The Low Down On Green Living
March 21st, 2008
Is a Synthetic Lawn Right for You?
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Many of you have contacted us wanting to learn more about synthetic lawn options. As you know, encouraging people to save water in their homes is a big part of our mission here at Low Impact Living. Americans use an estimated 26 billion gallons of water per day, and roughly 30% of that (8 billion gallons/day) goes to water our lawns and gardens. That means the average home uses over 35,000 gallons per year to water their lawn, and for suburban homes it’s about 10,000 gallons more than that! So the idea of a lawn that requires no water is very appealing to us.
However, we must say we are conflicted about the use of fake grass because it is made from plastics. As you know, plastic comes from petroleum, which is a non-renewable, scarce resource. So the fake grass decision comes down to sorting between the two evils– using more plastic (fake grass) vs. using more water (real grass).
We come down on the side of saving water in this case. If you live in an area where fresh water is very scarce (e.g., the Southwest, the Southeast), and you have the money to get a synthetic lawn, go for it. Saving the water is more important than saving the plastic. (And as global warming increases, the regions of the US affected by drought will only grow!) If you live in these areas and do NOT have the money for a fake lawn, we encourage you to pull up your water-guzzling grass, compost it, and plant native grasses/plants. These are gorgeous and will save a ton of water. To learn more about the benefits of native landscaping, click here.
How Do I Get a Synthetic Lawn?
The “big daddy” in the fake grass business is SYNLawn. We have touched and walked on the SYNLawn grass and we must admit it’s pretty impressive. It feels good even on bare feet. You could imagine laying on it and playing with your dog (dog not included with purchase). SYNLawn materials start at $2.50 per sq. foot, and go as high as $6.90 per sq. foot. For a fully installed lawn it’s $6 to $11 per square foot. So you’re looking at $12,000-$22,000 for a normal 2,000 square foot back yard. It’s certainly not cheap, but remember– no water bills, no mowing, no fertilizer. They say the yard will last 10-15 years.
I asked one of SYNLawn’s regional leaders, Dwayne Ruth, why they can’t make the grass out of recycled plastics. He said at this time they cannot make the grass durable, recycled and reasonably priced– but that they are always looking at new materials and processes that will allow them to up the “green quotient” of their products. They also offer a cushy under-layment called “green foam” that you can put under the grass to make it extra safe for kids who like to fall down (and what kid doesn’t?). This foam is actually made from 98% recycled material.
Another company on the market, Green Grass Forever, is doing some beautiful synthetic lawn work. They are based in Los Angeles, but can do projects anywhere in the country. They have two types of grass– one called Nico Green (darker) and Jackie Two-Tone (lighter and definitely wins the award for best name!). They will come to your home, pull out your existing lawn, level the area, put down a composite stone mixture (critical for drainage!), and lay the faux turf. Then they spike it to hold it down and lay “crumb” or infill, which is made from recycled rubber. This infill settles into the grass, helping to hold it steady, but it also makes a nice flexible bottom that is great for kids knees and doggy rumps. Green Grass Forever charges $8.50/square foot all in– including materials and installation. So for a 2,000 square foot lawn it will run you $17,000. But Joe Cortese, the CEO, says that the costs of a natural grass lawn for water, fertilizer, re-sodding, and other maintenance will cost you more over a 10 year period. I’m not sure it’s a complete wash on the money–that would depend on where you live and how much you spend now on your grass. But surely you would save quite a bit of money after you installed the synthetic turf. And you’d have the peace of mind of knowing you were saving tens of thousands of gallons of water every year!
Other synthetic lawn companies you may wish to check out:
Popularity: 2% [?]
Comments
Trish Cortani
March 25th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I was just checking out the SYNLawn site and they can give you a quote for your lawn. Also, there’s the option of getting a free sample of lawn sent from them to you. What grade it is, I don’t know, so don’t expect the best stuff! Really neat company though, I’ll definitely think about that for my “green” home.
