Replacing Backyard Grass with Artificial Turf

We’re considering replacing our backyard with artificial turf and looking for any tips, tricks, recommendations, local installers, pros or cons.

Why we wanna replace?
Lower maintenance, mowing, watering, and over all cleaner look. No more dirt or dead spots. Will be used infrequently by us, our kids and our dog. Hopefully easier to clean up dog urine/poop? Also easier to play equipment or a temporary pool back there without killing grass.

Questions?
-I hear they can be too hot to walk barefoot/touch in summer. Is that true?
-If you have a dog, how is it working for you?
-Any installation regrets you would have done differently?
-Some people say they are toxic. What do you think?
-Cleanup leaves etc. We get lots of leaves, sticks and other debris back here. Is that annoying on artificial grass or not a big deal?

[Screenshot 2024-02-04 at 3](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:vDWz:screenshot20240204at3.33.15pm.png.jpg)

cambellara

in General Discussion 1 year and 3 months ago

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Lurker | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Colonial you’re making a big statement that deserves more nuance.

The big issue is the rubber nubs underneath “turf” which are not in someone’s backyard play area unless they happen to live in a stadium or public park. We’re talking about fake grass mats rolled over dirt and sand here.

Some types of artificial grass do indeed have PFAS and other nasty stuff, which includes carcinogenic chemicals! But saying these are known to cause cancer in young children is simply not a thing. And if you are worried about it, take 5 seconds to google and find a whole host of PFA, lead free, flame-retardant-free brands of artificial grass that aren’t made of that stuff.
https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/11/non-toxic-artificial-grass-synthetic-turf-brands-types.html.
That’s one site, there are loads of brands otherwise.

Just to point out, your home is full of, can constantly being replenished with a steady stream of items that at some level contain carcinogenic elements of some sort (check if there’ s a California warning on them). The paint, the stains, the cleaners an d detergents, the plastic bags, all of your plumbing fixtures, fiberglass, sheetrock, all your carpets and furniture mattress and on and on.

Notably, those short-lived products by far produce more bad in the world than a carpet that may easily last a decade.

And the greatest contributor of plastic micro particles? Not astroturf. It’s your clothing, which sends billions of particles into our water every wash cycle– unless you happen to wear only wool and cotton and leather. If that is not the case, I implore you to be intellectually honest and encapsulate all your human-made fibers.

colonialrevival | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Plastic grass is known to cause cancer — especially in young children when exposed to sun and the elements — as well as pollutes water with microplastics. Please make the smart choice for your family (and the earth they’ll have to inhabit when you’re gone) and put some nice native plants or just sow some kentucky bluegrass annually instead.

stoopsitter | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Neighbors of ours put down synthetic grass after failing to grow real grass after trying for several years. They have 3 young kids and it’s been huge success for them. The kids love it.

Lurker | 1 year and 3 months ago

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we did this after a contractor dumped a layer of pebbly clay over a thriving lawn and it was too much to deal with during covid. never looking back. if you do it “correctly” you’ll be putting down a layer to prevent weeds, you’ll have it tamped and leveled with sand and such. I did it in an afternoon or 2 for 20 x 20 area and it has been a game changer for 2 kids who run around without worrying about broken glass that would always churn to the surface (who the hell is throwing so much broke glass around?!) and it’s far more level for a table, it doesn’t need water or seeding, and you can use a broom (or a shop vac!) to clean it up.
we also don’t have to worry about mud tracking in the house, giant mud puddles and worn spots, weeds that sprout all over and seedlings from our neighbors tree that overhang the yard.
bordering it with pavers would look nice.
low lying areas do get a bit of puddle during massive storms but we’ve had no floods etc.

also this a completely reversible procedure for the future. I agree plastic is gross on a philosophical level, and we fretted , but after doing a lawn for 5 years just as gross is grass fertilizer and engineered grass seeds and the amount of water to keep grass alive. Grass yards are not a naturally occurring thing either.

Guest User | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Surely anything other than actual dirt and plants adds pressure on the sewage system and increases the risk of flooding? Plus the right plants are good for pollinators. If you paved over part of the yard and then had raised beds with shrubs and perennials, you could have something really pretty.

cambellara | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Ya thats what I’ve seen. Mostly the toxic concerns are from sports field where they use the pellets. I hear NYC is supposed to be removing them city wide from public parks. Our backyard lawn won’t have this so hopefully safer? Synlawn looks great.

cambellara | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Ya thats what I’ve seen. Mostly the toxic concerns are from sports field where they use the pellets. I hear NYC is supposed to be removing them city wide from public parks. Our backyard lawn won’t have this so hopefully safer? Synlawn looks great.

Archiefina | 1 year and 3 months ago

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The link that Greenwood Goblin posted to NBC was really informative. It talks about the toxicity of the rubber pellets used on turf soccer fields. In addition to being potentially toxic, they are also super charged for heat. They are not in our Synlawn. Look out for quality & hopefully the toxicity aspect goes away.

cambellara | 1 year and 3 months ago

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This is helpful thank you!

cambellara | 1 year and 3 months ago

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This is helpful thank you!

Archiefina | 1 year and 3 months ago

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We replaced our forlorn grass with Synlawn about five years ago and are very happy with it. Synlawn was the pricier option, but it has important qualities that cheap ones don’t: it does NOT get hot in the summer, it is durable, and it looks real. On the first point, try standing on the Parade Ground soccer turf in the summer and you’ll see what I mean – you roast there, and you leave with pieces of plastic in your shoes. And on the second, our large dog has yet to harm it despite many daily romps. We are very careful for her to do her business anywhere but the back yard, to keep it clean. And no person is rolling around on it, so I am not concerned about toxicity for the kids (or dog, either!).

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 1 year and 3 months ago

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When I finally gave up on grass in my north garden I put down landscape cloth covered with natural color cedar mulch. That has worked quite well, although I have to add about a dozen bags of mulch every other year. However it’s not comfortable to walk on barefoot.

jrs84o | 1 year and 3 months ago

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$30 worth of grass seed (Pennington Smart Seed) annually sown the first two weeks of April, and a $25 sprinkler with built in timer, keeps my 20×35 backyard green and lush between end of April thru December…. My wife bought me a full-on mower one year for Xmas… LOL… but I traded it for a strimmer… which I use every third week.

eg66 | 1 year and 3 months ago

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This could be on the fearmongering side, but you asked about toxicity: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/artificial-turf-debate/how-safe-artificial-turf-your-child-plays-n220166 — turf is undoubtedly toxic for the environment, it’s a giant hunk of plastic after all, but it may well be toxic in direct ways too. I’m a physician and wouldn’t use it. Plastic is a part of our lives but I do what I can to limit our contact with it. We had a place once (rented) with a 20×20 foot backyard, bordered by a garden, that we planted with grass and maintained with a tiny electric lawnmower. It was kind of a funny undertaking for a teeny yard, and there was some upfront labor, but it was GLORIOUS, soft and beautiful all spring, summer, and fall, awesome for a potable pool when the kids were babies. I’d post pics if they were working! The plus on a soft yard is that you have a great option for stormwater drainage too. Now that our kids are bigger and we are near a park, I’m using our yard as a garden.

cambellara | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Thanks but we want a place for our kids to play

cambellara | 1 year and 3 months ago

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Thanks but we want a place for our kids to play

JohnHancock | 1 year and 3 months ago

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It’s just a lot of plastic, I would use pavers with drainage. Add some borders and planters and it will be a so much nicer