Artificial Grass In Edmonton – 7 Questions & Answers You Need to Consider
Artificial Grass In Edmonton – A GREAT Alternative to REAL Grass!
Artificial Grass Edmonton Questions & Answers You NEED to consider – Whether it’s a place for the kids to kick a soccer ball around, a place for Dad or Mom to practice their putting skills or a place for the family pet to do its business… Artificial Turf can be enjoyed by everyone and it will prove to be a great investment!
Fact is – Artificial Turf stays GREEN and will maintain its beauty all year long, and the best part… it’s extremely low maintenance!
You don’t need to Water, Fertilize or Cut It! So if maintaining your grass is something you really do not look forward to, or if you would prefer to spend your spare time swinging a golf club at your favorite golf course… you will love Artificial Turf!!
Is the family pet turning your grass into a “mud pit”? Artificial grass for dogs in Edmonton…
Tired of the mud being tracked into the house? Are you tired of looking at all those ugly brown (dead) patches of grass that your family pet has created for you? Artificial Turf will eliminate all those problems! With the addition of ZEOFILL (instead of silica sand) as the fibre Infill product, you can eliminate those nasty (pet urine) odor’s that only get worse in the heat of the summer! ZEOFILL is an “Anti-Bacterial” agent and “Deodorizer” and best of all… it’s “Child and Pet Friendly”!
Unlike products of the past, Artificial Turf looks more real than ever before! It is also designed to withstand the harshest of Canadian winters!
When it comes to the performance of Artificial Turf, the “shape” of the yarn is a key factor when selecting a product to best suit your family’s needs. A flat yarn is used mainly for aesthetics or very low traffic areas. Shaped yarns provide a beautiful aesthetic with unmatched performance. If you are looking for a higher quality turf that will withstand increased foot traffic, with less shine and one that will stay cooler in the heat of the summer, a “WaveBlade, S-Shape” or “U-Shape” blade will deliver. These type of blades are proven to be significantly stronger than flat yarn blades, plus each shape offers a unique look and will serve a different purpose.
From left to right… Flat Yarn – WaveBlade – SoftBlade & U-Shaped Blades
Is Artificial Turf more expensive than real grass?
The initial cost to install Artificial Turf is definitely more expensive than the real stuff, but one thing that needs to be taken into consideration is the costs associated with maintaining real grass season after season after season.
If you live in Edmonton, the first thing you need to do in the spring is to perform a Spring Clean-Up. By doing so you will give your lawn a much needed kick-start. This involves Power Raking in order to remove the thatch (dead grass), Core Aerating and the application of Spring Fertilizer. If you hire a contractor that knows what they are doing, that will cost you somewhere in the range of $250.00 (plus tax) for an “average” size yard. It won’t take too many of those invoices to offset the initial cost of Artificial Turf!
Once the season gets started and if you really care about your lawn, it will need to be irrigated and fertilized on a regular basis. If you do that, your lawn will need to be cut at least once per week. These are all costs that need to be factored in after the new grass has been planted, and they add up during the course of a season and for each season after that. I can guarantee that if you did the math and figured out all of the costs associated with real grass, you would be totally amazed at the costs to maintain your lawn over the course of a 5, 10 or even a 20 Year period!
Fact is… Once Artificial Turf has been installed, there is virtually zero maintenance required.
Artificial Turf has come a long way since it was originally invented and introduced to the marketplace as “Astro Turf” back in 1965. There are now many different manufacturers and types of Turf to choose from.
Consumer BEWARE – Not all Artificial Turf manufacturers and their products should be considered as equal
Like most things you purchase in life, Artificial Turf is no different. There are a wide range of Turf manufacturers to choose from, and each one of them offers a variety of Turf options to select from. At OutdoorSpace we choose to install only the BEST Turf. With this in mind, we use “Bella Turf”. They are a Canadian manufacturer and they offer some of the best products on the market, and products that are specifically designed and manufactured to withstand our long harsh Canadian winters!
What else do you need to know… BEFORE you purchase Artificial Turf
Similar to carpet, Artificial Turf is measured by the “Total Weight” of the Turf. A low end Turf will have a Total Weight down in the 70 oz. / sq. yd. range, while a higher quality Turf will be upwards of 100 oz. / sq. yd. Then there is the shape of the yarn that we discussed earlier in this article. Then there is WARRANTY. Some manufacturers (like Bella Turf) are so confident in the performance of their product, they offer a “10 Year Warranty”.
What is “INFILL” and WHY do I need it?
The Infill material is brushed into the fibers and thatch after the Turf has been installed. At OutdoorSpace we typically apply it at the rate of (approximately) 1.5lbs – 2lbs per square foot for longer blade Turfs. It adds weight (ballast) to the Turf to hold it down and it help maintain the form of the Fibers. There are a variety of Infill products that can be used such as “Silica Sand” or “Zeolite”. While Silica Sand is the cheaper of the two products, Zeolite is the preferred Infill product for homeowners that have children and pets. Why? It’s “100% Natural & Organic” and is “Child & Pet Friendly”. It also eliminates any nasty odors and will help to keep the Turf cooler in the summer.
What is the cost of Artificial Turf?
There are many factors that influence the cost, but the Size of the Area, Quality of the Turf, Type of Infill and Access to the Work Area are the biggest considerations OutdoorSpace looks at when quoting on a project.
One last and VERY IMPORTANT consideration
There are plenty of companies running around advertising the fact that they are experts at install Artificial Turf, but like Turf manufacturers, not all installation contractors should be considered as equal. Fact is: while the Turf manufacturer may offer an “Industry Leading” warranty, that warranty can easily be NULL and VOID if the installation contractor doesn’t know what they are doing!
Another VERY IMPORTANT consideration
Just like Patios and Walkways… it’s not just “what’s on the surface” and “what you see” that counts, it’s “what’s below the surface” and “what you don’t see” that is equally as important! In the case of Artificial Turf, the base preparation plays a VERY IMPORTANT role! It will provide the Turf with a solid foundation and assist with drainage. So hiring a landscaping contractor that “actually knows what they are doing” is VITALLY important!
These are all factors that need to be taken into consideration when selecting an Artificial Turf manufacturer and a (reputable) Turf Installation Contractor.
For budgeting purposes, you should budget between $13 – $16 per square foot.
We trust you found this article both informative and educational?
Should you have any questions or if you would like to schedule an Artificial Turf Consultation… we would love to hear from you!
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