When in doubt about choosing natural or artificial grass, there are a few aspects people shouldn’t forget to take into account.
I was in the same dilemma when I decided to do a slight renovation to my backyard.
In the end, I chose artificial grass and I can share with you my personal opinions on this matter.
This is the comparison of my yard before and after I put the artificial grass on it.
Considering that, I have came up with a list of pros and cons for artificial grass to help you make up your mind.
Pros And Cons Of Artificial Grass
Pros of Artificial Grass
Low maintenance
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about artificial grass is the low maintenance.
Different from natural grass, it doesn’t require mowing or watering. But, there are even more pros to consider.
You don’t have to pull your watering hose to water the artificial grass.
Artificial grass is also considerably easier to maintain as it won’t require fertilizers, pesticides, or weed killers like natural grass does.
For people with busy lifestyles, artificial grass might be a better choice as well since the maintenance is easier, quicker, and won’t have to be performed as often.
More Resistant To Weather (Only for High Quality Artificial grass)
For example, artificial grass is more resistant to weather as it won’t lose its color when exposed to high levels of sunlight, and it won’t die out if covered by snow.
Of course, the statement above only valid if you buy a high quality artificial grass that can withstand UV, cold, etc.
This means you’ll get to have your perfect shade of green throughout the whole year and, on top of that, you should save money that would otherwise be invested in mowing and watering devices or machinery.
As shown in the image above, my artificial grass still looks natural and the color is still green and attractive.
There are even some Gotu Kola grows through the edge of the artificial grass.
Pet Friendly
Besides its natural look, artificial grass is also pet-friendly as they won’t be able to dig through it and their nasty bits of business can be easily washed off.
As shown in the image below, my cat enjoy playing with artificial grass just as much as the natural type, and their footfall shouldn’t cause any damage.
See video below for my cats on their playground made with artificial grass.
Resilient to natural and great decoration
If you are a constant traveler, summer heat won’t damage your artificial grass nor heavy rains will cause floods.
Apart from that, due to the practicality of setting it up, artificial grass can easily be a part of your decoration.
As shown in the image below, I decorated my outdoor yard with some solar lights along with the artificial grass.
Great for Kids
Even for kids, who can easily get their clothes, hands, and feet dirty with the soil of natural grass, the artificial one is ahead.
Because the latter is not planted on the ground, the level of bacteria and fungi is much lower, which serves as an extra protection layer for babies and kids.
That’s probably why so many schools have opted for artificial grass rather than natural on their playgrounds and common areas.
I bought a trampoline and put it on the artificial grass, it is fun for both adult and kids though!
Can Cover The Drainage System
The artificial grass is great for water to flow through it.
I can simply fully cover my drainage system as shown in the image below:
If it is a real turf, I would not be able to do that.
Cons of Artificial Grass
On the other hand, artificial grass also has its downsides.
Higher Cost
The first and probably biggest reason why people opt for natural grass is the cost.
While natural grass is easily found, and in some areas, it seems to simply sprout out of thin air or looks messy, that is definitely not the case with artificial grass.
From the removal of the natural grass, the preparation of the ground, which also may include leveling, the cost of the grass itself and the installation fees can make artificial grass much more expensive than natural grass.
Even if you get the perfect measures in order to remove costs and have the installation fees waived or reduced, the final cost is higher than that of normal grass.
Heaven of bugs and insects
Since I covered my yard with artificial grass, there are quite number of insects and bugs around my house.
I suspect the main culprit is the artificial grass as the bugs and insects can easily hide inside the artificial grass.
As shown in the image below, I even found a little snail on my artificial grass,
Accumulate Heat
Another common complaint regarding artificial grass is the heat it accumulates.
Natural grass can dissipate heat much easier with the direct with the soil while artificial grass is made of materials that are made to last, not to cool down.
Surely, there are varieties of artificial grass that can dissipate heat much more but you’ll find them to be quite hefty.
Low Quality Artificial Grass Breaks Down Easily
There are different types of artificial grass, some can withstand high level of UV while some might not.
This part of my artificial grass receive the fiercest direct sunlight hit and it broke down after one year.
As you can see from the image below, the artificial grass are broken down into pieces.
When water accumulates after rain and not able to drain quick enough, this will make the lifespan of the artificial grass shorter.
Natural Grass can Penetrate through it
The artificial grass is not a guarantee that there is zero maintenance for it.
Sometimes, the natural grass still can penetrate through it as shown in the image below:
In this case, I can’t use lawn mower as it will damage the artificial grass at the same time.
What I always do is to manually remove these natural grass using my own hand, the manual way.
It is actually quite an easy task as there are not too many natural grass can penetrate through it.
Lifting Edges
Next, should the artificial grass not be properly installed, there’s always the risk that the edges will end up lifting.
That normally happens when the edge details are not secured and it can not only ruin the nice look but also become a tripping hazard.
Additional to the visual aspect, artificial grass is sold and installed in parts, which means the joint lines are highly visible and may not be aesthetically fair.
Moss and Algae
Yes, artificial grass is not safe from moss and algae.
As you can see, after a certain period of time, the moss start growing on the top of my artificial grass.
I have to remove it regularly to ensure the artificial grass always look nice.
Environmental Issue
Lastly, artificial grass is mainly made of plastic or its variations which might bring up the ecological debate regarding the environmental damages of producing, using, and discarding plastic.
Natural grass, as the name says, involves only what is found in nature and the only downside related to the ecological aspect is the excessive use of chemicals.
So, if you’re looking for reasons to get some artificial grass to your place, these should clear your mind.
Author
