artificial grass vip

Author: agsturf

  • Type of Irrigation System 

    Are sprinklers a waste of water? The truth is that sprinkler irrigation systems are not as efficient at water conservation as they may first appear. The typical water consumption for a residential sprinkler system ranges from 12 to 30 gallons per minute, depending on the sprinkler head’s size and type. Operating the sprinkler for 30 minutes a day, 15 days a month, can lead to a consumption of up to 450 gallons per month. 

    Inadequate water pressure and strong winds can cause significant water loss due to drift or evaporation.  

    Rate Type 

    Understanding your monthly water bill is the first step to determining the costs of watering your lawn. The bill measures your water usage using various standard units of consumption, the most common being centum cubic feet (CCF) and gallons, where 1 CCF equals 748 gallons. 

    The local water utility employs a range of rate structures to bill its customers, including:  

    • Uniform Rate structure: Charges a constant per-unit price for all metered units of water consumed throughout the year. 
    • Increasing Block Rates: Charges higher unit rates for each succeeding block of usage than the previous block(s). 
    • Seasonal Rates: Established to promote conservation during peak usage periods and cover a specific time frame.  
    • Drought Rates: Similar to Seasonal Rates, these rates depend on the level of drought in the local area, rather than applying higher rates throughout a particular period. 

    All these rate structures can substantially increase water bills if you regularly water your lawn.  

  • What can increase your water bill above the average?

    Type of Grass
    How the type of grass in your lawn affects your water billTwo types of grass are commonly used for residential lawns – Cool Season grasses and Warm Season grasses. Cool Season grasses can withstand colder temperatures and will go dormant in hot, dry weather. Examples of this type of grass include Ryegrass, Fine and Tall Fescue, Creeping Bentgrass, and Kentucky Bluegrass. 

    On the other hand, Warm Season grasses thrive in warmer climates, such as the southern regions of the U.S. They experience the most growth during the warmest part of the year. These types of turfgrass often require less water than Cool Season grasses. Examples include Bermuda grass, Zoysia grass, St. Augustine grass, Bahia grass, Buffalo grass, and Centipede grass. 

  • The True Costs of Watering Your Lawn

    Since 2012, the price of residential water in the United States has increased at an average rate of 5.5% per year, outpacing inflation and the costs of goods such as gasoline and food. As a result, monthly bills for residential water use have risen by 43% on average over the past decade.

    To put this in context, residents in San Diego should anticipate an 18% increase in water rates over the next two years. This underscores the importance of knowing the actual cost of watering your lawn.

    What is a lawn’s average water usage?
    To ensure that an established lawn thrives, you should water the ground until the top 6 to 8 inches of soil becomes saturated.

    Most lawns require 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week from rainfall or irrigation to reach this depth. Covering one square foot of lawn with one inch of water requires approximately 0.623 gallons.

    That means every 10×10 area demands over 62 gallons.

  • How to Remove Infill With A Forklift

    How to Remove with a Truck
    You can easily remove infill by tying one end of a rope to the edge of your roll and the other to a car or truck. Drive slowly forward until your turf is unrolled and the infill falls out, and then shake out the remaining infill.

    How to Remove Infill With A Forklift
    If you have access to a forklift, you can use it to lift a section of your turf roll about four feet off the ground and then hit it with a broom to shake the infill out. You would then repeat this process for the entire length of the roll.

    Note: This process is only recommended if you’re skilled in the operation of a forklift. Do not attempt if you are not able to comfortably operate a forklift.

    For more detailed instructions on DIY Extraction, check out this article!

  • Types of Repurposed Turf

    Extracted Turf
    Like most repurposed turf, extracted turf is sourced from local sports fields. Unlike infilled turf, extracted turf has had the infill professionally removed for a lighter, easier to install product.

    Without infill turf is only about half a pound per square foot, making it easier to work with. However, infill is absolutely necessary to the look, performance, and life of your turf. So if you do purchase extracted turf, you’ll still need to buy infill and add it to your turf

    Because extracted turf is infill-free, you have the option to buy a higher quality infill than the sand and crumb rubber commonly found in infilled sports turf. High quality infills like ZeoFill can keep your lawn up to 20 °F cooler and also prevent the growth of harmful microbes.

