A primary concern for homeowners with pets is making sure their companions are safe and healthy, but that doesn’t mean your lawn has to suffer as a result. Our loveable furry friends have a unique way of turning beautiful green yards into yellow patches and mud puddles. Along with routine landscaping that can include a number of time-consuming tasks like watering, mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and more, cleaning up pet waste makes having a natural lawn even more of a hassle.
Luckily, artificial turf designed with pets in mind is the solution many homeowners have been looking for. However, there are a few important things you should know before you install a synthetic lawn at your home.
Things to Know Before You Install Synthetic Turf
Artificial grass has come a long way in recent years thanks to advancements in technology. Unlike AstroTurf of the past, which was stiff, sparse, and neon green, the construction of synthetic grasses today mimics the look and feel of real grass without the need for constant maintenance. Before you start rolling out the green lawn though, you should make sure that the turf you’re looking at is designed to be pet-friendly, featuring properties like superior drainage and antimicrobial materials.
Additionally, when considering artificial turf installation, it is important to determine what infill material will be used. Infill is the layer that exists beneath the artificial turf and some materials can be healthier for pets than others.
Clean Playing Environment
The superior drainage quality of artificial grass means that hard rains and snowfalls will not flood your yard like natural grass. This means fewer mud puddles and cleaner paws. Another appealing aspect of artificial turf is the fact that the materials used to construct the glass blades are antimicrobial, making your yard more sanitary. The antimicrobial properties also minimize odors from pet waste, so you don’t have to worry about unpleasant smells when you want to enjoy a nice meal in the backyard.
Eliminates Pests
Natural grass provides the perfect environment for many disease-carrying pests such as fleas, ticks, and mice. These nuisances are able to burrow into the deepest layers of the grass and nest in your yard, waiting to hop on your pets and come inside your home. The unique construction of artificial lawns eliminates this threat by making your yard an inhospitable place for rests and vermin. Additionally, because pests cannot live in artificial grasses, there’s no need to spray your yard with potentially harmful pesticides, which is a routine process when you have a natural lawn.
Beautiful Lawn Year-Round
Natural yards require hours of care to look presentable for only a fraction of the year. Not only is this landscaping time-consuming, but it’s also expensive. The cost of buying materials to water, mow, and fertilize your lawn can be just as much as hiring someone else to do it, but with artificial turf, you can have a beautiful yard year-round without the hassle.
Turf for pets is constructed to withstand the elements along with scratching, pawing, and playing from your pets, which means you won’t have bald patches ruining the look of your yard. Another reason why many homeowners have chosen to transition to artificial turf is the fact that the installation process minimizes the existence of unsightly weeds.
Proper Care and Maintenance
Caring for a synthetic lawn is much easier than maintaining a natural lawn, but there are still a few steps you need to take to ensure the durability and quality of your yard for years to come. When it comes to pet waste, it’s best to pick up solid waste as soon as possible and hose down the areas to cut down on unwanted odors.
It’s also recommended to treat your lawn almost like an extension of the inside of your home, which requires different care and cleaning materials. You can quickly make a spray from equal parts of water and vinegar that naturally cleans the turf and helps to get rid of any lingering bacteria.
Beyond providing reduced maintenance costs and labor, synthetic turf offers a number of benefits that humans and pets will enjoy. Whether you have dogs, cats, rabbits, or something in between, rest assured knowing that your critters have a safe playing environment.