Fake grass...

[1940s]

I despise it. He loves it.

Who will win?!

Will I come to love it?!

Has anybody changed their mind and become pro fake grass....

I love the fresh cool feel of real grass and bugs and wildlife. He insists we will get much more usage out of the garden year round, less maintenance and a better aesthetic on our shady tree covered garden in which our current 'old' lawn hasn't thrived.

Google cons and give him the list. Awful stuff and you can always tell it’s fake. There are a couple of houses nearby with fake front lawns. It’s obviously very good quality but I just think it’s naff.

Cons
Artificial turf does have a few potential drawbacks:

Surface heat. Artificial turf holds more heat than natural grass, so it can feel warm to the touch. Some types of infill can also raise the surface temperature.
Artificial grass does not flame up, but it can melt if something such as a hot charcoal falls on it or under intense reflected sunlight from a window. However, fake grass can be repaired.
Odor build-up. Like natural grass, if you don’t clean up messes on artificial turf, they will fester. Certain types of infill are prone to holding odors, too.
Toxic run-off concerns. People used to be concerned that water run-off from crumb rubber infill might be harmful to families, pets, or the environment. Years of scientific studies have shown only minimal levels of toxic residue, and today there are several alternative infill materials.
For some, a disadvantage is that it will not last for the same time as natural grass will. On average, artificial grass is expected to have a lifespan of 7-15 years. This is still a long time and will provide the customer with many years of easy maintenance. However, some people will prefer natural grass because it will last longer but require regular maintenance.
Artificial grass can get hot in extreme heat, however it should not cause any burns. Applying sand infill will help keep the turf cool. Using common sense such as spraying the grass with cool water, wearing appropriate footwear, and laying a white blanket where you intend to sit can help keep you cool in warmer temperatures.
Artificial turf may reduce the biodiversity of your garden as it is made of plastic and so is not a natural material that wildlife can live in.

I just think it looks so naff. No lovely fresh grass smells and it doesn't feel nice underfoot.
I will have to get a big list of cons and see if I can persuade him...

Offer to do the mowing. That might help. Especially if you list the maintenance tasks for artificial and refuse to do them.

And this article reckons artificial grass is second only to Japanese knotweed in devaluing your home, and above an unkempt garden or a dilapidated fence.
www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/designs/a32090592/garden-features-devalue-property-value/

I can see why you dont like it. I'm sorry but it does look tacky. I would prefer gravel or bark chips to plastic grass if real grass is not possible. Imagine all the fake grass which will be dumped as the years go by. Terrible for the environment in every way.

We have it but only because we have a tiny shady london yard and grass wouldn't grow. Over a space any larger than this I'd keep the real grass. And you have to keep it clean, like a carpet.

It's pretty common in London & see the appeal. Maintaining the lawn in a postage stamped garden is difficult.

We have a small London backyard....

pros for my friends, less mud on kids feet, comfortable, dries quicker so kids can play.

friends still have bushes, small trees lots of planters, etc

Depends on how big your lawn is i guess.

I have dome in my back garden but only becuase the space is just 1.7m x 2.5m

Pros

Less weeding.
Is permeable.
Works well if shaded.
Keeps colour in dry spells etc.
Dont get neighbours cats pooing in it or digging it up.
Even in raging downpous you/pets/kids feet will not get muddy
Low maintenance. Occasionally needs hoovering. There are large sycamores next door.
Dont have to worry about killing it if you stick a pool over it in summer

Cons

Does get hot in sunny weather.
Doesnt look as good as the real thing.
Not to eveyone's taste.
Needs more work to install i.e building a sub base often a wood frame for bedding layer.

Have you looked at non-grass alternatives, clover or creeping thyme or moss lawns etc? Still get the real feel, some are better than grass for wildlife, and I think they'd be less maintainence re. mowing etc

Lellochip - I haven't actually. It still needs to function as a lawn for our young family (bikes / footballs etc) so I will see if anything else would stand up to this. Thanks

I’m also looking at putting some down due to an ongoing illness. Are there grass companies/ brands anyone would recommend?

No recommendations from me. It always looks naff (to borrow a previous poster's word) and requires so much upkeep (hoovering, for pity's sake) that you might as well have the genuine article and support wildlife in the garden.

anyone who says 'less weeding' hasn't seen a badly maintained artificial lawn that's 3 years + old...

imo they look shit, don't age well and are not less wirk than running the lawn mower every couple of weeks for half a year.

It does not require much upkeep. That is absolute bollocks. This is what I do to mine.

Sweep leaves off it at the edges - probably takes less than 1 minute to brush the edges only under the laurel bushes. I am out filling the bird feeders anyway, hardly an imposition. But that is only when leaf dropping occurs. If the whole lawn needed doing (rarely, but sometimes after a storm) get the leaf blower out. All that crap would just sit on a grass lawn. All the little twigs, berries etc.

Every 4 months weedkill the top of it.

Best thing about it
No mowing,
no emptying grass cuttings,
no feeding and treating,
no moss,
no mud
no bare patches
no ants
dries incredibly fast after rain
birds sunbathe on it
no grass stains on clothing
no muddy feet

Cons,
it does get warm, but I don't tend to lie on the grass, I have loungers on the patio or garden benches to sit on. Or I throw a picnic rug down.

Some people have disabilities and cannot maintain a lawn, or in Dh's case grass hayfever where his eyes are slits and the ridiculous amount of meds he has to take and weird devices to help him just breathe. Artificial grass back garden means that he can actually be in the garden with his children.

We have 2 front gardens plus a side garden. None of these are lawned, they are planted up but we needed an area for the children to play. Best thing we ever did.

We had it down for four years because we back onto a flood plain and in the winter the garden was just a quagmire. I was sick to death of muddy paw prints on my furniture. We have pulled it up during lockdown and block paved as it was looking tired and mucky.