# Forum Home Renovation Water Saving Garden Ideas  Synthetic Grass

## watson

Ha Ha!
I won!!!!
The prize on offer for the first post was a CD made by the entire admin staff singing a capella the entire catalouge of DJ's Greatest Hits!!!
and its MINE!! 
Seriously,.........the "NEVER" word in the last post column means that the forum has never been posted into. 
So Post away.
 		  		  		  		 		 			 				__________________

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## kevin pickering

surely the biggest water saving for your garden as to be synthetic grass . i have just fitted out a 40m2 for a couple , they have saved on expence for retic being laid , expence of a gardner , fertilizer , maintenance but most of all over 11000 litres of water per year based on twice a day for two minutes . 
so the initial layout of $85 per m2 is cost effective dont you think . :brava:

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## Terrian

concrete at 75mm thick, painted it green for aesthetics = less than $20 per m2  :Smilie:

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## Kaptan

I'm interested in going for the low maintenance option. :Cheers2: 
I've only seen basics of installation, so a few questions;
- with a good solid base, do you just throw loose sand down before the 'grass'?
- how can you get good drainage through a solid base?
- can you use just gravel for a base? (Turf will be for decoration, not pedestrian use).
- how is the 'turf' secured to stop the edges from curling up? 
Thanks for any advice.

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## Planned LScape

> I'm interested in going for the low maintenance option.
> I've only seen basics of installation, so a few questions;
> - with a good solid base, do you just throw loose sand down before the 'grass'?
> - how can you get good drainage through a solid base?
> - can you use just gravel for a base? (Turf will be for decoration, not pedestrian use).
> - how is the 'turf' secured to stop the edges from curling up? 
> Thanks for any advice.

  - use a base of crushed rock (roadbase) 75-100mm thick, compacted. Slope area to drain away surface water, or install ag drains underneath
- Some use a light layer of sand, some use granetic sand approx 25mm thick to screed over rock base to lay turf on
- you can get pegs to secure the turf to the ground
- best to use the bags of dried sand and rubber to spread through the turf to make it soft, look more real and to help keep the turf anchored down 
I have used tiger turf and ecoturf...imo ecotuf looked the most real

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## kevin pickering

for best result , lay 50mm of crackle dust (in place of road base) wacker plate down , this will allow for rain fall to drain through , no need to have unsightly run offs . lay turf to desired shape and size , then sprinkle approx 10mm of died silica sand on top , this will make pile stand up and also weigh turf down (no need for pinning) . for final look , if not happy with sand showing through pile , add 5mm of black rubber fibre (recycled tyres) ,  
you can buy turf from $25 - $45 dollars with installation costing $25  - $50 per m2 .  
we have approached waterboard in reference to getting some kind of rebate for synthetic grass , their comments were ' reviewing in near future , but not enough interest being shown by customer to warrant any rebate as yet ' . 
if we all put pressure on them - then who knows .... :Laugh bounce spin:

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## Geebung

Synthetic grass eh? Some people near me have put it down...it looks like synthetic grass. 
Those stats on water saving seem a little pumped up and misleading. Who waters their grass twice a day? A lot of grasses are drought tolerant and are dormant during winter - so why would you be watering them? So they saved some money on gardening expenses. What about grass being a carbon sink? What sort of pollution was created from producing synthetic grass? 
Give me the real stuff.

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## kevin pickering

hi geebung  
sorry , that should of read twice a week (standard) - as for winter periods , how often do you drive down the road in winter and still see sprinkler sytems running (shires are the worst culprits) . 
as for synthetic grass looking synthetic , that is like any other product , depends on the quality you buy and it sure beats looking dead half the year round .
The carbon issue is another matter , but that debate could go on and on , after all we are on a woodworking forum and where does wood come from.?.

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## robbie1977

> concrete at 75mm thick, painted it green for aesthetics = less than $20 per m2

  Hey noticed you live in melbourne, honestly would love to contrete most of my back yard. sick of the desert look! Do you know trady that would do for that price?

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## kevin pickering

hi robbie  
i think the $20m2 was for the green paint ....... 
makes the synthetic grass look a bargain . :Harhar:

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## Calamaty Jane

Try as I might, I just can not make myself like synthetic grass. In fact I detest it :Biggrin:  
Each to their own though :Wink:

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## kevin pickering

Apt name then hey calamity jane .  :Pash:

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## Fishwa

Anyone that thinks they are making an environmentally sound decision by installing synthetic grass is unfortunately wrong. The environmental con's far outway the pro's 
Infact the only pro is it reduces your water bill, as for saving water, divert your waste and drain water onto your lawn. thats where the biggest wastage goes- down the drain. 
Synthetic lawn is just that synthetic!

