Our Artificial Grass Drains the Best!

How Artificial Turf Assists with Drainage
Do you know how artificial grass works? Artificial turf from back in the day is nothing compared to today’s varieties. If any of you personally handled the former turf varieties, it had a very thin layer of acrylic-like backing, and the fibers were fairly short and looked ribbon-like instead of grass-like. It is important to pay attention first to the backing, because it could easily clog due to the material the fibers were woven into as well as the no-slip covering on the back. Shift your focus now to the difference in grass blades or grass fibers. Today these fibers are being made from several different types of materials and even combinations of materials to serve two purposes: look more grass-like and to withstand the common aggressors of grass such as pets and sports.

Have pets? Guess what? Their waste and wear on the artificial turf will not damage the alternative grass unlike traditional sod. Real Bermuda or other forms of grass tend to discolor or wear down to no growth when pets are in aggressive use with the grass.

Grass has to be rather tough to handle a human body’s weight and still look unharmed. Several artificial grass companies have manufactured turf to be thick, full and strong as to not break. For example, in areas like Phoenix, Arizona, where the grass can be exposed to extremely hot temperatures, products that are normally made out of plastic tend to crack, crumble apart, or at the very least, become brittle. If you spent thousands of dollars on an artificial grass installation, you want it to last a long time regardless of any extreme temperature.

Synthetic turf has become quite more porous over the years. Challenger Industries, Inc. and other artificial grass manufacturers boast a certain number of inches per hour for drainage, usually around 30 inches an hour. It is very rare to need to combat a sudden downpour of excess water in that extremity; however, it does come in handy for pet urine and rain nonetheless. Standard grass often puddles up and takes hours, if not days, to drain, causing disruptions in sporting events or the generic backyard. Excess water can often lead to a mud issue.

Artificial grass combats this by having a variety of drainage systems. Some are hole punched (standard-size); others are micro-hole punched; others have a felt-like backing that is breathable like cloth with no holes. Remember how we brought up the caulking or glue-like background of the former day turf products? How likely do you suspect the drainage factor was back then? The composition back then made those installations to pool up over a certain amount of water exposure. The waxy grass blades also made it a slip hazard.

What kinds of risks can be prohibited by adequate drainage? Crystal Turf® took this question into consideration when developing DuraFlo E.E.B.S.™, the backing part of artificial turf to prevent the following risks:

Less likelihood of mud
Quicker recovery to adequate usage
Sports can continue at a faster rate than waiting for traditional sod dry out
Reduced slip hazards

If you want to ensure adequate drainage often, Crystal Turf® recommends making sure your sub-base is porous as well, prior to turf installation. Make it a product that will not easily become displaced or become soaked like mud or sand. You also want to make sure you continue to maintain the product post-artificial grass installation. The steps you can do for this are the following:

Replace the infill that can easily get displaced or compressed over time
Use a stiff broom to make sure the grass blades stay upright and to spread the infill around evenly
Ensure your seams and edges are properly tightened down (glued, nailed or stapled)
Rinse down pet urine and other types of substances that can lead to smells or bacteria build up (weed killer, foods or drinks from outdoor entertaining, pool water (chlorine), etc.)
If you would like additional information on how drainage assistance like Crystal Turf®’s DuraFlo E.E.B.S.™ works for synthetic grass, speak to one of our experts supplier today!

Challenger Industries created DuraFlo E.E.B.S.™ to assist in the drainage capabilities of artificial turf. The benefits of our product include: being 100 percent recyclable, the ability to accommodate natural curves of your lawn space and fewer clogged pores, unlike traditional urethane-punched artificial grass. If you would like to feel the product and see its drainage capabilities first hand, call one of our representatives for a consultation at 623-581-2137