Good quality artificial grass is extremely hardwearing.
It will be able to cope with frequent heavy foot traffic, use by dogs and other pets, children playing, and will also withstand the demands of entertaining and garden parties with relative ease.
But it’s not completely indestructible.
There are a few things which you should completely avoid in order to prevent any damage occurring to your fake grass.
If you have recently invested in artificial grass for your home, business, school, playground, etc., then the last thing you want is to do anything that can cause permanent damage.
It’s very important to make sure it is treated correctly as, with appropriate care, there is no reason why artificial grass cannot last twenty years or more.
This makes artificial grass a fantastic investment.
Especially when you consider the many other benefits that fake grass brings, such as its low maintenance nature, the fact that there’s no mud or mess, that it will improve your garden’s drainage, and that it will look lush and green all year round.
It’s easy to see why artificial grass is popular for so many different applications these days.
So to ensure you enjoy the benefits for as long as possible, we have compiled a list of 7 ways to avoid permanently damaging your artificial grass.
Following these rules will help protect your investment.
When purchasing artificial grass it’s also very important to ensure it comes with a written warranty.
These can be valid for anything from five years up, and for ten or even twelve years in some cases. But it is important to check exactly what is and isn’t covered under a warranty as some of the excessively long warranties offered by some manufacturers might not be worth very much in reality.
In order for any warranty to remain valid you must make sure you follow its recommended maintenance activities and also check for any limitations it puts on the use of artificial grass; this section will typically set out the dos and don’ts of using your fake lawn.
This list is always a good starting point to check before using your fake grass.
Many of these recommendations are just common sense, but they are all certainly worth pointing out. That’s partly because common sense is not always all that common, and also because if you – or your friends and family – have never had artificial grass before, some might not even occur to you.
Here is our list of 7 ways to avoid permanently damaging your artificial grass.
1. Keep Cigarettes Away From Your Artificial Grass
The better artificial grasses on the market are fire-resistant.
This means that should the worst happen; your lawn will not go up in a blaze.
Never take your manufacturer’s word for it, though, always check for industry recognised certifications such as the Cfl-s1 standard in fire-retardant tests for fire-resistant flooring, according to UNE EN 13501-12007.
This will give you the peace of mind that even if someone drops a burning cigarette or a match on it, your lawn will not catch alight.
But even so, this certainly doesn’t mean that you should smoke near artificial grass.
Should a cigarette or even burning ash fall onto artificial grass, while it won’t catch fire, the heat will melt the plastic fibres.
If this does happen, the damage can be repaired; repairs aren’t always that straightforward to carry out, however, and also the repair job may remain visible.
Your best bet is to prevent possible damage caused by cigarettes in the first place by keeping smokers well away from fake grass.
2. Don’t BBQ on Your Artificial Grass
In a similar vein to avoiding cigarettes being near your artificial grass, you should keep the BBQ at a distance, as well.
The biggest threat posed by a BBQ is if it were to be knocked over and the briquettes were to land on your fake lawn.
You may think that this is unlikely but the coal of a BBQ remains hot for many hours after you have finished cooking and, as we know, at gatherings and garden parties there’s always someone who gets a little tipsy. That means the potential for the BBQ being knocked over is probably higher than you might imagine.
Hot ashes blowing around in the wind and landing on your artificial grass are another potential danger here.
To avoid any potential damage to your grass, ensure that BBQs are kept well clear of your artificial lawn, preferably on a stable surface such as a patio or concrete area.
3. Don’t Pick or Pull at the Synthetic Fibres
Artificial grass is made up of two main components: the yarn (plastic fibres) and the backing – which is typically made from latex.
During the manufacturing process the stitches are weaved onto the primary backing and then locked into place with the secondary latex backing.
This prevents loss of yarn and stops a fake lawn from looking thin and sparse.
When choosing an artificial grass, it’s always important to look at the data sheets for your chosen turf as it should state the force, in Newtons, that fibres can withstand before being pulled free from the backing.
It should also state the quantity of latex used per square metre.
