With each passing year, the number of home and business owners who invest in artificial grass climbs higher and higher, and it’s no wonder.
Residential artificial turfs are not only beautiful, but they also save water, money, and countless hours of manual labor. When it’s summertime in Texas, a natural lawn can cost a small fortune to maintain. Often, even robust effort ends in the yellow, dying grass.
The cost of an artificial lawn may seem steep when compared to the cost of natural sod, but when considering the one-time price against the yearly expenses of living grass, the calculation always comes up in the synthetic lawn’s favor. Even better, installing xeriscaping is the environmentally more sustainable choice.
Artificial sod is low maintenance, requires no sprinklers, and doesn’t call for the use of any dangerous pesticides. It’s no mystery why the warmer regions of the country are quickly adopting synthetic grass as their go-to landscaping choice.
However, as temperatures rise, is your grassy investment going to be able to beat the heat?
Does Artificial Grass Absorb Heat?
Artificial grass, consisting of synthetic materials, collects and maintains heat differently from natural grass. Still, the plastic grass of twenty and even ten years ago has come a long way.
While growing up, we all learned quickly that our bare feet should not touch asphalt in the middle of July. Even cement and sand can scald when the sun beats down mercilessly. Those hot days saw us jumping to the cool, natural grass for immediate relief. And honestly, given how well the earth traps the night’s cool temps and moisture, natural grass will always beat synthetic when it comes to temperature. Still, while the temperature of synthetic will be higher, it won’t burn you and it will never reach the scorching levels of asphalt, sand, or cement.
More important, you can make the right choices that keep your synthetic grass cooler.
Options for the Coolest Synthetic Grass
For most of the property owners with synthetic grass, the increased heat within their blades does not pose a significant problem. However, if you were to find yourself wishing for a cooler synthetic sod or if you’re in the market for a synthetic lawn and have concerns about artificial lawn maintenance, there are several tips that can help keep your new artificial grass usable.
If you are about to invest in a synthetic lawn but haven’t installed it yet, you may find that choosing certain materials over others will help the temperature of your grass during the summer. For instance, selecting synthetic blades that are lighter in color, rather than darker greens, would absorb less heat. The same can be said about which infills you choose to put beneath your grass. Avoid rubber infills or silica sand that can absorb the sun’s rays. You should always contact a professional with any questions you may have concerning your artificial turf installation.
Additional Tips for Keeping Your Artificial Lawn Cool in the Summer
- Rinsing your lawn with a cooling hose to reduce the surface temperature is a quick solution to a turf that may be a little too hot to handle for your pets or children. Giving your synthetic grass a rinse before outdoor play can help dissipate the heat quickly. As an artificial lawn owner, you will want to keep a hose handy for any pet usage anyway.
- Reduce heat absorption by covering part or all of your lawn with umbrellas or shade sails. They will block direct sunlight and provide a shady place to relax and play. Synthetic grass cools quickly, even on the hottest days, which means that if a shade is put up, the sun goes down, or clouds roll by, your turf will be cool within minutes.
- The installation of a retractable awning can be helpful in protecting your grass from the blistering heat of the day but can be put away when it’s not needed.
- If you have a sprinkler system installed within your yard, turning the water on for a few moments can quickly cool your entire lawn.
How Do I Learn More?
To learn more about how much artificial lawn installation will cost, contact the experts at SYNLawn, at (866)-796-5296. Our professionals will be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.