EVERYTHING you NEED to know about artificial grass…

STOP sifting through internet half-truths

and STOP listening to Derek from down the pubs’ half baked theories on artificial grass

FEAST YOUR EYES AND MIND

on some actual fact based information. It may surprise you to hear we’re not interested in selling everyone and his dog artificial grass. We don’t fall asleep at night dreaming of a world covered in plastic carpet. We’re not all evil plasti-chem polarbear eating climate change deniers. But we do think there is a place, hopefully as part of a well-balanced bigger landscape scheme for good quality, locally manufactured artificial grass which can enable and encourage people to spend more time outdoors and appreciate the beautiful world we all live in.

Whet your whistle? You aint read nothing yet… sup up and come on in…

about artificial grass

Artificial grass, synthetic turf, astroturf or fake grass – whatever you want to call it one thing is for sure – it’s here to stay.

Artificial grass provides a low-maintenance, highly functional alternative to real grass in domestic, commercial, education and sports environments.

Click the tabs below for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about artificial grass. If you have a question about artificial grass please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer it.

What is artificial grass made from...

Artificial grass has been manufactured in the same way since Chemstrand started making ChemGrass (later to become AstroTurf) back in 1965. The process itself is very similar to carpet production and some artificial grass manufacturers actually use decommissioned carpet manufacturing plant to make their grass.

There are three materials commonly used in the manufacture of artificial grass…

Polyethylene (PE)
Polypropylene (PP)
Nylon

In most circumstances Polyethylene is the most suitable material for the manufacture of artificial grass.

here are some reasons why…

PP is a stiffer and harder material than PE and we’ve found in our own experience of buying artificial grass PP products tend to be much shinier than polyethylene.

PP is known to produce a higher static charge than PE so it will generate more static energy with the potential for static shocks.

PP is a more rigid material and is more prone to breakages and tears than PE which is more flexible.

PP is more vulnerable to be damaged by UV and heat.

PP is a cheaper material to buy as PE is a purer product.

Nylon has many properties that make it a fantastic material for artificial grass but it is the most porous material out of the three and as such it’s not recommended for use where the grass may come into contact with animals which includes most landscape applications.

a note about Polyethylene…

Polyethylene is manufactured in a variety of grades – C2, C4, C6 and C8 in which the number denominates the number of carbons in the polymer.

When it comes to artificial grass C2 and C4 are the most commonly used grades of polyethylene. In fact over 90% of the polyethylene artificial grass available in the UK is manufactured using C2 & C4 grade. We recommend a combination of C6 and C8 grade polyethylene in products as this provides the best material functionality whilst retaining important characteristics such as not being too stiff, shiny or soft. Combining the properties of these polymers creates products that ultimately are structured to have the best product lifecycle possible.

Despite advances in material production and processing allowing manufacturers the opportunity to use high grade plastics very few choose to do this. Turf King is dedicated to only sourcing and recommending the very best artificial grass products available.

What are the benefits of artificial grass...

Artificial grass has many benefits over real grass. Here is a list of some of the main benefits synthetic turf can bring to a domestic, commercial, sports or education environment:

Low-maintenance and no more mowing. Artificial grass does need a minimal amount of maintenance to help it perform it’s best and give it the longest possible product lifecycle
Environmentally friendly. Artificial grass can be a significant water saving measure in areas where water shortage is a concern.
Family, child and pet friendly
All weather functionality
Enables the ability to add invisible safety provision such as shock pad for fall protection
Has a clean, uniform and precise finish which lends itself to all different types of landscape environments from traditional lawn areas to the most contemporary outdoor spaces
Most products available are very chemically stable and as such can be cleaned with mild detergents when required
Low re-turfing costs when required. A big part of an initial artificial grass installation is the ground preparation needed prior to installing the turf. When it comes to renewing the turf the underlying groundwork should only need minimal renovation
Ideal for areas of high-footfall. Where traditionally real grass areas may become muddy or suffer erosion due to high footfall artificial grass will not

What should I look for when buying artificial grass...

Here are a few key things that you can look for when buying artificial grass for traditional lawn environments:

Avoid products marketed as soft. Softness often disguises poor quality plastic, a lack of plastic or a lack of blade structure.
Buy a product with structured or profiled blades eg ‘c’ profile or ‘y’ profile. Flat blades can’t support themselves and in artificial grass this means flat grass. A simple analogy is to imagine holding long thin strip of paper at the base so the paper is pointing upwards between your thumb and forefinger. The paper will flop over as it can’t support itself. Now imagine folding the paper in the middle (effectively creating a ‘v’ profile) and doing the same thing. It will stand upright because it can support itself.
Count the yarn ends. See our blog for details on how to do this. A good product will have 16 or more yarn ends (or blades) in each tuft of grass. The difference between 12 yarn ends and 20 yarn ends is 40% so over 1m² this will have a big effect on the look and density of a product.
Buy polyethylene. Polypropylene is more susceptible to tearing and breaking and often looks shiny.
Avoid shiny products. Shininess can often signify poor quality plastic (think leaping frogs from Christmas crackers) or very thin plastic. C4 polyethylene which is used in most artificial grass products in the world is also commonly used in the manufacture of low grade cling film. We all know the difference between good quality cling film and poor quality cling film and it neatly highlights how plastic quality really affects a products ability to do its job effectively. Ideally you should be buying C6 or C8 grade polyethylene.

