The Benefits of Synthetic Turf Over Grass
After more than five years of living with severe drought conditions, most Californians are more determined than ever to adopt measures to conserve water. One of the easiest and most effective ways for Golden State residents to cut back on their water use is by switching from natural grass lawns to lawns covered with artificial grass.
The High Costs of Real Grass
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in drier climates like California, nearly 60 percent of a household’s total water consumption can come from outdoor use. What’s more, the EPA notes that as much as 50 percent of water used for lawn irrigation is wasted to evaporation, wind, and/or runoff due to inefficient watering.
While wasting water like this is bad enough in normal climates, for those who live in arid, drought-prone areas like California, the negative effects can be devastating for both people and the environment. Given this, a large number of property owners in the state have been plowing up their lawns and replacing them with artificial turf.
Benefits of Artificial Grass
Indeed, there are a wide array of benefits for property owners who make the switch from real to artificial grass. Some of the most important advantages include:
- Artificial turf is environmentally friendly
- Artificial turf saves property owners money
- Artificial turf is aesthetically superior
Environmentally Friendly
Artificial grass not only requires no watering, it also doesn’t require any maintenance, such as mowing, fertilizing, or weeding. In fact, the only thing you typically need to do to maintain synthetic turf is give it a regular sweeping.
With such simple maintenance, homeowners can reduce emissions from gas-powered mowers and eliminate both air and noise pollution caused by weed eaters and blowers. Moreover, by not using fertilizer, artificial turf eliminates the need for toxic chemicals contained in most fertilizers. Such chemicals contaminate the surrounding waterways and other natural areas through runoff.
Even better, some types of artificial turf are made from recycled materials, such as plastic, tires, and bottles. By purchasing synthetic turf that’s been recycled, you further help protect the environment by preventing these materials from ending up in a landfill.
Saves Money
Although artificial turf requires a somewhat expensive investment up front, the money you save in the long run more than offsets this initial cost. You can not only significantly cut back on your water bills by going with artificial turf, but you’ll also save big due to the fact that it requires no maintenance.
Whether you handle the landscaping yourself or hire someone else to do it for you, this allows you to save a huge chunk of change. And since artificial turf can last up to 20 years, the cost of replacing it will be spread out over decades, making it much more cost efficient versus long-term lawncare.
With such a serious drought in California, the state has been looking for ways to encourage water conservation, and one major motivator the government has come up with is to offer rebates for property owners who get rid of their grass lawns. Depending on the size of your lawn and the area where you live, rebates can run as high as $6,000, which can go a long way in paying for your new artificial turf.
Aesthetically Superior
Unless you spend a lot of time and money keeping your lawn watered and fertilized, it will often go through lengthy periods when it’s brown and withered. This is especially true in dry climates like California, where yards often look more like deserts than lawns.
However, artificial grass stays lush and green all year long, regardless of the season or rainfall. What’s more, you won’t have to worry about the grass getting too high or having unsightly weeds take over. Artificial grass is always at the perfect height and fullness, and it never needs weeding or upkeep. And with synthetic grass, you can say goodbye to barren, muddy areas even after floods!
Switch to Synthetic Turf Today
If you live in the San Francisco Bay area and want to learn more about the benefits of installing artificial turf, contact the professionals at Wine Country Pavers.
