Anyone has artificial lawn installed?

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

We've got a v small garden where grass won't grow due to shade. Lawn area 25sqm.

Just been quoted £3000 for artificial grass, installed professionally, material taken away etc. We're a bit taken aback - is this expensive or were we being unrealistic?

Trying to get other quotes but not many people willing to come out.

Of course it HAS to be cheap, the manufacturers in China HAVE to make a profit, not the workers of course. I wonder what their health is like?

Ah replacing a natural environment with plastic... how very human of you 🙄
You bought a house with a garden that can't sustain grass, so yes it should be wood chips or the like, or your children's children will have a whole planet without grass.

Ignore it if you want... I'll blame you anyway

, choosing plastic grass is IMO the definition of ignorant,

If you know the planet has a plastic and environmental problem, it's very telling that you would still destroy the section of the planet that you actually own. Your land. Your corner of the world.

If you deliberately destroy the natural grass in favour of plastic - which doesn't support birds, worms, insects or bees - you're just sticking two fingers up to the problem, aren't you? It's so hypocritical. You can't be worrying about walruses falling off cliffs, shaking your fists at plastic bag pollution and stressing about global warming and then go home every night to your plastic-covered garden.

You're publicly declaring that you really don't give a toss.

^ I consider all of the above unnecessarily rude. You can disagree without making this decision single handedly responsible for killing the planet. Particularly pertinent given one of the most voracious voices on here sounds as though they commute between two living homes. But hey, what's some extra exhaust fumes/aviation miles? We've got artificial lawn to rip to shreds here!

I'm not reseeding because I'm trying to justify my choice for artificial lawn. I'm not a monster. I'm doing it because I would far prefer actual grass. Last year we had a month when the lawn actually looked healthy. Then the extreme heat started and it went to shit (along with everyone else's). We're giving it another go because if that heatwave hadn't have happened we wonder whether the lawn might have got some strength and tolerance behind it.

This thread has given me plenty of ideas to consider if we don't manage it. But seriously, I started it to get some feedback on people who already had artificial lawn installed. Not to get chapter and verse on killing the environment and certainly not from people from whom I have no idea of how they live their own lives.

@ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual Do you have a dog??

No

I have just noticed my error.
It should be obvious anyway but of course the comment about tidy gardens and same teams was not directed at the OP!

Mumsnet should have an edit button for posts...

I think everyone has different definitions then perhaps of what constitutes rude.
I thought they were alright really.
I’ve certainly seen worse, and been called worse for that matter.

I don’t blame you for wanting plastic grass.
I understand the appeal 100%.
Environmentally, it is disastrous though.
I don’t so much blame people for installing it.
I blame people manufacturing and selling it and I blame the government for allowing those people to manufacture and sell it.
Plastic grass isn’t the main reason the planet is dying.
But, it is a contributing factor.
And we should all try to do what we can to reduce damage.

I’m confused as to what dogs have to do though with the thread.

We’ve got artificial grass in our garden, we moved in over winter and it was already here. It nearly put me off buying the house to be honest, it’s horrible stuff but has been good for children to go out in winter. It’s not maintenance free as I’ve had to sweep it a lot as leaves/seeds/acorns etc don’t rot into it like a lawn.

It’s laid right up to the fences all round so no flower beds, I pulled it back at the weekend to try and put a bed in but it’s a gravel, wood baton and weed membrane underneath. So my only option if I want any nature in my garden is to rip it out. But that I suspect will cost thousands!

Personally I wouldn’t choose it, good luck with the lawn seed, and maybe look into other ground cover plants like a pp suggested.

Hopefully your reseeded lawn will take.
Make sure it gets a lot of water..

Our artificial grass has been a godsend for the kids playing outside, no mud traipsed through the house, dry after an hour of rain. It's my garden and I will do what I like in it. I don't need to justify my decisions to anyone else. After seeing it most of our friends have also converted.
Doesn't smell, easy to keep clean and usable all year round.
We also laid it ourselves after watching tutorials and it's still in perfect condition 4 years later.

its my garden and I will do what I like in it. I don't need to justify my decisions to anyone else. After seeing it most of our friends have also converted

That, right there, is exactly what I meant by humanity ultimately having no hope because it is all me, myself and I.

As long as it suits me, as long as I like it.

We know the planet is in crisis, we know humans are dependant on insects for survival, we know insects are in big trouble with eye wateringly fast declines in numbers, partly due to weedkillers and pesticide, we know that plastics are leaching into the seas and killing everything there, we also know that it and other chemicals are leaching into soils and the food we eat and poisoning that, soil fertility is continuing to get worse and worse meaning our fruit and vegetables now contain considerably less vitamins and minerals than they once did but hey,

I want a nice garden so I will spray weed killer everywhere and you can’t stop me cause it’s MY garden, I don’t like ants, wasps, spiders whatever so I’ll kill them on sight and you can’t stop me because it’s MY choice, I will have plastic grass because I want to and you can’t stop me blah blah blah etc etc etc.

