Artificial Grass Norfolk, Virginia. Synthetic Turf.

In the past decade, the use of "new generation" artificial turf has become quite common throughout the United States. Synthetic grass applications that not related to sport fields are getting really popular in western states such as California, Arizona and Nevada. Such states are areas where outdoor water use is restricted or low maintenance is desired. Common applications include veterinary clinics, animal shelters, golf practice ranges, school yards, residential lawns, and low water use landscapes.

The market of residential lawns has been growing at an average annual rate of thirty five percent even during the economy downturns. As market grows, prices are coming down dramatically which in turn to fuel further market growth! Alvin Balahadia used to work for an artificial grass installation company in San Jose, California, he remembers how the selling of synthetic grass for residential lawn applications fifteen years ago: You walked in a house as a salesman, the first question to the homeowners was: "Do you know the artificial grass is a luxury thing, only the top ten percent of the household can afford it?" This might sound humiliating but true. Fifteen years ago, the turn key price for installing artificial grass in San Francisco Bay Area was between $22.00 and $26.00 per square foot, while today's price range is between $8.00 and $14.00 per square foot. Such price range is still much higher than natural grass. "The normal life expectancy of artificial grass is about 15 years. If you can get your investment back within first five years by saving money on water and maintenance, then you enjoy the beautiful lawn for the next 10 years without any water bills and the hassles of mowing and trimming, will you do it? I know I will." Said Alvin Balahadia :"It is a great investment on your house as houses with synthetic grass lawns are considered with upgraded premium options here in San Francisco Bay Area and other dry states like Arizona and Nevada."

On average, a household in San Francisco Bay Area can save between $600.00 and $1,200.00 annually on water bill along if they get rid of the natural grass lawns.

More than eighty percent of those who are interested in artificial grass are dog owners! Why? Most dogs will have a place in the yard which they decide to use when they relieve themselves, that'll destroy the nature grass and creating hideous appearing brown spots there is virtually no actual solutions for this issue. Artificial turf in general, empties well and pet wrecks can be cleaned up easily. Leading artificial grass makers like Global Syn-Turf,Inc., has developed petgrass with unique features such as a knitted flow-through backing, lasting blades and antimicrobial protection. Such premium products have become the ideal surfacing choice for vet clinics, and pet facilities, dog parks and kennels, dog boarding, both indoors and out. Most of the professional petgrass installers will propose to use organic and environmentally safe Zeofill on to the artificial grass as the dogs waste neutralizer which will minimize the dog odor naturally. Such products are offered through such artificial grass companies as Global Syn-Turf, Inc..

To keep your pet's area clean and odor-free, a properly installed under-drain system is really critical. A base system that is proper should be about 3-4 inches: 2 - 2 1/2 inches of drain rock, compact to 90% and 1 - 11/2 inches of either class II road base or decomposed granite compact to 90%.

Such foundation surface should be as level as possible with a minimal grade for drainage that is optimal. "We all adore our dogs, supply them with the greatest: low care and long lasting artificial grass!" David Maronic, Vice President of Global Syn-Turf, Inc. made the comments at a home show in Orange County, California.

Backyard putting greens are fantastic way of bringing together friends and family to enjoy the outdoors. Its kind of like having a pool table. When you have people over, theres always something to do, says Richard Stoltz of New Mexico Synthetic Turf in Albuquerque, NM. I the past, people have been trying to install real grass putting greens in their backyards, turned out that no matter how hard you try, it is just impossible to maintain it! Today, most backyard putting greens are created with artificial turf, mounds, sand pits, and interesting shapes can be easily created and maintained. Artificial turf also has an even surface thats ideal for putting. Synthetic greens are virtually maintenance free. They're able to withstand hot or cold temperatures, as well as wet conditions, and are just about always ready for play.

A backyard putting green has such a great social element to it that youll use it a lot more if its close to patios or other entertaining areas. A flat one-hole putting green gets boring fast. However, if you make it challenging, friends and family will enjoy the putting green for years to come. Using a few undulations, mounds, a sand pit, and about three holes will help to keep it interesting and more playable. With the pressures of school, work, and other activities, oftentimes family members dont get home until after dark. Incorporate low-voltage landscape lighting into backyard putting greens to extend the number of hours each day that people can use it, in a nice mood.

Resort areas and neighborhood parks manufactured from artificial lawn provide accessible, versatile perform surfaces for the youth of skills and all ages. Many public spaces are turning to synthetic turf for attractive water -saving landscape solutions that reduce maintenance and operating expenditures. Applications for artificial lawn that is fun include: playgrounds and parklands, cities, highway medians, airport grounds, closed landfills, golf links, tennis courts, and more. Endorsed with dogs to be used by the American Kennel Club, artificial lawn may also be effectively used, when united with a regular grooming routine, for public and private dog parks. Grooming would contain ordinary "dog owner responsibilities" including removing detritus and relaxing the floors, with cleaning agents, every once in awhile.

