Choosing Between Artificial Turf & Sod
Published Date: Sep 18, 2016
Every homeowner wants a beautiful green lawn, but for some property owners, it can be tough deciding on the best method to achieve lush landscape. When natural grass just doesn't make the cut, you may weigh your options between artificial turf and sod. Both offer lovely additions to a yard, but sod has a few pitfalls that don't quite match up to the advantages of turf. Learn more about the differences between the two: System Pavers turf looks just like real grass.
Installation With System Pavers artificial turf installation, a team of professionals takes care of all the work, from preparation to the finishing touches. It's not as simple as laying down pieces of sod, but the attention to detail ensures your lawn will last. And after just two or three days - depending on the size of your yard - you'll have years of enjoying a lush green lawn ahead of you!
With sod, you can certainly hire an installation team, but whether you leave it to the professionals or lay it yourself, there's no guaranteed permanency. Consider what happens if a section of sod doesn't take root. Not only does this require additional labor to take out the old pieces, but you'll have to pay for new ones to take the original's places. Plus, it also means you have to wait longer before you can enjoy a full, beautiful lawn.
The natural look When is comes to which one looks more natural, it's a toss up. Yes, sod is "real" grass and inherently has those natural characteristics, from color to length. However, System Pavers has gotten as close to real as you can get when it comes to synthetic turf.
To avoid the uniform look of fake lawns, our manufacturers use a nine-ply, three-color plus, multi-profile blend that mimics Mother Nature's abilities. Essentially, System Pavers turf uses different blade colors and shapes supported with green and beige thatch yarn to deliver a high-quality, long-lasting and realistic-looking design.
Turf allows for more outdoor living activities with less maintenance.
Maintenance Sod not only requires more maintenance than artificial grass - as any real alternative would - but it's actually more work than already-established lawns, too. According to SFGate, the shallow roots in sod need an abundance of water to wiggle their way into the soil. What's more, fertilization is necessary to ensure sod grows rich and full, but homeowners need to take this step at just the right time. Fertilizing too soon can cause yellow spots, and doing so too late reduces the longevity of the grass.
You must also mow sod - but not until about 10 days after installation. Then, when it's nice and overgrown, you can spend twice as long cutting the grass since your lawn bags will fill up faster. After that, it's a regular once-a-week chore to add on your to-do list.
Artificial turf, on the other hand, requires none of that regular maintenance that natural grass does. True, you still want to rake away leaves that blow onto your yard and pick up any waste, but you can say goodbye to watering, mowing and fertilizing.
Lifestyle fit While aesthetic appeal is great, your lawn does more than pose for pictures. Depending on your family lifestyle, the front and backyard probably see plenty of foot traffic. If you have a dog, add in rolling, jumping and digging. With properly-installed sod, your grass should have the same rebound as any lawn on a typical day. However, excessive rainfall can make diminish that buoyancy, and if Fido finds a chipmunk, prepare for holes.
Homeowners need only rake areas with high foot traffic to get that fluffy, full look back in their lawns with artificial turf. That means those who enjoy fruitful outdoor living may be better off with turf, as this material can withstand years of birthday parties, outdoor movie nights, backyard games and more. With weather, fake grass is built to last. Liquid drains right through, which means rainy days won't leave puddles or mud patches. And if you need drought-tolerant landscape, artificial grass doesn't fade or brown in the desert heat.
When it comes down to it, both options make for beautiful lawns. However, if you're looking for something that's got all the aesthetic qualities of real grass but is also built to last, opt for turf.