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## kevin pickering

fishwa  
the only pro for synthetic lawn is it saves water ? that is probably the understated quote of the century . Drought is part of the Australian life , it is one of the driest continents on Earth . perhaps the problems with the murray-darling is not worth worrying about then in your books. 
other pros you forget to mention - no mowing required (electric/fuel)
                                               - no allergies 
                                               - no fertilizing
                                               - child and pet friendly. 
so , back to your claim , what was the cons that were out weighing the pros ? :No:

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## Lexi01

To add to Kevins reply...another pro is that it won't die in a small south-facing back yard that barely sees any sunlight...like mine!

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## Fishwa

Here are some for ya, > Carbon dioxide conversion, substantial heat dissipation-temperature moderation. > Natural turf improves recharge and provides quality protection of groundwater. > Grasses absorb gaseous pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, converting them to oxygen > Real grass trap an estimated 12 million tonnes of dust released annually into the atmosphere > Reduced glare, noise and visual pollution. > Approximately 230 sq. m. of natural turf release sufficient oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four for a day > A block of eight average house front lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tonnes of air conditioning > Studies have shown that on a 30o C day  a synthetic surface registered 50o C while the natural turf surface was 29o > Cooling the environment, reducing the area as a heat sink. > Studies are also underway as to what effect natural turf has on annual rainfall as it is believed that with no plants, turf etc rainfall is dramatically reduced therefore adding to the lack of water.  I bet they use a hell of alot of water to manafacture the synthetic.  Just trying to show that if you would like to live in a drier hotter more polluted world go synthetic! Is it really that hard to go mow the lawn once a fortnight! As for the use of dangerous chemicals and fertilisers used what chemicals do you think go into making the synthetic turf??After all everything causes cancer these days.  As with most things-cant beat natural  Thats my point of view anyway :Biggrin:

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## john0

:Arrow Up:  now thats what i call a comeback. 
But for anyone planning on laying this stuff heres a few pointers, everyone is correct in saying it is laid on a compacted bed of either a. road base for large areas (i'm talkin tennis court size here guys) and is usually compacted by roller, or b. cracker/crusher dust compacted with a wacker packer (rememeber to wet the dust as your compacting, but do not over wet or you'll sink the packer), also use some sort of timber boxing around all edges and approx 50mm back from fencelines, house etc and pin to ground by drilling holes vertically through timber and using steel pegs to anchor to ground 
roll out turf, if you need more then one roll's width place each roll side by side, making sure the pile is going the same way, roll both rolls out and cut all edges in allowing enough overhang to go over boxing. rolls are joined together by folding back edges to be joined, running a 300mm wide strip of plastic, (the kind brickies use not sure on the name) the full length of the join and using a grooved trowel to spread vinyl glue over plastic strip. fold edges back in makin sure none of the pile is stuck under join. 
next you have to broom sand into pile, yep thats right "broom it in" this helps to keep the pile standing up which is very important for the life of your synthetic grass. you need enough sand to fill just below the top of the pile i.e. 10mm pile you can assume you will need .01 cube of sand. Now this is where your boxing comes into it, broom sand over all edges and fill up entire gap, this is important as trust me if you dont eventually your grass will lift at the edges and it looks terrible, doing this also creates a nice border around the job, no need for any pinning etc of turf on any areas, as the other guys mentioned the weight of the sand is plenty. 
Thats about all there is to it, its piss easy to do, just another quick note you absolutely must create fall when leveling your base, once it is compacted there is minimal drainage and any low spots will definately pool water. 
thats about it, personally i think this stuff is great for things such as kindy's etc, but for your home...yuck. also dont confuse synthetic turf with "astroturf" they are completely different in product and application. 
I have knowledge on this stuff as a good friend has a company here on the gold coast specialising in it, and i worked for him for 6 months when he was starting out. feel free to pm me if anyone would like to see some of their work.

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## Bleedin Thumb

I've layed miles of this stuff over the years.  
I always tell the client..... put a coin under the grass and you will see the outline in 12 months 
In 2 years you will be able to read the date on the coin! 
In other words prep is everything. IMO this is not a material that lends itself to domestic usage. It only lasts from 7 to 10 years and will need replacing because the backing breaks down. The fiber on the otherhand  doesn't so you are in for a big job of disposing of this heavy,bulky non-environmentally friendly stuff. 
I lifted 75 sq.m this week and the tip fee was $450.00 and labour cost $1200

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## GraemeCook

Years ago a friend put synthetic grass on the fly-bridge of his boat.   The green grass looked a bit strange in that location and attracted a lot of comment.  He usually muttered something about golf. 
After about six months the UV impacted on the green grass and it turned blue.  It attracted even more comment - often about the "blue, blue grass ..." 
Cheers 
Graeme

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## nicko

con - you can't mow a pitch on synthetic grass during cricket season in the backyard.

