Do you know that you need to perform some minor tasks to protect and preserve your artificial turf?
You no doubt purchased your artificial grass in order to avoid your typical outdoor maintenance. After all, no one enjoys spending their Sunday in the sweltering hot sun pushing a mower up and down their backyard. You also don’t want to be wasting money on sprinkler systems or spraying water daily to keep it looking as green as possible.
However, despite these advantages of owning artificial turf, you still need to perform a few chores to ensure your grass looks its best year-round. From killing weeds that sneak through to cleaning up stains, there are several methods that help preserve your lawn for years to come.
So, where do you start? There’s no need to look for the instruction book that came with your artificial turf. Here’s everything you need to know about protecting your synthetic lawn.
Why Do You Need to Protect Artificial Turf?
While you don’t have to perform as much maintenance on your artificial turf as you would a traditional grass lawn, you still have chores you need to complete to ensure it looks presentable and lasts as long as possible.
Ignoring stains or leaving debris will cause your artificial lawn to degrade faster than usual. Even though turf doesn’t catch diseases and isn’t susceptible to fungi, it still suffers from wear and tear. Remember, your artificial lawn lives outside 24 hours a day, seven days a week,365 days a year.
The combination of the changing weather throughout the seasons means that the turf is highly exposed. You can’t control the temperature throughout the seasons, but you can still do your part to make sure your lawn has the longest life possible.
How Long Does Artificial Turf Last?
There are many factors that can impact the lifespan of artificial turf. It can depend on how often it’s getting used. For example, do you have kids playing on the lawn or pets who love rolling around on it? The weather in your area also plays a factor, especially if it’s pretty warm.
Depending on these variables, your artificial lawn can last anywhere between 15 and 20 years. It’s also possible for it to survive even longer if you take good care of your turf. If you can limit the exposure to heat, keep the surface area clean, and protect it from general wear and tear, then you can preserve it for as long as 30 years.
How Do You Protect and Preserve Artificial Turf?
Not only should you take these necessary steps to get a good return on your investment, but you should be performing regular maintenance on your turf so it looks presentable year-round. Thankfully, many of these tasks won’t require you to break a sweat. If you complete them regularly, it should take no time at all.
Remove Pet Waste
This rule should apply regardless of the material your grass is made of, but it’s imperative for the preservation of the turf that you get rid of any pet waste that falls onto it. You’re best to wait for solids to dry first before you remove them. This will ensure that you’re able to collect all of it, and nothing is left behind.
For liquid waste, you should douse your turf with cold water. If you notice any unpleasant smells, then you can use some mild soap or detergent to get rid of them. This should also help remove any stains as well.
Clean Stains
Regardless if you have pets, kids, or visitors over, accidents are going to happen. All it takes is for someone to spill some coffee, soda, or wine for your artificial turf to soak it up. You might want to try and remain calm and in control when a situation like this occurs, but you should move quickly.
The longer a liquid remains on your turf, the quicker it will absorb. Blot the stain with a paper towel or any other dry cloth that can soak it up. Once you’ve got as much as you can, rinse the area with water and dishwashing detergent. Finally, cleanse the space with clean, cold water and let it dry naturally. You may need to repeat for more stubborn stains such as oil or crayons.
Regular Brushing
You might not know it to look at the turf, but your artificial lawn contains a sand infill to help it remain in place and make it appear like regular grass. The more you walk on it, kids play on it, and pets roll around on it, means that it can become flat over a period of time.
One of the best ways to prevent this type of appearance is by brushing over it at least once a month. You can use the same broom you sweep floors with. Simply brush over the blades in various directions, and your turf will look as good as new. Just avoid performing this task in the first 12 weeks of laying down the lawn. The sand needs time to settle before you start shuffling it around.
Hose it Down
Thankfully, you don’t need to hose down artificial turf as regularly as you do grass lawns. Your synthetic turf will look its greenest every day of the year. However, it’s still important to give it a rinse regularly in order to protect and preserve it.
Spraying down artificial turf will eliminate any pollen or dust that has attached itself to the blades. It also helps remove any spills or stains you may not have known about. If you live in an area where you get rain regularly, then you can skip this step. Mother Nature will take care of this one for you.
Get Rid of Weeds
No one enjoys weeding lawns or garden beds. However, it’s necessary for the survival of your plants as well as the preservation of your artificial turf. Weeds can cause significant issues with your drainage resulting in little puddles around your backyard. It can even lead to more of them sprouting up.
Sadly, you’re not going to be able to pull these up like you would in normal circumstances. You would need to uproot the entire lawn, and that’s not an option. You’ll want to use some weed killer, and in particular, one that is a water-based herbicide. This will ensure you don’t cause any damage to the blades or accidentally change the color of the turf resulting in a patchy lawn.
Avoid Heat Exposure
You might have seen on the packaging that you should keep your turf away from any heating elements. This includes grills, fire pits, torches, and any outdoor heaters. Artificial lawns absorb more heat than regular grass and can get damaged very quickly when exposed to heat or flames.
If your synthetic lawn accidentally catches alight, you can patch the area that has been burned. However, the best solution is prevention. Try to keep any fire as far away from your turf as possible.
How Frequently Do You Need to Perform Maintenance on Artificial Turf?
The frequency of maintenance to protect and preserve your lawn will depend on how often you use it. If you have children or pets that play outside a lot, then you’ll want to perform some tasks weekly, such as brushing the turf, hosing it down, and removing any debris that’s landed on it.
However, if you don’t spend a lot of time on your artificial turf, you can stick to a monthly maintenance schedule. In this case, you’re going to want always to ensure you brush your lawn. Next, rinse it down to ensure you get rid of any dust or pollen. Finally, look for any stains or spills that might have happened when you weren’t around. The sooner you get into a good routine of performing maintenance on your artificial turf, the longer you’ll preserve it and the better it will look.
Where Can You Find Low-Maintenance Artificial Turf?
Even though many people replace their grass with artificial turf, it doesn’t mean they can set it and forget it. You still need to perform regular maintenance on it to protect and preserve the material. While you won’t need to mow the lawn, you’ll need to brush it down, rinse it with water, and kill any weeds that suddenly appear. You also need to ensure you clean up any stains or spills as well as keep them away from any heating elements.
If you’re looking for high-quality, durable artificial turf, then you should head over to our store. MegaGrass offers various synthetic lawn grades to suit your lifestyle and lets you choose the length you need to cover your entire backyard area. Head over to our store now to find out more information on all the different types of turf we provide.