What ground preparation is needed for artificial grass...

There are many different opinions on the base preparation required for the successful and long term installation of artificial grass. We put this document together to explain our method and how experience has shown us it is the best. We’ve taken this method from experience gained installing sports pitches, residential lawns, commercial gardens and play surfaces for schools and nurseries.

A base for artificial grass needs to perform several important functions:

To provide a compact, consistent and uniform level for artificial grass to sit on
Ability to drain quickly
Provide a forgiving surface in the event of an impact (e.g. a child falling)
Discourage habitation of insects and worms

The base preparation and materials used are crucial in the long term success of an artificial lawn. Here is the Turf King guide of how to prepare a surface for artificial grass installation:

Remove all existing grass and top soil to a level that leaves a consistently firm sub-base. This may mean digging deep holes if a consistently firm level cannot be achieved. If the ground remains soft in any area that area will need to be excavated to a level where it is firm. A 100mm depth over the entire surface area should be achieved as a minimum.

Make the remaining level consistent by filling all holes / dips with compacted stone aggregate (Type- 1 or similar). If the hole is deep layer and compact the aggregate 100mm at a time using a trench wacker.

Install a geotextile over the remaining sub-base. This membrane will perform a number of functions including: stopping weeds and organic matter growing through the base; acting as a ground stabiliser enabling the construction of a firm base on top of it; and stopping the base material compacting into the sub-base whilst still allowing water to pass through freely. A high quality geotextile should be used for this – we recommend Terram 1000.

Install any edgings as required.

Build the base. The depth achieved in step one influences the base construction. Build the base using type-1 aggregate layered and compacted 100mm at a time until the level is between 75mm and 50mm from final desired ground level. For the remaining base use a finer aggregate with dust content eg 4mm to dust to achieve a consistent, firm, smooth base upon which to lay the grass. After the final compacting, shape the base to desired shape using a groundworkers lute or spazzle.

we supply and install

Over the years we have worked with many of the biggest artificial grass manufacturers as an approved installer. This has allowed us unique access to a huge variety of products for different applications (sports pitches, play areas or gardens for example) at prices that are unavailable to most. We don’t offer ‘one size fits all’ solutions but we do offer honest, impartial project specific advice and recommendations.

For general family use we currently recommend two main products which represent the very best in what you can expect from an artificial grass product:

introducing TurfWorks Sensation & Majestic…

TurfWorks Sensation & Majestic are manufactured using only the highest grade polyethylene available. In a market flooded with many similar low to mid quality products we offer an alternative. Plastic quality is the most important factor in the product lifecycle of artificial grass. In a crude analogy compare the difference between two disposable plastic cups – a cheap low quality one and a more expensive better quality one. Imagine flexing both of the cups in your hand – the cheaper cup will almost undoubtedly split rendering the cup useless whereas the better quality one will be able to flex again and again with no breakage. Quality is important in artificial grass.

Whilst two different artificial grass products may both look great the day they were laid – a higher quality polyethylene in one product will mean that product will look great and perform better for longer.

Sensation

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Sensation is designed specifically for domestic use and is already making waves in the industry. Every aspect of this grass has been constructed with durability, quality and aesthetic integrity in mind. Probably the most realistic looking artificial grass in the marketplace ‘Sensation’ has all of the functionality you would expect from artificial grass with a structural and chemical pedigree that you won’t find in any other product. If you are looking for quality ‘Sensation’ is the only choice for an everyday, high use, family lawn replacement grass. If you want the best from your artificial lawn you don’t need to look any further.

Construction details

Request Sensation Samples

Majestic

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Majestic is technically very similar to Sensation. The key difference is that ‘Majestic’ has been constructed using a ‘y’ profile resulting in an incredibly durable and hard-wearing yet realistic artificial grass. Every aspect of this grass has been constructed with durability, quality and aesthetic integrity in mind. We tend to spec Majestic into commercial high-footfall environments over residential ones as the yarn profile creates a stiffer product but it can be used in residential lawns when the space demands it.

Construction details:

Request Majestic samples

*8 year guarantee against UV colour fade and any material breakdown caused by product malfunction

‘Turf King’ is the trading name of ‘Synthetic Turf UK Ltd’ registered in England & Wales reg: 8672589

EVERYTHING you NEED to know about artificial grass…

STOP sifting through internet half-truths

FEAST YOUR EYES AND MIND

Whet your whistle? You aint read nothing yet… sup up and come on in…

about artificial grass

we supply and install

introducing TurfWorks Sensation & Majestic…

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