, nor are we trying to persuade you to stick with a natural lawn. However, we believe that every decision you make about your landscape design should be made with the full facts at your disposal. That is why we are going to highlight ten reasons why an artificial lawn might not be the answer. Ultimately, it is up to you to make your choice, but at least you can now do so fully informed.
Reason #1 – Low But Not No Maintenance: The myth that artificial turf requires no maintenance has to be exposed. Whilst it certainly requires less maintenance than natural grass, such as no lawn mowing or weeding, it still needs to be looked after if it is going to last an acceptable length of time. Examples include clearing it of leaves and debris, plus raking it occasionally can keep it looking good.
Reason #2 – The Cost: Even if you were replacing your current lawn with natural turf, it would still cost a lot less than replacing it with artificial turf. Whilst prices may change from the time of writing, you have to expect to pay a five-figure sum even if your lawn is only 400 -500 square feet.
Reason #3 – Infill Risks Claims: When you install an artificial lawn, one of the final steps in the process is to infill. What infill does is filter through the artificial turf to weigh it down. Infill is also used to augment the appearance of artificial turf and make it feel softer underfoot. However, there are some infills such as rubber crumbs which some researchers claim can cause skin irritation and other health risks, however, there are also counter-claims so the jury seems to be out.
Reason #4 – Seams: Hopefully, you already realise that your artificial lawn is not going to show up in one enormous piece. Instead, it will be in strips or sections, which then have to be married together where they meet; these seams have to match otherwise, it will be visually obvious to everyone where they are, which is not a look you want for your lawn.
Reason #5 – Windows Facing North: With the sun mainly in the north during the day in Australia, if that is the way your windows face, then it could be an issue if they are close to your artificial lawn. Where they reflect sunlight, the heat can cause melting and discolouration.
Reason #6 – It Does Not Look Natural: To be honest, this is not as big a problem as it was in the earlier days of artificial turf. However, even the best artificial turfs can never truly mimic the appearance of natural grass, and often this is enough to cause homeowners to think again about using it.
Reason #7 – Problems With Drainage: Although you might not have much rain year-round, there is always the chance of an occasional downpour. As such, artificial lawns are not as adept at draining surface water as natural lawns and thuLs flooding can be a risk.
Reason #8 – Colour Fading: Apart from this occurring due to the windows issue in reason #5, it is the case that general use and the passing of time can cause artificial lawns to lose the lush green colour they had when they were new.
Reason #9 – Your Neighbours Might Hate It: This might not be enough to stop you unless you genuinely care about the relationship you have with your neighbours. There have been instances where the artificial lawn in one homeowner’s garden has caused a rift due to how different it looks.
Reason #10 – No End Of Life Recycling: This is a big concern, especially in these days of environmental awareness. Many artificial lawns are not recyclable, so it means when they reach their end of life, there is often no other option of disposing of them but putting them in a landfill.