How much time does it take to maintain your grass lawn? The average American spends up to 48 days of their life on lawn care, and many homeowners are no longer willing to give that kind of time to their yard. Artificial grass is a low-maintenance alternative for your San Diego home, eliminating tiresome tasks like watering and mowing so you can spend more time enjoying your yard and less time maintaining it. 

But how low-maintenance is artificial turf? Discover how a little bit of artificial grass care can extend the life of your synthetic grass and keep your new lawn looking green and beautiful for years to come. 

How Artificial Grass Can Reduce Your Water Bill

Your family uses about 320 gallons of water daily, and about 30% is used outdoors. Most of that water goes on your lawn. Lawns are terrible for water conservation because they require so much of it to stay green and healthy. All these thirsty lawns may contribute to drought conditions across the western United States. 

When you opt for artificial turf, you can say goodbye to water-guzzling grass. Your artificial lawn will continue looking green and healthy even if the San Diego area experiences another dry season. That means you could see a reduction of up to 30% on your monthly water usage, not to mention the good you’ll be doing for water conservation. 

Maintaining Your Lawn for the Future

How long your artificial grass lasts will depend on the quality of the product and installation, along with how well you maintain it. You can expect most artificial grass to last for ten years. However, with regular artificial turf maintenance, you could keep your grass looking new for up to 25 years or more. A little bit of artificial grass care can go a long way, too, so you won’t need to devote too much time to keeping your lawn looking picture-perfect. 

Cleaning Synthetic Turf

Cleaning your artificial grass is easy. Most spots or stains on your synthetic turf should easily be washed away with a spray from your garden hose. If that doesn’t work, mix a little liquid soap into a bucket of warm water, scrub it into the spot with a soft-bristled brush, and then rinse with the hose. If you can’t remove the stain, you can have the area patched with new artificial turf. 

Routine Artificial Turf Maintenance & Cleaning

These artificial turf maintenance tips will help you extend the life of your lawn and take just a few minutes of your time: 

• Remove debris from the lawn. Pick up sticks, fallen branches, leaves, litter, and other debris from your yard daily to prevent it from harming the turf base. 
• Rinse the turf once a week. Rinsing the turf will keep the artificial blades of grass looking fresh and new. 
• Pick up pet waste daily. Artificial grass is excellent for pets because it easily drains away liquid waste and won’t hold onto smells. Allow solid waste to dry completely, then remove it. 
• Scrub stains as needed. If you spot a stain, address it immediately so it doesn’t become permanent. 
• Apply a weed treatment twice a year. Apply a weed treatment in the spring and fall, and pull up any weeds you see as soon as possible. 
• Replace worn patches every few years. Like natural lawns, artificial grass can start to wear down in highly trafficked areas. Unlike natural lawns, you can easily replace these worn areas.

HomeTurf®: Ensuring Your Artificial Turf Looks Its Best Year-Round

Artificial grass care takes just minutes out of your busy week and rewards you with years of enjoying a beautiful, healthy-looking lawn. If you are tired of spending your time, money, and energy trying to keep natural grass green, talk to our HomeTurf® artificial grass installation experts. We’ll show you how natural and high-quality artificial grass can look and why you’ll love it in your yard. Schedule a call with our San Diego HomeTurf® turf installation team by calling us at (619)467-7784 or filling out our contact form.

Image Source: Prapat Aowsakorn/Shutterstock

Natural San Diego lawns drink a lot of water, but California continues to be in a major drought with severe water shortages. Homeowners in and around San Diego are switching to artificial turf lawns. But how long does artificial turf last? Modern artificial turf products are durable and strong and stay a vibrant green for years. With a little bit of maintenance, you can enjoy a beautiful artificial lawn. Learn more about the factors that can affect your turf’s lifespan and how you can extend your lawn’s lifespan.

Factors Affecting Turf Lifespan
So, how long does turf last? Depending on how much foot traffic crosses your lawn, how well you maintain it, and other factors, your lawn can last between eight and ten years. Consider these key factors:

Heavy Use
The more foot traffic and use your artificial lawn sees, the quicker it will wear through. For
example, the turf right outside your back door or by your gate will see more wear and tear than the far corners of your backyard. Similarly, wear from play, pets and pet waste, and lawn furniture can speed up the aging process.

You can minimize the effects of heavy usage by routinely cleaning and adding new fill to your turf, as well as by selecting the right type of turf from the start.

