Artificial grass.

from_atozinc

Hi,

I am looking for the pros and cons of artificial grass versus real grass......


I was thinking about putting articifial grass down in a relatively small back lawn (10 metres X 10 metres )

any thoughts would be appreciated.

Is the main reason it's not done due to cost ?

Roughly how much would a 10 X 10 metre artificial lawn cost?

jrby

after years of trying and failing to get grass to grow in a mucky back garden, I eventually gave in and got it. have to say very happy with the result, particularly as I have young kids, its cleaner and they get to use their paddling pool without destroying the grass or the house.....

from_atozinc

jrby wrote: »

after years of trying and failing to get grass to grow in a mucky back garden, I eventually gave in and got it. have to say very happy with the result, particularly as I have young kids, its cleaner and they get to use their paddling pool without destroying the grass or the house.....

Thanks. How big is the lawn and how much did it cost ?

unklerosco

I recently did a section of my garden with artifical grass. 6x4mtr.. Easy enough to do, bought it from b&q. From memory it was around €500 for the grass and around €100 for sand. I just watched some how to vids on youtube and gave it a bash. It's a section for my kids so didn't need to be 100% perfect but came out better than expected.. Would deffo recommend for a small garden

from_atozinc

Anyone else have any comments ?

Grudaire

from_atozinc wrote: »

Anyone else have any comments ?

I would imagine that most people don't use it for environmental or authenticness.
The soil quality will get worse over time without things growing there which may be a consideration if you only want artificial grass as a temporary measure.

It's not something I would ever hope to use, but can see reasons why people might.

fioc

Have it and love it! Needs new replacement now but in all fairness, mine was first done 13 years ago...Would love to get recommendation re anyone good to fit/install? (My original guy has emigrated)

Sonnenblumen

Grudaire wrote: »

I would imagine that most people don't use it for environmental or authenticness.
The soil quality will get worse over time without things growing there which may be a consideration if you only want artificial grass as a temporary measure.

It's not something I would ever hope to use, but can see reasons why people might.

Would have to disagree with most of the above. Of course there will be those who like it and those who do not, which is fair enough. For homeowners with gardens which are small, shaded and mainly damp leading to poor usability etc, synthetic lawns are a Godsend. Of course the key is proper ground preparation, good excavation plenty of compacted sub-base and blinding sand to provide a robust, level and stable surface for the lawn. It is also advisable to secure the grass edging to a perimeter board.

Various grades are available, some (not all) of the cheaper options require users to brush in sand and/or rubber crumb to keep the tufts upright. Better quality varieties do not require infill and typically come with a 10 year warranty but last much longer.

There are no long term consequences for the underlying soil, and as is typical of many installations, synthetic grass and thriving natural planted areas co-exist just as well as traditional combinations.

I accept some sceptics may not like the idea of using synthetics in garden areas, but when you have a young family and/or pets who cannot use the garden because it is off limits during wet weather/winter, synthetic grass is nirvana.

Grudaire

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

I accept some sceptics may not like the idea of using synthetics in garden areas, but when you have a young family and/or pets who cannot use the garden because it is off limits during wet weather/winter, synthetic grass is nirvana.

Tbf i amn't rubbishing the idea outright, but there are very valid reasons why not to use fake grass.

Curious Geroge

any recommendations on where to buy ? The best prices so far seem to be coming from grass247.co.uk, anyone know an Irish company to recommend ? Cheers

unklerosco

Curious Geroge wrote: »

any recommendations on where to buy ? The best prices so far seem to be coming from grass247.co.uk, anyone know an Irish company to recommend ? Cheers

I checked a few places here and found B&Q to be fairly decent, got 10% off on Wednesday via my dads over 60's card..

What would it cost to get it shipped from the UK? I would assume and difference in price would be wiped out with the shipping cost..

David358

I got my front and back garden done from a company two months ago from a company in Dublin called southside Artificial grass. Great job and I saved about a 800 euros compared to other company quotes I got.

from_atozinc

David358 wrote: »

I got my front and back garden done from a company two months ago from a company in Dublin called southside Artificial grass. Great job and I saved about a 800 euros compared to other company quotes I got.

