Jump to content

I give up, Turf rec's


Recommended Posts

Not going to try to put down sod in the backyard again.  Can't get it to grow so I'm getting some estimates on turf this week.  My only reservation: pets. We have two medium sized dogs, but everyone I know who has turf and dogs say its not a problem.  It's not a huge space, maybe 400 sq ft.  I'm hearing $17 a sq ft installed?

Edited by bigbevo76
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

no rec on installation as we just bought a roll and had our lawn guy put it down...but just to say it was a smart move and we've never regretted it.

we had a super shady area with tree roots and such that never grew grass (we also tried for at least a decade) and another area adjacent to the pool that just had too much foot traffic and would turn into a muddy mess with kids in the pool.

both those areas are 100% improved. we also have had several dogs...not an issue at all, just pick up the poop and hose it down every once in a while 🙂

kinda weird looking in the winter, but once the yard grass grows in it blends pretty well. good luck.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turfed back yard- best decision we made with regards to our house. I see the dog shit better on our turf and actually do a better job picking it up because it stands out and I want to keep the turf looking nice and neat.

Yeah. We kept the bed along the fence and filled it with mulch. Dogs usually prefer to do their business there. I keep a spray bottle with 50/50 vinegar- water mix in a spray bottle to use if they go on the turf. Also kept the sprinkler system and use it if needed.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We got the “Pet Turf” from Ideal Turf.

The lifespan of your synthetic turf lawn will depend on several factors, including the quality of the turf product, the quality of the installation and the amount of traffic it endures over the years. Depending on how these factors come together and the amount of proper maintenance it receives, you can generally expect manufactured grass to last somewhere between 10 and 20 years. You should see a higher-quality turf lawn last closer to 20 years

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used Southwest Greens in Austin. Chris is the CEO I believe and I dealt directly with him. Feel free to PM me for his cell. His branch in SE Austin also services the Houston area. We love it, no pets though. He did about 1000 sq ft around our pool and came out to around $15/sq ft.

http:// https://www.swgreensaustin.com

200cce2bf6928a4b92e6cb0359063ea6.jpg

79243e2b3aaffa31e76dc79f4591b402.jpg
3f6bbf01b8dec5a8ea62ad33dbb419f7.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

question, the turf is permeable, right?  it would not count against any non-permeable limit for drainage?

We went through 3 iterations of trying to put St Augustine in the backyard.  Found one lawn specialist that said it looked like a fungus specific to St Aug was in the dirt and it would likely never thrive there.  Put in a Palisades Zoysia last year and it's doing great so far in year 2.  If this fails, would likely look at turf.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m not certain how it counts as far as impervious cover restrictions. We closed our pool permit out first and then installed the turf. The turf installer didn’t need a permit or HOA approval as it was all backyard.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, TexPx said:


Between 10 and 11k. Don’t remember exactly.

Ours was in this ballpark too. I think the bid came in around 12K, we told the installer we only had 10K in our budget and got a price settled around just under 11.

we also had drainage problems after they finished our pool that was leveled and corrected during turf install.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

question, the turf is permeable, right?  it would not count against any non-permeable limit for drainage?
We went through 3 iterations of trying to put St Augustine in the backyard.  Found one lawn specialist that said it looked like a fungus specific to St Aug was in the dirt and it would likely never thrive there.  Put in a Palisades Zoysia last year and it's doing great so far in year 2.  If this fails, would likely look at turf.

Yes it is. Ours corrected some drainage issues. Have had numerous 2+ inch rains and it’s basically dry pretty soon afterwards. Most of the cost is in the prep work and putting down a good base, like with pavers.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't really the only drawback that if in the sun the turf gets a lot hotter than grass?  I did a ton of research on putting in some turn fields out at T&C years ago, as water was our biggest expense, and found that they actually throw off a lot of heat.  The new products are better looking for sure, but doesn't plastic heat up more than organic matter?  

The good thing with the Dogs is durability. The bad thing is the temp of the surface for their pads 20-50% hotter.  So if there is a lot of sun and the Dogs are outside a lot...

"Surface temperatures of artificial grass are about 20-50° F higher than natural grass and typically reach the same temperature as asphalt pavement. The highest temperature measured during research was 200° F. Wow!"  link

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't really the only drawback that if in the sun the turf gets a lot hotter than grass?  I did a ton of research on putting in some turn fields out at T&C years ago, as water was our biggest expense, and found that they actually throw off a lot of heat.  The new products are better looking for sure, but doesn't plastic heat up more than organic matter?  
The good thing with the Dogs is durability. The bad thing is the temp of the surface for their pads 20-50% hotter.  So if there is a lot of sun and the Dogs are outside a lot...
"Surface temperatures of artificial grass are about 20-50° F higher than natural grass and typically reach the same temperature as asphalt pavement. The highest temperature measured during research was 200° F. Wow!"  link

I imagine it would get pretty warm in hours of full Sun. In my case if I had Sun I wouldn’t need turf. Mine was installed in Jan. and even with bare trees it felt warm in some areas but never hot. Dogs would lay out in it and seemed to enjoy it. I kept my sprinkler heads and I guess could run them to cool it off if needed but haven’t had to.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does get warm in the hottest part of the day, but SW Greens put a type of sand down that’s supposed to keep it cooler. I haven’t found it to be too bad but if it’s really hot I just spray it down. I still play bocce with the kiddo no problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...