Weather Effects
Weather also changes how long artificial grass can last. In the San Diego area, two of the biggest risk factors are sunlight and heat. The granulated fill between the grass blades is dark and can heat up in sunlight, scorching the grass and making it brittle. Lots of sunlight exposure can also fade and
bleach the grass.

Ignoring Light Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is essential for protecting your lawn and extending its lifespan. Key maintenance tasks are:
● Rinsing the lawn to clean stains and pet waste
● Brushing the grass to make it stand upright 
● Replacing or replenishing the infill
● Monitoring it for snags, holes, or wrinkles that need to be repaired
When you take care of your artificial lawn, the answer to the question, “How long does fake grass last?” becomes a lot better. When you keep the turf clean and proactively watch for the first signs of damage, you can make it last much longer and minimize damage.

Taking Care of Synthetic Turf
Artificial turf is a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to natural grass, but it only has a long artificial grass lifespan if it’s taken care of. Add these simple tasks to your lawncare maintenance checklist after artificial grass installation.

Water and Rake Your Turf
Artificial turf doesn’t need to be watered every day or twice a week. But washing high-traffic areas is important for removing stains and keeping the grass a vibrant green. Rinsing the lawn can also clear out debris trapped in the infill.
Once a quarter, use a power broom or soft rake to fluff up the grass. This chore makes the infill less compact and helps straighten the fibers to make it look upright again.

Clean Up After Your Pets
Depending on the underlayers below your artificial turf, it should be safe for pet use. However, it’s still important to quickly clean up after your pets. Pick up solid waste and rinse away liquid waste to keep the lawn smelling clean and fresh.

Watch for Repairs

Most major turf damage starts small: a snag from a patio chair, a small wrinkle you ignore, or compacted turf that you don’t correct. Unlike natural grass, artificial turf can’t fix itself—but you can easily fix small problems if you catch them in time. Make a habit of inspecting your lawn for damage, and make time to repair it quickly instead of letting the problem grow.

Is It Time to Replace Your Turf?

Reach Out to HomeTurf Switching to artificial turf or replacing old artificial turf in your backyard is a great way to refresh your property. Boost your artificial grass lifespan with turf installations, repair, and services from HomeTurf.

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Every homeowner should feel proud of their home, inside and out. And although most outside-of-the-house looks are similar, there’s a way that you can stand out from the crowd and have the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood. With artificial grass, there is a multitude of ways that you can make your home one to be envious of. Here are just some of the ways you can use artificial grass to enhance your San Diego home.

PET’S PLAY SPACE

Your beloved pets are guaranteed to love your new artificial grass lawn. Artificial grass lawns look and feel like natural grass, making it an ideal soft surface for dogs to lay and play on. The synthetic fibers are built to withstand digging, prevent discolorations, and never stains. With the implemented drainage systems, pet urine and other liquids will flow straight through, meaning there will be no flooding or muddy paws!

KID-FRIENDLY PLAYGROUNDS

Artificial grass is an excellent playscape alternative because it is extremely durable and can withstand the roughest of kids’ play, as well as offer soft padding to help protect kids from impact injuries and falls. Synthetic turf is non-toxic, allergen-free, certified lead-free, insect-free, and mud-free! Our playground systems also feature an artificial grass infill that is coated in silicone and has antimicrobial properties to ensure a clean and sanitary outdoor play area for children.

UNIQUE STONE PATHWAYS

Although artificial grass is durable enough to handle people walking on it on a daily basis and still be perfectly fine, adding in unique stone pathways is a simple and functional way to give your yard dimension, and enhance the look and feel. You can wrap them around gardens, pools, playgrounds, or any other way. The possibilities are limitless.

MINI PUTTING GREEN COURSES

Have dreams of becoming a professional golfer? Or maybe you love to practice your short game but wish you could do it in the comfort of your own home. Luckily for you, our artificial grass putting green products allow you to get the most out of your landscape with a fun game for all. Each putting green product offers a different height and weight for golfers of any skill level. The grass fibers simulate the feel, roll, and speed from mini-golf to PGA-level courses.

IMPRESSIVE YARD GOALS

If you have a big yard and have no idea what to do with it, sometimes the answer is to make it green and full of life. The possibilities are truly limitless with artificial grass, and you can proudly design a yard that is unlike any other. When you work with a great team to help deliver your yard goals, you’ll end up with a home that everyone will be envious of.

Have an idea about how you want to improve your home with artificial grass? SD HomeTurf is here for you! Give us a call today at (619) 467-7784 for your artificial grass installation in San Diego.