artificial grass - will I regret going for the cheap stuff?

[MypocketsarelikeNarnia]

We're going to lay some fake grass in our tiny city garden for a few years so that the kids have a soft surface for their trampoline/heads and we don't have to cope with how grass doesn't grow under next door's massive needle/cone shedding pine tree.

We have a good quote. They guy is just going to get the stuff from b and q basically. We can direct him to get whichever range we want/go to a different supplier.

The cost is an issue as we just had a lot of work done in the house so ideally we'd not pay much and do it right now. What are the drawbacks of cheap artificial grass though? Is it look and feel or are the kids going to be covered in friction burns?!

Any advice v welcome - TIA

Bumping.

I've been looking at artificial grass too and there is a real difference in quality between the different types. the cheap stuff is quite prickly and thin. It's not very nice underfoot. I'd go for a middling quality - must nicer feel and looks more like grass.

Make sure you walk on a sample in bare feet before buying. We went for the middle of the road one cost wise. Deep pile ones leave footprints so you have to brush it more often if you are bothered by it.

Ours was about £23 psqm and has a pile depth of 30mm. It is very soft under bare feet. The 20mm was more prickly.

But we do still have lumps and bumps under it from where stuff is trying to work its way through. You also have to apply weedkiller every 3 months to stop anything that might have landed on it growing.

All in all, it was worth it not to mow the lawn ever again. Dh and I suffer terribly with hayfever, and we even had a gardener but we were still affected.

The children don't have any friction burns yet and have rolled around on it.

You will need to brush it weekly to remove leaves or in your case pine needles but I love it.

Thanks guys :)

I was looking at the b and q Marlow one which is about £16 psm. Is that mid range enough? Will put down the underlay weed thingie too...