New York State's Division of Parks & Recreation (DPR) is becoming increasingly dependent on artificial turf as an alternative for asphalt and natural grass sports fields across the town. Through the installation of the "new generation" of synthetic turf, DPR attempts to increase community access to areas together with to fix the care difficulties of lawn and the esthetic and security problems linked with road. This surface gives all-weather playability and lower maintenance costs than grass. The NYC Department of Parks continues to be installing synthetic grass widely throughout the parks system. As of 2007, 118 synthetic lawn installments were completed and an additional 91 under building!

Artificial grass gained considerable attention in the 1960s, when it was used in the recently built Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Nevertheless, the first generation was simply a green plastic variant of carpet, quite man-made! During the previous five decades, the artificial grass sport fields market has been growing rapidly and steadily, now, over 90 percent of NFL fields are artificial. Artificial turf can withstand more use and can therefore be used much more often. This allows sports ground owners to create more income from their facilities. The upkeep price is just 1/5 of that of actual grass.

Since the early 1990s, the application of synthetic grass in the more arid Western states of the United States has proceeded quickly to commercial and residential landscaping. The dramatic advancement in the quality and assortment of accessible synthetic grasses, the decreased cost of care and upkeep has driven this trend compared to natural grass.

Most of artificial grass requires infills which to be installed onto the grass between blades to help the blades of grass stand up and also hold the turf down. It also protects the grass backing from ultraviolet rays which could eventually cause damage and void warranties. Some artificial grass infill options are ZeoFill, Green sand, Copper slag, Silica Sand and/or Rubber. Among all, ZeoFill is the #1 choice for synthetic turf infill for pet owners and playgrounds. Dog owners with artificial grass lawns have been struggled with urine smells for years.. Even though some leading turf manufacturers such as Global Syn-Turf, Inc. has made antimicrobial pet turf to resist the bacterial ammonia from adhering to the turf fibers, but regular infills would still hold ammonia urine resulting in a great deal of smell. Many people are trying to water down their turf once a week to get rid of the smell but never worked properly because water from a hose does not have enough force to push bacteria deep into the ground. ZeoFill is made out of a natural resource from the earth which is a negatively charged honey-combed molecular structure that absorbs the urine like a magnet and prevents the ammonia from forming a gas to become smelly. ZeoFill pulls any gases towards itself and hold it until sodium ion (Na) in rain water releases the magnetivity and the force of heavy rainfall will flush out the bacteria, forcing it through the turf into the ground making your turf virtually new again. The sodium forces the calcium ions out and recharges the ZeoFill when dry. However, ZeoFill will not remove bad bacteria. To remove bad bacteria, Global Syn-Turf, Inc. recommends nits very own Synthetic Grass Pet Odor Neutralizer, this enzyme products will not only neutralize the pet odor, but also remove bad bacteria and clean the turf, using this along with Zeofill will achieve the best possible results on pet's odor control!

To maximize the Benefits of ZeoFill, always install it on top of turf not under turf: When your dog urinates on the turf, the urine will instantly be consumed by the ZeoFill granules preventing ammonia bacteria particles from traveling through the turf. The ZeoFill granule will hold the ammonia water until it is cleaned with an enzyme solution or heavy rainwater flushes out the ZeoFill. The ZeoFill granules will be trapped inside the turf system and has a 5 year warranty on deterioration.

The idea of grass lawns being installed at a house' front and back yards initiated from England where the weather is very accommodating to grow and maintain natural grass. Here in certain dry states, such idea just won't fly! In cities located in desert areas such as Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, growing natural grass is almost impossible. People are tired of plain and boring cement or rockery look and a lot of desert landscape ideas won't satisfy most homeowners' desire for "green". Artificial grass provides a perfect solution in such situations. As an industry, artificial grass is not that new, it has been around for more than five decades. However, to the general public, synthetic grass seems very new. "What? Plastic grass? Give me a break!" Really? Fake grass, you say? Don't scoff. Synthetic turf is moving beyond football fields and golf courses to become more common in home landscapes. When Steve Wallace of Santa Monica, California went for synthetic, he opted for longer blades and a darker green color a look he could never achieve with his natural lawn, which on 100-plus-degree summer days turned to dust, and on rainy days a mud pit. Tired of re-sodding twice a year not to mention the endless mowing and watering the 43-year-old homeowner was more than happy to plunk down $5,000 to see installers peel away his old lawn. Now, he says, his two dogs and two small kids can romp and roll around without tearing up the turf, or suffering the plastic rug burn of yore. And perhaps best of all is how grassy it looks.

"People have to go up close to it," he says, before they say, Wow, this isnt real."

Manufacturers credit the new you coulda fooled me look to the marvels of science. Global Syn-Turf's Maronic, for one, tends to lapse into sports-car speak when describing the blend of aesthetics and performance offered by the companys latest creation, a dense grass it calls Double W series, which includes such space-agesounding features as Double W shaped blades and No-shine technology. The initial cost on artificial grass is higher than natural grass, but given the fact of most of synthetic grass will last at least 8-10 years, such investment still makes a lot of sense for most homeowners, especially those live in "desert cities".