Installing Artificial Grass

[ethantodd]

I’ve been thinking about installing artificial grass for my yard, but I’m not sure about the pros and cons compared to natural grass. Can I get some advice on whether artificial grass is a good option and what to consider before making the switch?

Mine’s great, made from recycled materials and completely recyclable with an estimated ten year lifespan. Doesn’t smell, not hot or any of the other things mentioned above. Installed when I had my garden redesigned when I had cancer to break up two patios. Very happy with it. Cost about £1000 to have a 4m sq bit installed.

Why would you coat your garden in a layer of plastic?

I agree with PP - this is the gardening forum. But any way, I hope you make a good choice.

It's very unpopular on here but we have an artificial lawn and I love it. We have a tiny north facing garden and clay soil. We tried for years to grow a decent lawn and it is just impossible. None of the neighbour's look any good either. It's made my garden useable again for me. No fucks given to be honest

Mumsnet hates an artificial lawn but I love ours - it’s saved our garden. We’ve recently sold our house too and had lots of comments that a low maintenance garden was a real selling point and added value

Because no grass grows on it.

We have a tiny garden. It gets zero sunlight in the winter and grass just wouldn’t grow.

For us it’s much lower maintenance, doesn’t smell, doesn’t get too hot to walk on and definitely looks a lot better than the mud pit we had before. We live in central London so don’t get a huge amount of wildlife but the garden is pretty full of spiders, bees, beetles. slugs and snails, not sure what else I should be expecting.

That said, I wouldn’t get it in a garden that was much bigger than ours.

I have a small north facing garden where grass doesn’t grow, so I have a patio and lots of plants. It’s beautiful.

It looks chavvy

Terrible idea so bad for your health

It’s very bad for the environment and will negatively affect resale value.

Can't you pave it instead and have pots and crittur friendly plants? I have a north facing yard with no grass but loads of plants and wildlife. Plastic grass is an abomination.

Yes but ALL plastic grass no matter how expensive or has claims to be made from recycled materials contain PFAS.

PFAS are used during production to help shape the plastic grass strands and prevent machinery from clogging. The chemicals are also added to the plastic for UV protection and to prevent the grass blades from breaking.

A 2024 study found ALL artificial turf samples tested had detectable amounts of at least one type of PFAS, with short-chain PFAS like PFBA, PFOA, and PFHxS being most common.

Yes some manufacturers market artificial turf as PFAS-free, but independent tests have found PFAS in these products, suggesting industry claims may not be fully supported by research.

PFAS via the turf blades can become detached and enter the environment, leading to concerns about runoff and entering water sources.
They enter the human body and cause endocrine disruption and increased risk of certain cancers.

@BurntBroccoli , given that it was installed to allow me to be maintenance free when I was on chemotherapy with a life expectancy of less than the recycled, recyclable artificial turf I had installed your posturing/opinion means fuck all.

No it doesn't. Plastic grass increases your, and everyone else's, chances of contracting cancer in the first place. A gardener would probably have been cheaper and better for you in the long term as well.

While I’m sorry about your cancer, your plastic grass will affect other people and animals because it will leach PFAS.

I really don't give a stuff about your opinions. Until we're not, we are all entitled to make our own choices.

No. It's dirty, horribly stuff. Gets hot when the sun is on it, not as soft as grass. Makes a house look cheap and nasty and leeches bits of plastic into our environment.

Please don't OP, for reasons outlined already by PP.

Did you aye

Did you ask your neighbours if they minded if you install plastic grass? As your decision will affect them too. I wouldn’t say you were entitled to risk their health.

That was really rude- the poster was quoting facts.

OP, @ethantodd what did you decide in the end, given this is a thread from last year?

Reported. Not only advertising, but advertising plastic grass, which should really be banned. Also, for an advert, your grammar and punctuation is terrible. 😂