Artificial grass with dog

[WorthyOtter]

Were in the process of laying artificial grass. Our dog destroyed the grass we had so we've resorted to this. We've removed all the grass, dug down 10cm, and laid the weed membrane stuff. We're seeing conflicting things online about the next steps. Can anyone who's laid grass with a dog let us know what you steps you took next? Thanks

Vacuum their artificial grass?

I’ve never done that! And every winter when my patio slabs are green either algae and what have you, my adjacent fake grass is 100% fine.

Again, maybe I’ve got magic fake grass, but I’ve never had a problem.

If it gives me cancer or ruins the world, then well, I hope nobody here is eating or drinking from plastic leaching containers and don’t drive any kind of car.

Get the damn artificial grass, OP!

Full disclosure: the exec total work of the fake grass in the 5 years I’ve lived with it are:

once or twice had to pull up a weed growing at the very edge;

use a rake when my trees drop leaves on it

ummm, and the time our barbecue singed the fake grass a bit. We shrugged. It’s barely noticeable.

No hosing. No hoovering. No washing.

The dog pisses out there ten times a day, poops twice. I do maybe a twice a week poop pick up.

Never sniffed a thing.

Are you sure your cat pee does not smell?😂
The things you have stated are not true in our case.
No maintenance needed.
Fake grass put down properly does not have any of these problems you are listing.
Good you mow your lawn not on a sunny day as that’s not what most other people do with real lawns they decide to work on the garden causing noise pollution when we are trying to enjoy the little bit of decent weather we do get.
Out lawn is same colour as day we got over ten year’s ago.
Dont Hoover it!!😂

This. 100% this.

Mumsnet is VERY anti fake grass.
We have it - sounds like our fake grass area is of similar size to yours. It's about 12 square meters. With raised flowerbeds all around it.
Too small a size to have real grass
Previous owners had decking and we knew our only realistic options were
Decking
Patio tiles
Fake grass

We went with the latter.
We have a dog who toilets out there. It's never been too hot for her. In fact she loves lying there in the sunny spots.
It can smell from time to time. But not terrible - rain usually washes the smell away. One summer we didn't have rain for ages and I called the company who installed it what to do and they suggested to put a bit of fabric conditioner in a watering can and water the fake grass.
We've had it for about 8 years and I've done that maybe 3 times.

As a PP said, try and go for the best quality fake grass you can afford.

Hayfever sufferers-
so many have thanked their neighbours that they have artificial grass as it’s absolutely awful when your eyes are streaming, you cant breath properly etc and it just makes things so much more comfortable for everyone in the surrounding area not having lawns mowed etc.
Also there are a lot of people who’s idea of wildlife is just leaving nature to take its natural course in the garden but really it’s an excuse to be lazy and not maintain your property. An eyesore for everyone else to look at. Probably have a mattress lying about outside too for months on end😂
These people that are waiting till May to mow their lawn comes to mind. Easy way to be lazy.
We have trees bushes plants birds and loads of other wildlife not just fake grass.

your grass will stink and be ruined if the dog pees on it - it’s absolutely terrible when the sun hits it too 🤮 I’d do some nice resin, paving and then potted plants or something along those lines. Also bark - your dog will probably eat it - mine love to get their paws on some bark!

We had it at our old house. The main benefit imo was that the dog didn't drag mud and grass in from the garden. In the winter, the mud is a huge problem. Both houses open/opened to the garden through big patio doors so we had no mid way drying off point.

We never had a problem with smell or getting too hot, but it was a north facing garden. And it was only part of the garden (small London back garden) - we also had beds and plants.

I wouldn't use it on a large area - it tends to buckle and look awful.

I take it you don't use plastic then?

Were doing it ourselves, hence the 'weve done this, we've done that's, not that that concerns you in the slightest. I hope you're doing everything you can to help the environment, no plastic, no car.

If the artificial grass lasts me 10 years like a PP said, then that's a pretty good investment id say. Think of all the electric I'm saving not using a lawnmower lol!

We have artificial grass and a dog. We also tried several ways of having real grass and spent a fortune doing so. The artificial stuff has been down a good few years now and it's great!!! I still have other flower beds for those about to criticise me there and it doesn't really smell. I bought some kennel deodorant that I use occasionally, but not often at all. I can smell next door's dog mess more than my fake grass. Yes, it will be hot if it is in the sun, but then you don't let your dog lay in the full sun anyway, I'd hope.
Don't regret it a bit.

I vacuum mine with a leaf vacuum (also acts as a leaf blower). We have a bamboo hedge which incidentally is teaming with nesting birds and all sorts of beasties (for those who insist we're killing wildlife) and every so often the leaves need tidied up.

My dog wrecked the grass in our back garden too. I put gravel down instead. It doesn’t smell, the insects still live under it, no drainage problems and it’s not horrendous for the environment.

I’ve got loads of pots on it with flowers for the bees and a big bird feeder. It’s way better than plastic grass which only ever looks like… plastic grass.

the good news is that the preparation you did for plastic lawn is very similar to prepare for real lawn. so you have the option.
bark = splinters so not ideal for a digger.

To those of you who say their dogs pee on the fake grass and there isn't a smell, all I can say is you're very lucky. My neighbour's dogs pee on their fake grass and the smell is so bad I now can't sit in my garden, it almost chokes me. And visitors have commented on how bad it is as well. It's absolutely disgusting

Do you stand watching your neighbours dog going for a wee 😳
God haven’t you lot got anything better to do!

Homeowners with natural grass know the struggle of trying to keep it green, you spend hours and hundreds of pounds a year on watering it, putting down grass seeds and fertilisers, all for it to ultimately end up patchy. The beauty of artificial grass is it doesn’t need any of these things. Your artificial turf will stay pristine all year round with less water used, and no chemicals entering the eco-system, also providing a much safer environment for your children and pets to play.

We had a small area of fake grass in our dog area. We have two large breed dogs so a lot of wee. It was laid correctly with pet friendly stuff.

Anyway it lasted a year as it stank so bad. We even lifted it again to relay the sand or whatever was underneath incase it was that as well as sprinkling some expensive wee neutralising chemicals. Didn’t work.

It was also horrible to clean, seemed to get filthy very fast!

Dreadful stuff and worse with and for dogs!

interesting

No need to when it stinks to high heaven.

I assume it's the dogs rather than my neighbour

Sand isn't recommended cos it just holds the wee. We've been told membrane, gravel then the grass so it drains properly

I don’t spend hundreds of pounds a year on my lawn, and I have a fairly large lawn. I reseeded one lawn recently after major landscaping and after one season of extra watering it is now on its own (no watering). and doing great. I have never fertilised , never used chemicals. It needs cutting once every week or two during growing seas9n, but that is it.

Artificial - it's plastic, call it plastic - grass ...... Bleugh

Dogs ...... Bleugh

Dogs on plastic grass.... Just what the actual fuck ?