I wonder at what point will people wake up and think shit.

Maybe when we are all starving to death when there is no food due to no insects...
Too late by then of course.

Spot on Doggydoggydoggy, it is horribly depressing but so many people can not think of anyone but themselves, they can't even consider what life will be like for their grandchildren's grandchildren (if the planet gets to last that long!)

It’s ironic, everybody who has fake says it’s been brilliant for their children to play on but they won’t consider the long term consequences.

Will it be good for the future of those same children?

Hi OP, we have artificial grass. I do think that quote is quite high for the size of area. We do love ours I must admit. The rest of our garden is more natural with loads of trees, plants, shrubs etc and definately some weeds here and there but like you our grass never grew properly and was so patchy. We have a separate area in a back corner for the dogs to use for the toilet. I think it also depends what kind you go for, we went for higher range and it looks real

www.greenredeem.co.uk/greener-living/home---garden/cool-green-alternatives-to-thirsty-lawns

Little bit dramatic doggy!!

But why should I not be able to make my own choices on my land. My having it is not going to change the world! I generally live my life as plastic free and eco friendly as possible. Do you live a completely eco friendly life? No didn't think so, so until you do keep your judgments to yourself, you won't be changing my mind anytime soon.

I think as people are becoming more environmentally savvy, fake grass will devalue the price of the properties with it. It’ll be see it as a burden to correct, therefore an unpopular future choice.

OP have you had someone like green thumb out they offer quarterly treatments.

Little bit dramatic doggy!!

Well that rather depends on how much of a problem you perceive climate change and human pollution to be?

If your like me, and believe what most of the scientists/wildlife experts are saying about the drastic decline in bug life, melting of the ice, air pollution etc largely being due to bad choices made by people and the complete destruction of planet Earth and death of humankind to follow then it’s not dramatic at all.

And If everyone thought in terms of ‘well my little garden won’t make much difference’ pretty soon you have a big problem!

No one can live an entirely eco friendly life, it is impossible, but we can get pretty close and we should be trying to actively avoid using damaging things if they aren’t strictly necessary, like plastic lawns.

I think as people are becoming more environmentally savvy, fake grass will devalue the price of the properties with it. It’ll be see it as a burden to correct, therefore an unpopular future choice.

Yes, like asbestos.

@ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual In that case if you've not got a dog go for it. We LOVE ours - however the stink of dog wee is an ongoing issue 🙄

I think it also depends what kind you go for, we went for higher range and it looks real

I'm sorry, and I mean this politely, but no it doesn't. There is no plastic grass in existence that up close and personal, ie when you're on it, looks real. It only looks real from a distance and that's if you buy the really really good stuff. But even with that, as soon as you get on it, you can see it's plastic grass.

There is no plastic grass in existence that if you're on it, sitting near it, or walking by it, looks real. And if anyone is telling you it does, they are just being nice to you.

I prefer to sit on my artificial lawn than my real one and like how both look.

I don't care if it devalues the house as it's my forever home and given the number of houses here with the same it isn't something that everyone hates.

I also don't have children and that means no grandchildren to pearl clutch about which I find hypocritical of those on here that do or do you only care after you have finished having children.

I have lots of plants and shrubs for bees and other wildlife. My garden is innodated with birds so much that we have to watch the local sparrow hawk kill them because there are so many in our garden feeding they are easy pray. A bit of artificial grass doesn't mean a concrete plastic barren wildlife garden. Again it isn't an either or situation.

@Bluntness you can say you meant it politely but I'm not convinced

OP, it looks as real as something artificial can look, if you know what I mean. My point obviously was if you are going to go for it don't do it cheaply and get the higher quality stuff as it does look it better

Good artificial grass looks great and is so low maintenance. The technology has improved immensely and it is much more real looking than the older stuff. We've had it in our front garden for over 10 years and it still looks as good as day one.

You can buy top quality lawn for £25 a square metre, so the grass itself is £625. As a rough guide, you can expect to pay twice that for supply and installation, including removal of waste. Where do you live, OP?

Lots of people install as a DIY project.

Absolutely isn't smelly
Dried quicker than the soggy real grass we used to have
It's clean and soft and great for the kids to play out regardless of if it's been raining

Can defo tell difference between good quality and cheap but we love ours and was absolutely worth the money

The technology has improved immensely and it is much more real looking than the older stuff

But it still always looks fake,it just does.