So you’ve made the decision to swap out your natural grass for artificial grass because the benefits sound pretty awesome right?! Who doesn’t want to save water and money, reduce bugs around their home, not have to break your back just to keep your lawn green? The list of benefits is long! One major perk is the variety of options you have to pick from when choosing the perfect artificial turf for your home. Synthetic turf is so advanced that it looks more realistic than ever. Today, there are different colors, lengths, textures, and styles to choose from.

All that sounds great however, a bad installation job can totally rob you of all those benefits. Repairing a bad artificial grass installation job can be very costly. This is why the most important part of this process is finding the right company to go with. There are plenty of options out there, but finding a company with experience, who will listen to your needs, that knows how to troubleshoot when a problem arises is vital to achieving the best results. This is an important investment for your home which is why you will want to get the best product and installation possible. Do your research and interview several companies. Start with asking the following questions and pay close attention to their responses.

1. Where is your artificial grass made?

This is the most important question to ask the installers that you interview. If they can’t answer this question with confidence, this should be your answer to move onto the next one. Most foreign manufacturers aren’t held to the same production standards as American manufacturers. The price may be appealing however, this is ultimately the result of cheap labor, and maybe even the use of heavy metals (like lead). The lower price tag won’t give you lasting results and you won’t achieve the realistic artificial lawn homeowners strive for. You will run into issues like the turf fading fast especially in areas where it gets the most sun exposure and excessive shedding in areas where you have high traffic. Having cheap artificial grass installed is not an easy fix. You will have to completely replace your turf with a product that’s made to last. Basically, paying for it all over again.

2. How long have you been in business?

Artificial grass installation overall is a fairly new business. Due to that, there have been a lot of changes in installation procedures. The industry has grown fast and entrepreneurs have caught onto this so they can capitalize on the potential profits. Some business owners jumped on this a little late in the game which typically results in an unprofessional installation job. If you end up with a poor installation job then you’ll be stuck in a position where they won’t be able to repair it. Mainly because they don’t have the skillset to troubleshoot. This has resulted in businesses closing within the first few years due to the complicated nature of the turf installation process. It only takes a few projects that need re-doing for these businesses to run out of resources. So be sure to ask, “How long have you been in business?” and do you your own investigating. You want to make sure you’re not one of their “firsts”.

3. Does your turf have a hole-punched backing or permeable backing?

Many turf installation companies claim they have a fully permeable and premium drainage product, but they’re just talking about standard hole-punched backing turf. Hole-punched turf is how it all started however, there have been so many advancements since then to obtain optimal drainage. The problem with hole-punched backing is that it doesn’t drain well. This is why permeable backing is the better choice. This isn’t as big of a deal for general landscape applications, as hole-punched backings can drain regular rainfall just fine. The problem arises when you have pet applications. You end up running into urine pooling and not being able to find the drainage holes. If the urine sits too long on the turf backing, the odor can absorb into the backing and become very difficult to get rid of.

4. What is your warranty?

One major thing to keep in mind about warranties is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Typically a warranty for artificial grass should be up to 15 years. Some promise over that and that’s when your red flag should go up. Realistically, how can a business provide a warranty over 15 years? The average lifespan of artificial grass is up to 20 years. Lifetime warranties for products that aren’t meant to last a lifetime don’t make sense, logically. Be sure to read the fine print, most likely it’s filled with exceptions that will leave you high and dry.

A standard artificial grass installation warranty from a reputable artificial grass installer will be anything from 8 years to 15 years depending on the type of product, location, and installer. At Artificial Turf Factory Outlet, we love to answer your questions so you can be confident about your purchase. We take pride in our work because we know the best work achieves lasting results that will make you want to tell all your friends. Contact us to get all your questions answered at (888) 707-0794. We’re happy to assist you with all your synthetic grass needs.