A synthetic turf refers to a man-made grass-like material, manufactured from the artificial materials. It is also referred to as artificial turf or astroturf. It is popularly used in sports grounds, for example in football, baseball and hockey arenas. The structure of the synthetic turf used in sports ground vary with respect to the types of sports. In hockey arena, the turf is short in comparison to that of a football turf. In recent times, synthetic turfs have been used for creating artificial lawns in residential areas and other large commercial complexes.
Synthetic Turf
The modern synthetic turf consists of an expanded polypropylene base, over which the other components are attached. Green colored straight fibers (1.5-2.5 inch), coated with silicone, are arranged along with short curly fibers. The curled fibers are meant to support and keep the straight fibers upright. At the base of the fibers, rubber granules (about 1 inch) are added to keep the turf soft. This technology may vary with respective to the brand.
Grass Installation
Installation of artificial turf is easy, provided you follow certain guidelines for laying the turf. First of all, mark the area that you are planning to install the artificial turf. Measure and note down the dimension of the area carefully. Any large stones, weeds and grasses should be removed prior to the installation of the artificial turf. Following this, remove the top layer of the soil. Allow to dry for about a week and set a layer of crush stone (25-75 mm) in the area. For an unstable soil type, you require to lay about 100-150mm of base material.
Level the area evenly by making use of a rake. You can use vibrating compactor in order to provide compaction to the base material. For better installation of the artificial turf, apply a thin layer of sand. It is not compulsory to spray sand, if the crush stone is smooth and even, then you can skip this step. Check for deep depressions, if present re-level the area. The next step is rolling out the artificial turf. You can roughly cut the excess turf by using a sharp blade.
After laying and leveling the artificial turf, carefully trim off the turf in accurate straight lines. If you are using the pieces of artificial turf, then start laying the pieces from the center. While doing so, ensure that the turfs lay in the same direction. Cut the sides of the next piece to match the previous piece and proceed following the same. Apply adhesives along the seams to adhere the turf properly. Finally, secure the installed artificial turf by placing 6 inch length nails after every 25 inch of the turf. Add and spread infill material (sand or rubber granules) with the help of a broom.
Advantages and Disadvantages
There are several advantages of artificial turf. It is an obvious fact that artificial lawns require very less maintenance in comparison to turfgrass lawns. Easy drainage during rainy season is possible, which is not so in case of real grass. Another advantage of a synthetic turf is the conservation of water, which is beneficial in water scarcity areas. Artificial turf is highly durable, a superior quality turf may last for about 10 years. It can be used for creating greenery in landscapes where the condition is not favorable for growing natural turfgrass. Speaking about the disadvantages, it builds up excessive heat and requires occasional disinfection to kill pathogens.
