A healthy lawn is an essential component in urban and rural lawn landscapes. Besides offering a visual appeal to your property, it can also benefit you and your family in the long run. So, if you are willing to have a lush green lawn in your backyard, you have two options to choose from — natural grass or artificial turf — to fulfill your green dream. While artificial grass can cover everything natural grass offers, it is advisable to consult a well-experienced lawn care professional near you to select the best alternative for your household and locality.
So, if you are thinking of constructing or revamping your lawn, listed below are some typical differences between natural and artificial grass to help you decide the best alternative for your yard.
1. Cost of ownership
Growing natural grass in your backyard requires planting grass seeds or laying sod (at a much more significant expense). However, the ongoing costs associated with the maintenance can include all the equipment and supplies to trim, mow, feed, weed, and re-seed your natural grass. On the contrary, installing artificial grass can cost comparatively more than grass seeds or sod lawns. But, it requires little to no maintenance over the life of the turf.
2. Care requirements
One of the significant differences between natural grass and artificial turf is the level of care. Natural grass demands several hours of work each week to look its best. Slack off, and your lawn will advertise the lack of attention and care. Artificial turf, on the other hand, calls for minimal maintenance. Thus, occasional brushing and rinsing off your artificial grass will help you remove dust, debris, and potential odors from pet waste.
3. Water usage
As a homeowner, you will not want your water bill to rise. However, if you have natural grass in your backyard or are planning to get it, higher water bills will just be collateral damage. Depending on your grass type, an average 800 square foot lawn can consume upto 150,000 gallons of water per annum. However, on the contrary, an artificial grass lawn twice that size may require negligible to no water at all.
4. Aesthetics
The modern varieties of artificial turf look so realistic that it is nearly impossible to distinguish them from the real ones. However, there is one notable difference between both regarding aesthetics. Natural grass is bound to show variations due to light, moisture, seasonal or pet challenges, and general wear and tear. Such factors often make your grass look blotchy instead of lush green. Whereas artificial turf will always look perfectly presentable, regardless of weather, wear, or season.
5. Safety
A natural lawn is considered safe for you and your family if it is not exposed to any health hazards or toxic chemicals. However, with artificial grass, you will never have to consider using harmful chemicals to ensure its long-term wellness and pest-free status. This makes artificial turf optimally safe for your children to play on.
About us
If you wish to give the best care to your property’s lawn, we are here for your assistance. At Lawnfather Inc., we offer authentic yet inexpensive property maintenance solutions throughout the year in Calgary. Our services include lawn mowing, spring clean-up, grass cutting, snow removal, fertilizer, weed control, and sod & turf for residential and commercial properties. Contact us at (403)499-8410 or write to info@lawnfather.ca. Please send your queries on our contact form.