Some manufacturers of inferior quality artificial grasses use lower quantities of latex in order to offer their products at cheaper prices. Buying this type of grass represents a false economy.
Always look closely at the backing of your chosen artificial grass before purchasing.
However, it’s important to bear in mind that if you pick or pull at them, it will always be possible to pull out fibres from your artificial lawn, even with the best backing available.
It’s not completely indestructible.
Yes, of course it will be able to cope with the dog bounding up and down on it or the kids playing football, but you should avoid picking or pulling at the synthetic fibres to prevent permanently damaging your artificial lawn.
4. Don’t Park a Vehicle on Your Artificial Grass
A surprisingly common question we get asked here at NeoGrass is whether or not artificial grass is suitable for parking on.
Many people have the idea of using artificial grass on a driveway. And who can blame them, as artificial grass would provide a much softer, more natural looking surface than paving or concrete; it would also seem be a great solution for those who need off-road parking but prefer their front gardens to remain looking green.
Unfortunately, however, we do not recommend using fake grass for this purpose.
There are many reasons why it should be avoided.
The first and most important reason is the fact that the rubber tyres will both tear the synthetic fibres from their latex backing and also pull the entire grass area away from the edges, no matter how well they have been secured.
A typical installationwould also be unable to cope with the weight of a vehicle and, of course, dripping oil is difficult to remove from artificial grass so it could also become discoloured.
To prevent wasting your money, do not attempt to create a parking area using fake grass.
5. No Chewing Gum, Oils or Adhesives on Your Artificial Grass
Certain substances such as chewing gum, oils and adhesives should be kept away from artificial grass.
While it’s debatable whether these things would cause permanent damage as they can all be repaired/removed, prevention is certainly better than cure.
However, should any oil-based substance be spilt on your artificial lawn, it can be removed using white spirit.
Chewing gum can sometimes be difficult to remove as it gets tangled up in the plastic fibres. Should this happen, it can be removed using a plastic knife, or if it has dried into the grass, it may need to be frozen.
For further information, please see our guide, ‘How to Remove Stains from Artificial Grass’.
6. Don’t Put Sharp-Edged Furniture on Your Artificial Grass
High quality artificial grass, particularly grass that has Instant Recovery Technology, will be strong enough to cope with items of garden furniture being placed upon it.
But before putting your new garden table and chairs on your fake lawn, you’ll need to check that there are no sharp edges on the feet.
Your plastic grass will be able to cope with the weight of garden furniture but not with anything sharp enough to cut it.
Sharp edges can potentially cut the plastic fibres or possibly even slice through the latex backing.
To avoid potentially permanently damaging your artificial lawn, always check garden furniture for sharp edges.
7. Don’t Expose Your Artificial Grass to Reflected Sunlight
Artificial grass is, of course, designed to withstand the heat from the sun’s rays and it will not melt as a result of direct exposure to sunlight.
However, if sunlight is reflected onto your artificial lawn from the windows in your house or even the windows in your neighbour’s house, the glass can have a magnifying effect meaning it can potentially singe the plastic fibres.
To prevent this from happening, before installing your artificial grass, ensure that it is placed in an area of your garden where this won’t happen or else don’t open windows that will cause sunlight to be reflected onto your lawn.
Conclusion
Treating your artificial grass correctly will ensure that the initial investment of having it installed will pay off in the long term and any warranties that you may have will remain valid.
As well as preventing permanent damage, it’s always important to properly maintain your artificial lawn.
Although the maintenance required is minimal, looking after your fake grass properly will help ensure its performance and longevity.
For further information on maintaining your artificial lawn, check out our ‘Ultimate Artificial Grass Maintenance Guide’
For further information on removing stains, see ‘How to Remove Stains from Artificial Grass’.
We hope you’ve found this article useful and that it has answered any questions you may have about how you can and can’t use your artificial lawn.
If you have any questions regarding how to avoid permanently damaging your artificial grass and the dos and don’ts when it comes to using your fake lawn, then please leave them below; we’d love to hear from you.
