The myth of Sisyphus is one of the most apt metaphors for some of the challenges of modern living. Cursed by Zeus for trying to cheat the inevitability of death, King Sisyphus was tasked to forever roll a boulder up a mountain. He struggled and strained against the massive rock, slowly working it to the top of the mountain. Near the end of his journey a magical mishap would always cause the boulder to slip from his control, rolling and crashing back down to the base. Time and again he would make the arduous trek, and time and again the boulder would return violently to the bottom. – Switch to Synthetic Grass
It’s hard not to see a bit of ourselves in the cursed king as we navigate our lives. One of the Sisyphean tasks that weighs heavily on us is lawn care. Maintaining the yard takes so much time and effort, and for what? It looks nice for a few days, then needs care again. Time and again we push the mower the way Sisyphus pushes his boulder, and with equal fruitlessness we have to do it all over again. It’s no surprise that a growing number of people are switching over to artificial turf. It requires little to no maintenance, looks great, and saves both time and money! Maybe you’ve also joined the movement, and you’re wondering what to look for in artificial turf.
Aesthetics – Switch to Synthetic Grass
The first thing to decide is what you want your grass to look like. When artificial turf was invented in the 1960s there was only one kind of aesthetic: a bright, neon green color. While this look appeals to some people, most modern consumers want a more natural look. Fortunately, technology as advanced since the sixties, and people have more choices than ever when it comes to how their manufactured lawn will look. There are ranges of colors that mimic the real thing, and some of the more advanced options are indistinguishable from natural grass. Of course, if you want something that evokes that bright look of yesteryear, you can absolutely go for the kind that announces itself as artificial proudly, as well as an entire six decades’ worth of in-between.
There are some things to consider when choosing your aesthetic beyond color. Artificial turf is surprisingly complex! You’ll need to consider the density of the grass, also called the stitch count. This will determine not only how compact the grass looks, but also what your maintenance needs will be. You’ll also need to figure out how tall you want your grass to be, which will be determined by whether or not the area is a high foot traffic area. There are a lot of factors that go into the decision to switch, and while it’s absolutely worth doing, you’ll need to make sure you go in knowing exactly what you need. Research is your best friend!
Utility- Switch to Synthetic Grass
While it can be exciting to think about how your new lawn is going to work, you also need to consider exactly what your lawn is going to be used for. Your yard doesn’t just sit there and do nothing, it sees a lot of use – both intentional and unintentional. While artificial turf has a baseline reliability for weather resistance, you need to think about exactly what kind of weather you’re more likely to experience. You’ll have different needs for a primarily rainy place where you can expect regular pooling than you will with more dry, arid heat. Do you have particularly harsh winters, or will you need heat resistant material the whole year round? You can find more considerations at https://www.wikihow.com/Install-an-Artificial-Lawn.
One of the most important things to consider, as mentioned in the previous section, is what kind of traffic you can expect on your new yard. Do you have kids that like to play outside? Do you like to have cookouts on the yard? Do you have pets that do their business outside in the grass? These are all things that will factor into what kind of turf you’re going to need. Most people don’t consider these things before going into the decision, but knowing what you’re doing from the word go is never a bad idea.
Ongoing Maintenance
This is where artificial turf really shines! Cutting out the need to mow and water natural grass alone is going to save you thousands of dollars in the long term. There are maintenance considerations to make for your new lawn, however. The infill, that is the substance that you seed between the blades of grass to help keep it springy, resilient, and upright will need to be tailored specifically for your grass. There will be the occasional need to replace damaged portions of your lawn should the worst happen. Overall, you’ll find that artificial grass costs are far les than taking care of a natural lawn, and that the ongoing maintenance costs alone are significantly less than before you made the switch over.