Fake grass- yay or nay?

[ReganSomerset]

We're looking to sell in a few years and are currently sorting out the garden. I'd quite like to put fake grass down and it would probably be easier than laying it to lawn properly, but I'm concerned it might put buyers off in future. What do you think?

That poor fucking pigeon on the photo is probably looking for worms. Hard luck. Someones covered them up with plastic and they've probably all suffocated to death because grass is messy.

We have it for our small London garden that is too shady for turf. It's only a 4 x 3m space next to a paved area. Numerous gardeners advised me against turf as I'd be re laying it annually. It's served a purpose over the last 12 years when the kids were small.

We have it and I love it. We have a south facing garden, london 3bed terrace, but rear neighbours have a huge tree overhanging our garden and a lawn wouldn’t grow. We thought about paving, woodchip, etc but with foxes/cats we decided on fake grass. The half of the garden that isn’t overlooked is decked and we have loads of plants and beds around the grass so still bees, birds etc. It’s brill with small kids and feels nice underneath but we paid for the top of the range and the full blown fitting - I think it does make a difference and if we couldn’t have saved up for it I prob would have vetoed it. It wouldn’t put me off buying a house.

We've got it - the alternative was a soggy clay mess. Previous owners had paved the whole garden because turf wouldn't take. This is ours ...

Looks shit, case closed!

Yep. Photographic evidence even on here that it looks fake and shit.

@Bamb00 so not only did you decide to destroy a habitat with plastic you're now sousing the whole thing in bleach every day - how wonderful that your vanity is at such a cost to the earth.

It looks a bit like a green carpet which hasn't been stretched out properly

We have a tiny bit of garden outside the front of our house, no grass will grow and I'm not a fan of just big patches of gravel so we went for fake. It's surrounded with a few hardy real plants around the edges and we get lots of comments on how real it looks - not all fake grass is equal! Our grass out the back has been turned twice now and still doesn't survive well, it reverts back to weedy, patchy and field like in no time at all. I'm resisting having fake as I do prefer real for a larger patch but we will see! It wouldn't put me off buying house as it can so easily be changed and is just the garden.

Offputting to me as a buyer. We’re looking now. Also...we are in middle of ecological crisis so I’d be looking for any and all space to be putting in habitat

OP, I know your concern is whether buyers would be put off by an artificial lawn, and the cost versus turf, but please please think of the potential effect on the environment.

Add up all the 'it's only a tiny space" areas and it can be a huge problem. In addition to all the below, there is all the Zoflora, Dettol and bleach apparently being chucked around and seriously that can't be good in terms of getting into the soil system. Chemicals from infill (if from rubber particles) and microplastics being absorbed by precious kids and grandkids who "need a place to play".

Microplastics leach

Microplastics from artificial turf can end up in the ocean:
"- Particles are released to paved areas surrounding the field... and are subsequently released to the sewerage system via grates.

• Release of infill particles to the indoor environment, as the particles get stuck in sportsbags, shoes and clothing where they can be released to sewerage system via discharges from washing machines.
• Release to drainage via drainage water... to the sewerage system or end up in nearby streams due to heavy rainfall."

Carbon footprint

"Synthetic turf is a petro-chemical product which requires the use of virgin materials, high levels of processing and production, transportation and disposal at end of life. When considering the entire life cycle, these material impacts of synthetic turf significantly increase the total emission of this product and far outweigh the emissions that occur from maintaining natural grass."

Carbon sink

"Natural grass helps remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and stores it as organic carbon in soil, making them important “carbon sinks.” A typical lawn (2,500 sq. ft./232 m2) converts enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to provide adequate oxygen for a family of four."

"Often artificial turf replaces a natural grass surface, so another contribution synthetic turf makes to global warming is the removal of a natural grass surface that reduces carbon dioxide, by converting it into oxygen"

End of life disposal

"Synthetic turf is not designed to breakdown quickly (that is one of its advantages) which means that when the surface has passed its useful life it has the potential to stay in landfill for long periods of time."

Soil regeneration and dust stabilisation

"On the other hand, before installing synthetic turf it is recommended that all soil be heavily compacted. This damages soil structure, soil microbes and soil life. It can also significantly damage any tree roots in the vicinity."

Heat dissipation

"The replacement of natural grass with synthetic turf has the opposite effect and can contribute to rising temperatures in urban settings, known as the urban heat island effect. Urban heat islands are created when natural grass and trees are replaced by impervious surfaces which absorb heat."

www.kimointernational.org/feature/microplastic-pollution-from-artificial-grass-a-field-guide/

www.dsr.wa.gov.au/support-and-advice/facility-management/developing-facilities/natural-grass-vs-synthetic-turf-study-report/broader-environmental-considerations

That poor fucking pigeon on the photo is probably looking for worms.

It is actually quite unusual for pigeons to eat worms, they prefer berries and grains, but hey ho, every day is a school day!!!

I’m really put off the idea that it’s good for kids as well. The idea of kids growing up rolling around on plastic grass is quite sad. I played out in the garden non stop as a child and the smell and feel of grass is a really powerful sense memory, along with making endless daisy chains. Imagining sending my kids out to play on a plastic lawn, recently doused in bleach is a pretty horrible one. Kids are increasingly disconnected from nature and to see a plus point of an artificial lawn as preventing children from getting dirty when playing out seems to epitomise a mindset that is slowly and obliviously destroying the planet and our children’s health in the name of perceived hygiene and fastidiousness. The prevalence of plastic lawn where I live is saddening to me and this thread is really reinforcing why that is.

