Artificial grass, also known as fake grass, can be a great addition to your garden, balcony, terrace, or even indoors. It has many benefits over real grass, and these include:
Fundamentally, artificial grass consists of multiple strands of green plastic that is sewn into and over a latex backing. This latex also has holes in it to allow water to drain like the real thing. As result, artificial grass can be laid on almost any surface.
Natural grass is not a consistent colour, so to replicate this, artificial grass uses different shades of green and brown to make it look as real as possible. Generally, the more money you spend, the more realistic the fake grass will look. These extra strands also make it feel more luxurious, and softer under foot.
When you think of artificial grass, do you think of the short, carpet-like surface at school that used to skin your knees as soon as you fell over? Well, think again, modern artificial grass is generally available in lengths between 20mm and 40mm.
As the length of the ‘turf’ increases, so does the price. The best artificial grass is longer and generally feels softer, more cushioned, more luxurious and looks better on the eye. All types of artificial grass are comfortable under bare feet.
We often get customers asking where they can lay artificial grass, and on top of what? The good news is that artificial grass can be laid on almost any surface including soil, stone, concrete, slabs, decking and more.
To find out more, check out our guide to laying artificial grass.
Absolutely! Artificial grass in your garden gives your children a soft surface to play on year-round. Less mud and grass stains in the winter, and less skinned knees in the summer from the hard soil. What’s more, if you’ve got the next Lionel Messi in your family, they can play without churning up your garden. Plus, you can add additional padding underneath artificial grass to make it even safer for use under things like swings, slides and climbing frames.
Yes! Pets won’t know any difference between artificial grass and the real thing. However, the best artificial grass is that with a pile height of around 30mm. This is a good mix of comfort and ease of cleaning. In fact, the ease of cleaning is one of the best reasons to have fake grass if you have pets. No more urine stains, and you can just hose it down if it needs a rinse.
There are 4 main things to consider when you’re looking to buy artificial grass. The style and the type of artificial grass you want, your own installation requirements, your budget, and the amount of time you’re able to dedicate to upkeep and maintenance.
Which style of artificial grass you choose is down to your personal tastes. You may want something that’s cost effective and simple for a small garden or balcony, or you may want plush, deeper pile fake grass to form your main lawn. You can also get some artificial grass in striped patterns for that extra bit of style.
The short answer is, a long time! The longer answer is… it depends.
All Tapi artificial grass comes with a minimum 9-year wear guarantee but with proper care you should get many more years of use from it. As a rule, the shorter the pile the longer it will last. This is mainly based on perception, fake grass can become trodden down over the years, but, for artificial grass that is short anyway, you’ll notice less.
Most artificial grass is made from either polyethylene, polypropylene, or nylon. Nylon is much more hard-wearing, and therefore you could go for a longer pile length of 30mm+ without any noticeable effect on expected lifespan.
As a side note, shorter artificial grass may also require less maintenance
Artificial grass is very simple to look after and requires minimal effort. Of course, the main benefit of it is that you don’t have to cut it or keep weeds away. To keep your fake grass looking top notch, simply sweep away leaves, dirt and organic matter with a stiff brush once a week.
If it’s particularly dirty, rinsing it with a hosepipe should do the trick. If you’ve got pets and/or children and are worried about germs, then mixing up some environmentally friendly detergent with warm water and brushing it into the fibres should be all that’s required.
HOW MUCH DOES ARTIFICIAL GRASS COST?
We stock many different types of artificial grass and generally they cost between £20 and £30 per m2. You also must consider the costs involved with preparation and installation of the turf.
As a rough estimate, full purchase and installation of artificial grass in a garden of 5m x 5m would cost around £xxxx.
For more information, check out our guide to the cost of artificial grass.