Do you mind telling the size of garden and the cost ?

kearneydonal

There are many many artificial grass products out there that range very cheap to very expensive. You get what you pay for in terms of longevity of the product. Price is dependent on the ground conditions underneath that need to be prepared and disposed of off site. I am a consultant in this area and have designed many football pitches. So if in need for further advice please don't hesitate to get in touch.

itsgottago

I got artificial grass in recently and while the surface is good and saves the hassle of the mucky gardens you need to be careful on who you pick. I had a very bad experience and while I saved money, I probably would have paid over the odds to get it done by professionals. It costs roughly €70 per sqm including installation. My garden is approx. 10x6 meters. I was originally told it would ta ke3 days or so and it took 3 weeks. The guy never showed on days I took off work to be here despite sending me texts saying he was on the way. When he did show up he showed up late. He seemed to spend more time walking his dog and on the phone than actually working. I over paid him because I forgot to deduct money for items I supplied. He agreed I paid him too much and said he'd pay me back but that was 4 weeks ago and he has told me several times he paid me back and I'd never believe a word he tells me. He doesn't respond to emails, texts or answer his phone. He was 6 weeks late starting the job which meant I lost the advantageous of having it in the summer. How he has a business I just don't know.
In summary, the idea of artificial grass is great, but be very careful who you use. I wish I was more careful.

supergunner

Sorry to revive an old post but I'm looking to DIY an artificial lawn and I'm wondering if anyone has experience of doing it.
It's not a big area 4M x7M
I think I'm gona get the lawn from sanctuary synthetics and lay it myself. So I'm looking to get a tonne of 804 hardcore, a tonne of mortar sand whack it all down with a compactor and lay the artificial lawn.
My question is has anyone done it without the wooden boarder? Any pros/cons for doing it?
TIA.

bizzo

Im looking into this myself. I contacted a company in Cork to see what the cost would roughly be for roughly 7m x 6m with 2 small flower beds to be taken out. He quoted me €4500. My budget is no where near that. I have a guy calling to me later who advertises on done deal but will need to be extra cautious having read some of the previous comments

I wouldn't be confident in doing a DIY job because if that gets messed up, ill inevitably need to call in a professional and end up paying even more than originally planned for.

van_beano

bizzo wrote: »

Im looking into this myself. I contacted a company in Cork to see what the cost would roughly be for roughly 7m x 6m with 2 small flower beds to be taken out. He quoted me €4500. My budget is no where near that. I have a guy calling to me later who advertises on done deal but will need to be extra cautious having read some of the previous comments

I wouldn't be confident in doing a DIY job because if that gets messed up, ill inevitably need to call in a professional and end up paying even more than originally planned for.

In Dublin here, I got a 48m2 area containing a few odd corners and edges, not a straight square or rectangle, done for €2600. I got the except same grass - "Real" grass that some of the more established companies use - put down, its €33 per m2. The establish company were charging €4K. Got 5 evergreen trees taken down as well and some sleepers put down for a flower bed. Other works included taken out original soil then putting down hardcore and sand before grass was laid.

I'm very happy with it, the lack of muck dragged through the house is great and there's good drainage in it. I do hoover the leaves off it about weekly now 🀔

supergunner

bizzo wrote: »

Im looking into this myself. I contacted a company in Cork to see what the cost would roughly be for roughly 7m x 6m with 2 small flower beds to be taken out. He quoted me €4500. My budget is no where near that. I have a guy calling to me later who advertises on done deal but will need to be extra cautious having read some of the previous comments

I wouldn't be confident in doing a DIY job because if that gets messed up, ill inevitably need to call in a professional and end up paying even more than originally planned for.

Did the guy from done deal turn up?

supergunner

van_beano wrote: »

In Dublin here, I got a 48m2 area containing a few odd corners and edges, not a straight square or rectangle, done for €2600. I got the except same grass - "Real" grass that some of the more established companies use - put down, its €33 per m2. The establish company were charging €4K. Got 5 evergreen trees taken down as well and some sleepers put down for a flower bed. Other works included taken out original soil then putting down hardcore and sand before grass was laid.

I'm very happy with it, the lack of muck dragged through the house is great and there's good drainage in it. I do hoover the leaves off it about weekly now 🀔

Can you tell me what company you went with?

bizzo

supergunner wrote: »

Did the guy from done deal turn up?