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## kevin pickering

pro - you get to spend more time at the pub , instead of mowing the lawn  :Sneaktongue:

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## piscean

> As with most things-cant beat naturalThats my point of view anyway

  I have to agree with everything you've said, but I also think many people have more grass than they need. if it's just going to be decorative, then you may as well put drought tolerant shrubs and groundcovers in to replace unused areas of lawn. most front lawns  dont have any use apart from looking green but people get stuck in their ways and think it has to been lawn out there. people could plant some natives instead and support the local birds and wildlife. I hate the idea of synthetic grass because in many cases  it will just be used for decorative purposes and wont support any life, not even earthworms and for all the reasons fishwa pointed out. (which are some very valid reasons)

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## Fu Manchu

I can't stay away from this. Synthetic grass has the potential to create an enormous head ache for our cities. It absorbs 40% more heat than paving and concrete. In some cases more than a road. It doesn't save water. have a think about how much water was used in it's manufacture and in the manufacturing of the materials and then the refining of the oil used to make it. 
They have the potential to contribute significantly to thermal mass of our cities. This is something particularly evident in WA. Normally in summer we'd have had more opportunity to see it but when storms roll in frm the north the rain commonly evaporates around the metro area. You can look at the radar and see the metro outline. This is due to the effects of the heat of the city directly on the weather. This impacts on summer rainfall catchment.  Turf, Sir Walter Lawn Turf, Buffalo Grass, www.loveyourlawn.com.au  Turf, Sir Walter Lawn Turf, Buffalo Grass, www.loveyourlawn.com.au  
I want to save water and do something for the environment, I know lets lay huge areas of hot complex plastics that will release chemiclas in the heat. 
I know that when I was a kid, the smell of the grass while playing on it something I want my kids to know. Many kids today will recall getting burnt feet and the heady smell of plastics in summer and not being able to slide on it like we did as kids on the lawn.

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## brissy1

Synthetic lawn is like any other product you can purchase some are cheap and nasty and some really do look like the real thing.    
I have Enduroturf 'Summer' artificial grass installed around my pool and I challenge anyone to spot the difference from my patio area which is about 2 metres away.  
Having said that our local school had some synthetic grass installed and there are no problems spotting that it is synthetic even from a distance.

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## Oldsaltoz

There a few varieties of artificial lawn available today, some look very real and are much softer under foot. 
Best thing to do is call an installer of tennis courts and the like, they will show you what is available and the cost to install. 
One of my 2 boys makes a living installing pro tennis courts with levels that must be within 3 mm, they look fantastic and are great to play on. So, covering someone's yard would be a doddle. :Smilie:

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## brissy1

if you buy Australian made artificial grass it is 100% lead free, and there is a new recycled products hitting the shelves really soon.  It is no more environmentally unfriendly than pavers but it sure does look and feel alot nicer. For places where you just can't grow grass but wish you could it is a cosy alternative to other man made products.  People who say it looks plastic haven't seen the newer generations of synthetic grass installed, it looks awesome.

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## Mike Freemen

Like 'Oldsaltoz' said, you can't go wrong with artificial grass.  Many artificial grass companies have made advancements and improved their turf to make it look and feel natural.   
To 'Fu Manchu' while your statements maybe true for other turf companies, that is not the case for ALL synthetic grass companies.  Like I said, many advancements and improvements have been made in the technology of synthetic grass, that use non-hazardous materials.  They also have technology that decrease the transfer of heat that is absorbed by the artificial grass.  Much of the information can be found here: Durafill. 
I hope this information helps in making your decisions to a beneficial alternative.

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## brissy1

There are so many great synthetic grasses types around at the moment, if you pick a good quality one that is made locally to colour match your environment.  there is even a synthetic grass out there now that are made from recycled PET bottles.   
And look for a detailed synthetic grass installation guide that gives you step by step detail with pictures and a checklist of what you will need.

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## DirtyWerx

I fully agree that synthetic grass is not for everyone, but for some it gives them more opportunity to spend with their family, less maintenance costs and reduced water consumption. How is this a bad thing? Grasses produced these days are less likely to increase ground contaminants, are becoming cooler by utilising fibres that reflect heat rater than absorb it and allow free drainage to the water table. There are even new varieties being developed that utilise recycled PET (cool drink bottles) in the manufacture of grass. 
While many purists would say that no mater what the manufacturers of synthetic grass do it will be bad for the environment. I think continued research and development will see some great products released over the next few years that will be esthetically pleasing while also being good for the environment. 
We at Dirty Werx in Perth will continue to install our products and with feedback from the public assist our suppliers in research.

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