Sometime you will have heard about stitches, monofilaments, DTEX, polyurethane finish… Well in this entry we are going to explain each of the parts that make up the artificial grass.
- Fiber: it is the result of the polymer. There are three types of fiber: polypropylene, polyethylene and polyamide with the determined geometric form (flat form, central nerve, in U, S, V, W, concave)
- Dtex: We divide it into the Tex, which is the weight in grams of 1,000 meters of yarn. Therefore, DTEX is the fraction of the tex that is normally used to express the amount of fibre contained in the grass per m2. In other words, a fibre of 11,000 dtex means that every 10,000 linear metres of that fibre will weigh 11,000 gr. High Dtex (14.000 – 16.000 ) are more used in sports artificial turf applications while medium and low Dtex ( 8.000 – 11.000 ) will be more used in garden or decorative artificial turf applications.
- Micron: is the unit of measurement for fibre in thousandths of a millimetre.
- Height: It is the height of the yarn from the backing to the tip. The recommended height for decorative artificial grass is usually 25 to 40 mm. While for artificial turf football it is 50 to 60 mm and 12 to 15 mm for artificial turf paddle and tennis.
- Gauge: (looking at the backing of the turf) is the distance between the rows of stitching threads, usually 3/8 inch for landscape use, but can also be 5/8, 5/32, 3/4, 3/16 for sports use, depending on the fiber and purpose of the installation.
- Stitches: these are the stitches on each line of grass stitching, measured in stitches per linear meter. Together with the gauge they give us the stitches per m2. The myth of the more stitches the better, can have a negative effect giving a feeling of too thick and unnatural grass. The ideal is to look for a balance between stitches and dtex. In landscaping we recommend, depending on the fiber and utility, from 14,000 to 19,000 stitches/m2.
- Backing: it is the base where the fiber is punched and inserted with a tufting process and where the drainage capacity is determined by means of holes every 5 or 10 cm. The backing can be single or double layer. At Evolution Grass we always recommend the double backing as it reduces the expansion of the grass.
- Latex or Polyurethane: It is the finishing process, are the components that unite for the fiber with the backing avoiding the detachment of the fibers. The two components meet all the requirements for a quality finish. It is not a determining factor when choosing an artificial turf.
What characteristics should artificial turf garden have?
The properties of decorative artificial turf are completely different from those of artificial sports turf. Therefore, if you decide to install artificial turf in your garden, always opt for quality products, with a number of stitches between 14,000 and 19,000, with a minimum height of 25 mm and polyethylene fibre with a central rib, with a U or W section or similar with a memory effect. This way we will enjoy a perfect garden for years to come.