-Trish
Jim
March 26th, 2008 at 3:11 am
I looked into to Synlawn last year because of this very issue. They sent me about 6 samples of the different products. You can get of sample of any of the grasses that they make. What I liked most was the fact that their top-end grasses don’t require “in-fill”. This is usually sand or crumb rubber to help the grass blades stand up. It also helps hold the turf in place. It’s fine if you have a level lawn, but not so good if you have some slopes. Rain will wash all the in-fill to the bottom of the slope. Something to consider. I am still weighing cost/benefit.
Jessica Jensen
March 26th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I do want to add one cautionary note– and thanks to Christopher Favigan, the head of Healthy Child Healthy World, for bringing this to my attention.
There is some concern that the recycled rubber (usually) tires used to make the “crumb” or “infill” that some companies put into the synthetic grass may have negative health consequences. Please read this article from the New York Daily News to learn more about this issue:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/03/26/2008-03-26_council_members_push_for_removal_of_pulv-1.html
Kimberly
March 26th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I usually agree with the suggestions on this blog, but I’m not on board with this one. What about the copious amount of water, fuel, and other resources that must be consumed in order to produce the grass (as is the case with any other plastic product)? A xeriscaped lawn - one using low-water native plants - is a preferable and cheaper solution to avoiding water-guzzling traditional grass. Since the article specifically mentions how well the grass will do for families with children, I have to add my two cents that providing a plastic surface rather than a natural one for children is a disservice to them in their education about the natural world (in this case, the interaction of plants, insects and soil)… especially for those that don’t have the opportunity to engage in nature in other ways.
Christa Ray
March 27th, 2008 at 6:58 am
I completely agree with Kimberly. Habitat destruction and fragmentation are a leading cause of plant and animal extinctions. Why not plant natives that require less water and provide food and shelter for birds, insects, and other animals? Enough with plastic!
Find Your Next Project: A Synthetic Lawn or Rustic Wall Slat? » Remodeling Blog
March 27th, 2008 at 11:05 am
[...] can’t seem to do without the cozy image of a well-manicured lawn. What to do? According to Low Impact Living, saving water is more important in drought affected regions, where expensive synthetics are [...]
Jessica Jensen
March 27th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hi Folks– there have been some great comments here. Thank you very much for sharing your views!
Please let me clarify that this blog was meant for the millions of people in America who are addicted to grass. I wish that more people were open to xeriscaping and native planting…but the sad truth is that most people will not give up on the look of a grassy green yard. SOOO, the blog on synthetic grass was meant for grass-addicts who live in very dry climates.
I am also very concerned about the high plastic content of the synthetic grasses on the market today.
Thanks– Jessica
ben
March 29th, 2008 at 3:09 am
While I think that your sentiments are great when it comes to what you can do for global warming is great, getting rid of your lawn is not one of them.
The suburban lawns do an incredible amount for temperature control ad thus global warming. The average household lawn produces the cooling effect of approximately eight tons of air-conditioning, about three tones more than your average family sized air-conditioning unit.
While some would argue a lawn needs to be watered to stay alive, most lawns can continue to provide the cooling benefit for months without watering (they may go brown but their still alive) and still comeback green when the rains come again. So while they need water to establish themselves (the first 6 weeks) after that the should do fine.
On the issue of synthetic lawns, there are a myriad of issues as to not to buy them.
· They are an inert substance and thus that can continue to carry disease or biological contaminates.
· Periodic chemical disinfection is required as pathogens are not broken down by natural processes in the same manner as natural turf. Ie animal poo is not processed by dung bettles into the soil etc.
· It’s a much hotter surface due to it inability to photosynthesise.
Turf Man
June 26th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I am all for any type of landscaping that conserves water and time….time, that instead of being spent on cutting grass, is spent on spending time with the family.
Maggie
May 12th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
The arguement that “the millions of people in America who are addicted to grass” will not and cannot change is completely invalid. People are addicted to any number of things that are not good for them, and those things are not encouraged, or allowed. The traditional suburban lawn as it exists in the Western United States should simply be abolished. We have to change our thinking about what our gardens and yards should look like, not just latch onto easy solutions that are still harmful to the health of the planet.
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