Hell no. Environmental disaster, absolutely appalling that people think it's ok so they don't have to use lawn mower every fortnight.

We had waterlogged, clay soiled garden. So we paid a landscaper to dig it out, install drainage trenches and chuck in loads of good quality top soil. And now we have a beautiful garden. Which is always covered in birds pecking about in the soil and all sorts of insects. You know, nature.

In my country people who don't like to garden live in flats. The idea that you have to have a house with a garden and then make a plastic garden is really odd to me.

Ah, but a house isn't basically a flat with a garden. I like not to share walls (let alone a floor or ceiling) with neighbours and I suspect others in my situation feel the same way.

Its crap on the environment too. It disintegrates into millions of plastic particles

@blackprism, if you actually took the time to read my post you'll see that I clearly stated the fake grass was already here when we moved in. I've always hated the idea, and never would have chosen it myself, but we loved the house, so moved in with the intent of taking it up at some point. Right now we cannot afford to change it, 2 small children and an entire house we're gradually renovating means the barely 25 sq ft of fake lawn, is not high on our priorities. (Especially while it is undoubtedly doing a fab job on stopping mud being traipsed in and out by workmen each day.) Was just trying to prove to op that if a buyer loves a house a fake lawn shouldn't put them off purchasing it, some people would see it as a bonus, others not so much, but it's not as if it's a permanent feature you can't replace. Far better things you can take the moral high ground on than slating people for having a fake lawn?! Just for the record, we're also a vegan, natural term breastfeeding, cloth nappying family, and like to think we do our fair bit for the environment... do you consume/use animal products? I can assure you now, if you do, you'll be having a far far more devastating effect on the environment than my tiny patch of fake grass will be. Look into the impact the dairy/beef industry has on the planet.

I hate it when it descends into a competition over who is more environmentally aware; just because you are doing something that you know is good for the environment doesn't make doing something environmentally damaging okay. We should be tackling all the issues, not making excuses.

In the scheme of things it seems easier to simply lay gravel planted up or a tapestry lawn than to do something so environmentally abhorrent. It's certainly easier to address than changing diet and lifestyle.

@bodgritandscraper of course it is, and as I said, when we have the spare funds, we will be ripping up our fake lawn and replacing it with real stuff, but really in the big scheme of things fake grass isn't going to fuck the world over like the dairy and beef industry is right now, so I'm not going to be mocked for having a "un-enviromentally friendly lawn" when we, as a family, do far more than most at trying to lower our carbon footprint. Of course it isn't a competition, and I would never look down on someone for not leading a vegan lifestyle, so I shouldn't be looked down on for having a fake lawn I didn't even choose! I was simply pointing out that I am fully aware of how to live a lower carbon footprint lifestyle, so don't need mocking for having a square of fake grass, and I have to clean it to make it safe, pleasant and hygienic for my children. If we didn't have dogs it wouldn't be an issue, but we have 3 rescue dogs who we wouldn't be without, even with a piss smelling lawn!

I'm really not sure of the argument that eating meat is worse for the environment than using plastic grass. I doubt her family eat so much meat she's personally devastating the environment, so her actions would be comparable to your little patch of plastic grass.

I'm never really sure of the logic of people who try to argue that if they do something bad then it's ok because someone else does something worse. And attempt to use that as their defense.

It's like saying, yes, I am guilty of gbh, but I didn't murder that person like some folks do, so quit berating me about it.

It's fine to say yeah I know it's shit but at some point it will come out, and we'd never dream of having it if we put it in.

It just seems slightly illogical to defend it by saying others do worse things. It's so unnecessary.

I wasn't getting at you personally Bamb00, it is just that when environmental issues are discussed on here it nearly always comes down to someone pointing out that if you take flights, use dairy, eat meat etc. etc. then you can't criticise, but it then becomes a case of nobody wanting to change what they are doing, because we are all hypocritically damaging the environment by our actions, so why bother? :( I'm certainly not saying I'm perfect by any stretch, but I am trying. (some would say very!)

Personally I feel saddened that we are so detached from nature that we are happy to destroy our natural environment to cover it in damaging plastic, and I think the gains made by reducing plastic carrier bags are probably outweighed by the sales of plastic grass, which can be bought in so many places now, and all the pocket handkerchief gardens covered in it will soon add up to a vast area over the country that could be benefiting wildlife and the environment.

I appreciate that you are wanting change yours and didn't install it initially, and I also have three large rescue dogs, so I do understand the issues! We cope with lawns and when a lawned area that was small, shady and constantly needed overhauling we planted a gravel garden, which works brilliantly.

I'd be quite happy to see plastic grass banned to be honest.

I am not sure that ripping it up now it is down is really the answer. It is presumably going to end up in landfill which isn't really that much better.

Our council doesn't use landfill any more; unwanted waste is turned into a type of road surfacing, still not great though. Washing with disinfectact regularly wouldn't be necessary if it wasn't there either,

Everything that HippyHobbyHumper said.

I am quite dismayed at what people are doing to their gardens now. I live in a suburban area - lots of trees/hedges/lawns. Every week I see another mature beech hedge being grubbed out or a front concreted over and one neighbour had artificial grass laid over a the whole of a sizeable back garden. Also those awful security (search) lights illuminating the whole neighbourhood.

It seems so odd that we are being told about environmental issues constantly yet people think it only applies to polar bears and not to our local habitats.