When the massive drought in Cape Town peaked in 2017, South Africans starting taking their country’s water crisis more seriously. Water restrictions suddenly became unquestionable and reality hit home hard. Unsurprisingly, during this time artificial lawns came into their own. Homeowners still wanted a beautiful green lawn to look upon and for their children to play on. 

Now in 2020, we’re more waterwise, but we’re also more budget-conscious than ever before. Fake lawn can certainly save you on the regular costs of maintaining a lawn, not only by using less water, but eliminating the use of fertiliser, pest control, and other consumables.

Pros and cons

Artificial grass sounds too good to be true, so why would you bother with high-maintenance, real grass, right? With everything you invest in for your home, you weigh up the pros and cons according to your specific needs and situation. Do you have pets and a small garden? The smell from pet urine doesn’t go well with fake grass and you’ll find yourself dealing with a different kind of maintenance than mowing. However, with fake lawn, your dogs won’t be tempted to dig their paws into the dirt because there won’t be any!

Advantages of artificial lawn

1. Low maintenance – Apart from the hosing and cleaning after your pet has done its business, it doesn’t require mowing, watering, feeding, or worrying about flying ants. 

2. Evergreen – Continuous lush-looking lawn all year round with no dead or bald patches.  

3. Insects – Nature prefers nature, so you won’t find many insects and bugs crawling around fake lawn as you would in the grass. 

4. Value – Improves the value of your property and is a huge selling point to potential buyers.

Disadvantages of artificial lawn

1. Heat – Unlike natural grass, you aren’t going to be kicking your shoes off in a hurry on a sunny day. For lawns that are under direct sun for long periods during the day, you can opt to have a silica sand infill to keep the temperature of the grass down. 

2. Health benefit – As revealed in The Earthing Movie, there is scientific phenomenon that says we can heal our bodies by walking barefoot on the earth, which means natural ground, particularly grass, as well as soil and beach sand.

The great thing is that you can combine both real and fake lawn by selecting the areas you prefer for each. Choose areas where you want grass but where it refuses to grow because of the conditions. Hard ground is a good candidate because even weeds struggle, and you would prefer nothing to grow under your artificial lawn. 

Perhaps you just want to brighten a small patio area. Either way, the difference the green colour of grass makes to a setting is certainly visually refreshing and creates a great deal of home appeal!

Types of artificial lawn

Essentially made up of three layers, a backing, a thatch layer, and the grass fibre itself, artificial grass is from synthetic fibres such as nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

Nylon

Strong and durable, it won’t deteriorate from sun damage, can withstand very high temperatures, and therefore a great option for those summer heatwaves. 

The downside:

• The stiffness of the pile is more suitable for sports use like golfing greens.

• High cost.

Polyethylene

The softer pile  makes this option the most natural-looking fake lawn available. It’s texture is also the closest to the feel of natural grass as possible, and is ideal for entertainment areas such as around your pool and the kids’ play areas. If your budget allows, it’s also the best option for your entire lawn area. 

Its durability and ability to withstand high temperatures may well be worth your initial investment outlay, as it will add value to your home and last for many, many years.

The downside:

• More expensive than polypropylene

Polyethylene 

This budget-friendly fake grass is a popular choice for many homeowners because of its affordability. Ideal for low-traffic areas, and small shadier areas not exposed to sun and heat.

The downside:

• Weakest and least durable option

• Does not hold its shape well so not suitable for play areas

In conclusion

While the dam levels have steadily improved and the intense restrictions have eased for now, in a drought-ridden country like ours we can never stop being conscious of the way we use water – fake grass is in and here to stay!

A home is an investment. Look after yours with buildings insurance to cover damage to structures such as garages, walls, outbuildings, and swimming pools. 

Get a home insurance quote with Dial Direct online today

Disclaimer: This content is for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of the content. The views and opinions are those of the author and not necessarily those of the company.