When you want to buy an artificial turf, you may only think about how nice it will look in the place where you put it, but you don’t consider many of the characteristics that describe it and set it apart from the rest.
In this guide you will find the necessary information so that you are not deceived and you can buy an artificial turf that is ideal for you.
Identify your needs
Before you buy your artificial turf you should consider what you need it for and what application you will be giving it. You have to ask yourself if there will be children, pets, a lot of traffic or not, if you will practice any sport on it and how intense it will be.
Having identified your needs helps you to know what type of synthetic grass is suitable for your needs, so you can avoid any inconvenience related to the functionality of this.
Choose the perfect turf
The synthetic turf you choose must do a good job in the area where it will be laid out, and for this to happen you must be able to recognise a turf that is manufactured to a good standard. That’s why we’ll give you a few tips below to help you.
- The company that will provide you with the artificial grass is very important, that’s why you should investigate it, go to their website and check out their artificial grass range, their history and review their customers’ comments. If you are interested, contact them, ask them questions and you can learn more. There are companies that offer a sample, don’t miss the opportunity and check the quality of the grass by touch.
- Do not get carried away only by the appearance of artificial turf, it is necessary to review their characteristics, there are very smooth and with details very achieved to look real.
- There are multi-tonal artificial grasses that usually have several tones between brown, green and even gold, all this with the purpose of reaching the illusion of realism. So if you’re looking for a multi-tonal grass, these are the ones for you.
- Consider where to install your artificial turf. There are synthetic turfs for different situations and places; for example, a synthetic turf with silica sand works very well on a flat terrain, but if you lay it on sloping or hilly places you will have the silica sand slipping away, creating uneven spaces and making the artificial turf heavy to walk on.
Checks to be made on artificial turf
Before buying an artificial turf you should know well its characteristics, and know if those indicated in the technical data sheet correspond to reality. Some of the aspects you should check are:
Number of stitches
Check the number of stitches, the recoverability and the realism of the artificial turf. These depend on the density of the turf, which in turn is linked to the number of stitches. Therefore, the more stitches the synthetic turf base has, the more realistic it looks and the more resistant it is to traffic.
The height of the turf
The height of the lawn is important, normally we recommend 30 to 40 mm for places like terraces and gardens, lawns of this height are perfect cushioning and reflecting a very good vertical memory.
The number of double threads in the stitch
Check the amount of double fibers in the stitches, because the more stitches, the better the recovery and the performance. Also check that the fibres in one stitch and the number of double fibres is not less than eight.
Fiber thickness and weight
It verifies the thickness of the artificial grass, this is indicated in the card as dtex and it is the value that determines the thickness and resistance or hardness of the fiber or thread.
Thus, the lower the dtex, the less thick it is and therefore the softer the artificial turf fibre is. This value is expressed by a number followed by a bar, for example: 11,500/16, which means that the turf has a dtex of 11,500 and 16 double threads, i.e. 8 monofibres and 8 textures.
Smoothness and memory effect
It is mentioned above that the height of the grass and the number of double threads in the stitches are the key to an ideal memory or recovery effect, but the dtex which is responsible for the softness of the fibres, is also responsible for the vertical memory or memory effect of the grass.
The importance of yarn quality
One of the characteristics that you should take into account when looking for a good artificial grass is the quality with which the yarn is manufactured.
UV protection
Ultraviolet rays (UV) have the ability to damage artificial turf, with discoloration being the result of exposure to them, which is why a good synthetic turf has this kind of protection.
However, the UV protection of synthetic turf must meet the EN standards. These standards are all those approved by the European Committee for Standardisation.
Fire retardant
Fireproofing is a very important feature as you don’t want to have an area in your home that is prone to fire, so for the safety of you and your loved ones make sure the artificial turf you are buying has this property.
No pollutants
You must ensure that the artificial grass you are buying does not contain heavy metals that are carcinogenic and prohibited by the EEC.
These materials include cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead. To make sure that the supplier and the artificial grass are compliant, you can ask for a RoHS, SGS or Bureau Veritas certificate.
Questions to answer before choosing yours
Latex or polyurethane base?
Latex or polyurethane is used in artificial grass as a coating for the threads that are attached to the base of the grass. These coatings provide durability and resistance to the yarns.
These virtues provided by the latex or polyurethane added to the robustness and strength of the base of the lawn, gives durability and endurance to use.
With or without infill?
There are several types of artificial grass and these two types stand out:
- With filling: it is used for sports, in these cases one of these fillings is usually applied: silica sand, SBR rubber, EPDM, TPE or coconut fibre.
- The artificial grass that does not need infill is because its curly fibres do the job as if it had one. However, infill is an important complement as it gives the fibres more vertical memory and greater comfort.
What are the stitches per m2?
Polyethylene threads, which are the infill filaments and long filaments, are attached to the base of the artificial turf. These are held in place by threads that form the stitches.
In this way, the number of stitches is proportional to the strength of the artificial turf.
What is the type of fibre? Which ones are there?
The type of thread or fiber is the characteristic that defines the threads that make up the structure of the synthetic turf. Depending on its shape, each type has a particular appearance and feel to the touch.
When talking about artificial turf with infill, it is indicative that the fibre is of the curly type. There are the high fibres, which can be of the monofibre type, which consists of a thin thread, we also have the S-shaped ones, with a central nerve and a U-shape. All of them have shapes that seek to improve vertical memory, softness and resistance.
How to measure the ground?
First of all you must take into account that artificial grass comes in a 2m wide roll. Aware of this you must take the measurements of the place that will occupy the grass.
A few technicalities you should know
- Decitex, also known as Dtex, this unit of measurement represents the weight in decigrams of 10,000 m of yarn. The thinner yarn is then represented by a smaller Dtex. This value is represented by a number followed by a bar and another number.
- Micron: measures the thickness of the fibre. The higher this value is, the more resistant the grass is, even to UV rays.
- Raw material: there are basically three materials used in the manufacture of synthetic turf:
- Polypropylene (PP): it is very rough to the touch so it is only used in the form of curls and has little durability.
- Polyethylene (PE): is very soft to the touch and has a high durability, being very resistant to UV rays.
- Polyamide (PA): the most resistant of the materials, as well as being the most abrasive.