Ya he came last week. I think he was a turkish lad. His price seemed reasonable and he gave me a break down of cost of supplies i would need to buy.. ie grass, glue, hardcore soil etc. I would buy the material ( not hand any money to him directly) and then his fee for doing the work was €700.

The only thing that put me off was that he said the slabs would not need to be taken out.

I got a guy in afterwards, a local registered landscaper and he was saying they would 100% need to come up. Im waiting on a price from him before i make a decision.

upsydaisy66

same question. thanks for sharing

bizzo

Left it as it was for now. Might get round to doing it next year!

supergunner

I ended up doing this job myself and the artificial grass is the best thing I've done.
It wasn't that hard of a job after doing a bit of research. I will upload pics if I can

unklerosco

I did my own a few years back, it isn't too hard to do. I only did a small area for the kids to play on. Best idea ever. I think it's down over 2yrs now. Spent an hour cleaning it the other day with a shop vac and it's as good as day 1.

SouthernBelle

supergunner wrote: »

I ended up doing this job myself and the artificial grass is the best thing I've done.

Same here. Love it!

jobless

unklerosco wrote: »

I did my own a few years back, it isn't too hard to do. I only did a small area for the kids to play on. Best idea ever. I think it's down over 2yrs now. Spent an hour cleaning it the other day with a shop vac and it's as good as day 1.

sounds like a great idea, a small patch for kids to play on.... where did you find out how to lay it?

Loveinit

Could you please give a brief (or detailed!) account of what u did. Did u need to use the wooden borders? What were ur measurements and what did this cost? How long did it take? Thanks in advance.

supergunner

Loveinit wrote: »

Could you please give a brief (or detailed!) account of what u did. Did u need to use the wooden borders? What were ur measurements and what did this cost? How long did it take? Thanks in advance.

There is a couple of good YouTube bids but basically I removed the grass sods down to around 7 inches. Hired a whacker plate, put down hardcore and paving sand on top. Covered with weed membrane. Got the grass in b and q in two sections and just placed it down. Took about 2/3 days but that was taking it easy.
One tone bag of sand , one bag of hardcore whacker plate one or two days hire, grass. I didn't use wooden battens as I had the edge of walls and paving to butt up against.
Hope this helps

wibago

Certainly! Here are some pros and cons of artificial grass compared to real grass:

Pros of artificial grass:

1. Low maintenance: Artificial grass requires minimal upkeep compared to real grass. There's no need for mowing, watering, or fertilizing. It saves time, effort, and potentially reduces expenses on lawn care equipment and supplies.
2. Durability: Artificial grass is designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and can hold up well over time. It's resistant to wear and tear, which makes it suitable for areas with high usage, such as family yards or pet play areas.
3. Water conservation: Artificial grass doesn't require watering, reducing water usage significantly. This is especially advantageous in regions facing water scarcity or areas where water restrictions are in place.
4. Appearance: High-quality artificial grass can provide a consistently green and well-maintained appearance throughout the year. It stays vibrant regardless of weather conditions, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing lawn.

Cons of artificial grass:

1. Initial cost: The upfront cost of installing artificial grass can be higher than establishing a real grass lawn. It includes expenses such as purchasing the turf, preparing the ground, and professional installation (if required). However, it's important to consider long-term savings in maintenance and water usage.
2. Artificial feel: While modern artificial grass can closely resemble the look of real grass, it may not offer the same natural feel and texture underfoot. Some people prefer the sensory experience of walking on real grass.
3. Heat retention: Artificial grass can retain heat, especially in direct sunlight. This can make the surface hotter than real grass and less comfortable to walk on during hot weather. It's advisable to choose lighter-colored artificial grass or provide shade in such cases.
4. Environmental impact: Artificial grass is typically made from synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels. Its production and disposal can have an environmental impact. However, some manufacturers offer eco-friendly options made from recycled materials.

Regarding the cost of a 10x10-meter artificial lawn, it can vary depending on factors such as the quality of the turf, any additional materials needed for installation, and labor costs in your area. It's recommended to get quotes from local suppliers or artificial grass installers to get an accurate estimate tailored to your specific requirements.

Considering these pros and cons, you can weigh the advantages and disadvantages of artificial grass compared to real grass to make an informed decision for your back lawn.