    Infill
    Infilled turf comes with infill already in it. It’s less expensive than extracted turf and also saves you the cost of purchasing infill. However, infill adds A LOT of weight to the product, which can make transportation and installation more difficult.

    Limiting factors for infilled turf include manpower, access to your project site, and your ability to transport heavy loads.

    Lucky for you, there are more than a couple ways to remove infill from turf yourself! These DIY extraction methods help you quickly and effectively remove the infill:

  • Infill vs Extracted Turf 

    When buying repurposed turf you have two options; infill or extracted.

    There are benefits to each, and which one is best for you is going to depend on your specific project needs. Considerations include budget, transportation, and logistics.

    Artificial-Grass-Recyclers-Installation-Photos-33 (1)

    What is Repurposed Turf?
    Repurposed turf is typically used sports turf that’s been put to new use creating functional lawns for homes and businesses. That’s because sports turf is the best candidate for repurposing!

    Regulations require that artificial turf sports fields be replaced every couple years, regardless of the condition of the field. Sports turf still has a long product life even after it’s been ripped up and replaced. This high quality product is designed to withstand the sharpest cleats and toughest tackles — so it should have no problem standing up to the challenges of everyday use!

  • Synthetic Grass is Bad For the Environment

    In this day and age, when climate change is a very significant and tangible concern, there are many different perspectives on the environmental impact of synthetic grass installation. We encourage you to do your own research, however, there are certain clear benefits and areas for future investigation that we can point out.

    To begin with, artificial grass saves water since it does not need to be watered to be alive, unlike genuine grass. As a result, you don’t have to be concerned about summer droughts! You should only need to water your lawn on rare occasions, such as to remove pet waste or to cool it down in the summer heat.

    Second, it eliminates the need for lawnmowers, which have a track record of emitting dangerous pollutants. Lawnmowers produce a variety of harmful substances, including nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons, to mention a few.

    The problem of recyclability is a major one. Artificial grass is a long-term investment, with Lawn Kings Inc’s synthetic grass products guaranteed to last at least 8 years and projected to last 10 years or more if properly cared for. This is commonly used in the industry. However, not all artificial grass is recyclable when it reaches the end of its life cycle and must be disposed of in a landfill.

  • It Does Not Require Maintenance

    Artificial grass does not require as much upkeep as genuine grass, but that does not imply it is without maintenance. To keep it in good shape, you still need to do some sweeping and brushing. This regular maintenance will not only increase the life of the grass but will also keep it healthy, fresh, and aesthetically pleasing for a longer period of time. So, do not feel that artificial grass will have zero maintenance responsibilities.

  • Not Safe for Pets

    While some people believe artificial grass is not suitable for pets, it is actually not the case. In fact, it is safer than natural grass. To understand this better, here are some points to consider.

    Durability:

    Artificial grass lasts significantly longer than real grass. If your pets like rough play, they will most likely create large holes and patches in your natural grass. With artificial grass, however, no matter how often they rip about the lawn, it will always look immaculate.

    Cleanliness:

    Synthetic grass, unlike natural grass, does not become muddy in the winter. This means you won’t have to worry about scrubbing muddy paw prints off the floor if your dog runs inside suddenly.

    Grass Length:

    If you don’t mow your natural lawn too often, the overgrown grass can be frightening to a little animal, but with an artificial lawn, the grass will always be at the proper height. It is also comfy and soft for pets to rest on, creating an enticing outside place for them.

    Free of Toxins:

    When it comes to animals nibbling on the grass, artificial grass may be safer than natural grass. This is because there is no need to apply fertilizers, pesticides, or weed killers on an artificial lawn to keep it looking great. So you don’t have to be concerned about your pet ingesting something toxic.

  • Artificial Grass is Expensive

    One common misconception about synthetic yards is that it is prohibitively costly. However, an artificial lawn may be extremely cost-effective in the long run, even costing less than natural grass.

    When you factor in the cost of lawnmowers, grass feed, fertilizers, pesticides, hoses, water usage, strimmers, and re-turfing required to keep a real lawn looking good, artificial grass is far less expensive than real grass over its entire lifespan because it does not require any of the above to keep it looking good.

    So, while artificial grass is more expensive to install, the savings in time, effort, and money spent on upkeep might save you several thousand bucks in the long term, indicating that an artificial lawn can be more cost-effective than a genuine lawn.