I’ve got pets, can I still have artificial turf?
- Is artificial turf friendly for pets?
- How can artificial grass harm my pets?
- Installing your grass to ensure it handles pet urine
- How to Replace Your Existing Lawn with Artificial Turf
- Make sure the area drains suitably.
- Installing artificial turf in your garden
You know what, we get so many questions about whether or not artificial turf is friendly for pets, we’ve decided to write a blog on it. One of the most common questions that we get is about artificial turf and what the artificial grass is Here , and whether we can have pets doing their business on it regularly.
Is artificial turf friendly for pets?
If you want a short answer, then this is a yes. If you would like to know more about looking after your artificial grass and if you have pets then you can read more about it below. HINT: You must know a bit more…
One of the most common questions is whether dogs can go to the toilet on artificial grass. Yes, but it must be cleaned up as soon as possible. If you know that your dog is about to go to the toilet then do get prepared. You need to either remove it or hose it down. It probably won’t do LOADS of harm but it will not look nice and could cause long-term damage if not treated correctly.
When it comes to urine on artificial grass, you need to be armed with a hose. It sometimes may depend on the grass, but if you’ve bought from the right place like SayGrass Artificial Grass or then with a bit of aftercare, you may be fine.
If you’ve installed cheap, latex-backed grass then a dog urinating on your grass could cause A LOT of damage. You need to get to it right away as it may not only harm your grass but could be harmful to dogs and children who play on the grass.
If you do have pets, particularly a dog then it is worth investing in Polyurethane grass to protect you and your pets.
How can artificial grass harm my pets?
For those that have artificial turf and grass, we do recommend that you hose it down or clean it every time your dog does its business. You should (and probably do) do this even if you have a natural back garden, but we still are just reminding you. Leading artificial grass manufacturers have noted that toxic ammonia pockets will build up if urine is left untouched.
Not only could pet urine be harmful to your pets and grass, but it can also cause damage to the environment.
Installing your grass to ensure it handles pet urine
You can follow some steps to ensure that your artificial grass is in tip-top shape. Not just because of pet urine, but in general, you must ensure that your artificial grass is installed correctly.
At SayGrass Artificial Grass Company we provide you with a range of guides to help you ensure you have not only the best artificial turf but also that the artificial turf is installed correctly.
Here’s a quick guide to installing artificial grass:
How to Replace Your Existing Lawn with Artificial Turf
Make sure the area drains suitably.
Use a Turf Cutter to remove your lawn and excavate to a depth of 75mm (3 inches), then weed kill the area.
Where there is no edge or a wall to butt the grass up use some tantalised wooden battens (75mm x 25mm) securing with either wooden stakes or support with concrete to create a boundary around the perimeter. Alternatively, create a concrete block edge to establish a frame around the area to be covered with artificial grass.
Get rid of any unnecessary bumps or left-over debris, then carefully level off the area you wish to cover leaving natural falls. Lay a geotextile membrane as a lining for the sub-base before adding hardcore stone. A geotextile has a strong tear resistance and is an ideal stabilising membrane. This will not only prevent weeds but will also stabilise the sub-base before artificial grass is laid.
Apply a 50mm layer of type 1 hardcore, compacted, followed on top with 25mm of builders sharp sand to your levelled area. The sand is only there to blind the top of your sub-base, so should be firm. Too much sand will cause dips, humps and bumps when you eventually lay your grass over the top. Alternatively use a depth of 75mm 0-6mm granite dust, which is an ideal base aggregate for a sub-base.
Installing artificial turf in your garden
By installing your grass correctly you can ensure that your artificial turf will give your visitors the real WOW factor! Take a look around the rest of the SayGrass Artificial Grass website here. You can still have a pristine-looking back garden even if you have pets.
