You live in urban surroundings but are blessed with a balcony. These outdoor surfaces are perfect for relaxing alone and hanging out with friends. If you want to make them more attractive, how about using fake grass for the balcony?

It can be an excellent addition to your rooftop, but you need to choose a suitable turf. Check out this guide to learn how to select the best fake grass for your roof garden!

Can You Lay Fake Grass on a Balcony?

Do you own the balcony or have a license to make changes to it? First, check with the local community to ensure you aren’t breaking any regulations. As long as you aren’t violating any rule, feel free to place artificial turf on the balcony.

The main benefits of using fake grass for balconies include:

• You won’t increase the building’s temperature.
• Artificial turf is resistant to rain, snow, and other weather conditions.
• It’s perfect for relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.
• You can improve the curb appeal and overall property value.

What to Look for in Artificial Grass

You need fake turf that will look great and last for years. It’s why you should stick to reliable suppliers and brands. Adding infill can extend the longevity of artificial grass, so make sure to choose silica stands or crushed rubber. Now, here are the features to assess to ensure the turf meets your expectations!

Texture

The texture depends on the blade’s firmness, which affects the feeling when walking over the turf. If you go with soft blades, you’ll love stepping on them. However, they aren’t as durable as hard blades. If you expect heavy traffic on your deck, pick a more rigid texture to extend the durability.

Density

The density shows strands per sq. ft. If you go with a dense option, the turf will look more natural. Some might not even notice it’s fake. But if the density is low, it’ll be easier to figure out the grass is artificial. On the other hand, a lower density decreases the turf’s overall cost.

Length

This refers to the height of your fake grass for patio. The usual height is around a single inch above the ground, although there are various options available. Unless you plan to play golf, this shouldn’t make much difference in how your patio looks.

Material

You can pick from three different options:

• Nylon. It will be a significant investment, but it can withstand foot traffic.
• Polypropylene. It’s an affordable material, but its durability isn’t impressive.
• Polyethylene. This synthetic fiber offers a soft touch and a natural appearance.

How to Take Care of Artificial Grass on a Balcony

The great thing about the artificial grass for balconies is that artificial turf requires minimal maintenance. Check out these tips to maintain it in perfect condition:

• Remove stains with a hose. If you can’t use a hose on your balcony, a bucket of water is enough. The drainage should take care of all the water. Once the turf is dry, use a mild fragrance.
• Use a water-vinegar mix for persistent stains. Grab a small bucket and combine water and vinegar. Take a cloth and wipe the stain to eliminate it.
• Remove dust and leaves with a vacuum cleaner. If you have a large rooftop covered by artificial turf, an air blower could assist, too.
• Straighten the crushed tips occasionally. You can use a hard broom to make the crushed areas vertical.
  If necessary, call a professional to perform regular maintenance of your artificial turf.

How to Install Fake Grass on Balcony

You made up your mind and acquired fake turf, and it’s now the time to install artificial grass. Here is how to get your balcony revamped by adding artificial turf to it!

Prepare the Surface

It’s imperative to check the balcony and turf surfaces. As for the balcony, it’s better if the concrete is the material under the fake grass. It’s essential to even the balcony surface, which you can do by adding a foam underlay. As for the artificial turf, remove any dirt that got stuck to ensure a smooth installation.

Measure the Balcony

You picked the fake grass size closest to your balcony’s dimensions. However, it will be necessary to cut the turf, which is why you should mark it first. Next, check the width and length of the area where you want to place the grass. Add several inches to have wiggle room, and mark those dimensions on the fake turf.

Prepare a Fake Grass Layout

If you have everything ready, it’s time to unroll the fake grass. Position it to cover the area to position it. If you are working to cover large zones, you could use a helping hand. Once you lay everything out, it’s time for the next step.

Trim the Fake Grass to the Right Size

You can mark the area to cut with chalk or another market. Use a utility knife or any other tool that can make adequate cuts. Try to follow the line carefully to ensure an optimal turf appearance.

If you need to join grass sections, you can use joining tape. However, glue is necessary at the edges. It ensures your fake turf stays in place. Once you finish gluing, press the turf to ensure it bonds better to the surface below.

Can You Install Artificial Grass Between Pavers?

Yes, you can! Installing turf between pavers is very similar to installing an artificial lawn, with a few key differences. You will need to place the hardscape first and then install the turf. Trying to complete this project in reverse by laying grass first and then the pavers can result in damaged turf and a less attractive result.

Combining pavers with artificial grass can give your garden a neater and more unique look, without the issues that can occur when putting real grass or loose surfacing materials between pavers.

How To Install Pavers with Grass in Between?

Installing pavers with artificial grass between them does add a few extra steps and considerations to the project. To get the best results, we recommend having your artificial grass installed by one of our experts. If you are confident in your DIY abilities, however, the process is not too complicated. Here is our step by step guide to installing artificial grass between pavers:

1. Choose the Right turf

The edges of your artificial turf are subject to the most wear and tear, so durability is an important consideration when installing thin strips of synthetic grass between pavers. Shorter piles such as our Gold or Riviera products help to prevent tripping and snagging that can damage the turf as well as present a danger.

2. Surface Preparations

To be stable and drain properly, artificial turf requires a level surface and a base of material to maintain its shape. There are many options for base material. For installation between pavers, we recommend a harder material that compacts well, so that it stays level with the pavers over time.

3. Prepare The Ground For Drainage

The elevation of drainage fill should be less than half an inch below ground level after compacting to avoid creating a trip hazard. When compacting the drainage fill, use a hand tamper to compact it evenly. If the drainage fill is not properly compacted then the turf ribbons may settle to a lower position over time, making your lawn uneven. This would allow water to collect under the turf and cause it to change shape. Besides creating a trip hazard, it also increases the chance of tearing the artificial turf.

4. Install a Sub-Base Layer

Laying and compacting sub-base in between pavers is an annoying task. Most tamping tools, even hand tampers, won’t fit in the space. However, you can improvise an effective solution with a brick or plank that will fit into these gaps and hitting it with a hammer or mallet.

5. Lay The Artificial Grass and Secure The Edge with Nails

Next, roll the artificial grass over the top of the pavers. Leave it there for at least 4 hours. This gives the grass fibers time to recover and stand up after being compressed in the packaging and lets the grass backing start to mold around the shape of the pavers. Make sure all the turf ribbons are laid out with the grass fibers facing the same direction and walk between the pavers to help press the ribbons into the gaps. Leaving some overlap between each ribbon is a good idea, as it will give you more room for error when it comes to connecting these pieces.

Once the grass is laid out and rested, you need to fix it to the ground temporarily while you work. You can do this by nailing the grass down between the pavers, putting nails about an inch apart. This will make it much easier to cut the turf precisely. The nails are coming back out later, so they don’t need to be hammered down completely.

If this is not possible due to working on a hard surface like concrete, find some other way to weigh the turf down so it won’t move as you work.

6. Cut Turf Ribbons

This step requires a lot of care to get the best look.

Carefully cut around the edge of each paver, keeping the knife pressed against the side of the paver at a consistent angle. Make short cuts angled upwards and away from your body, using your other hand to roll the turf and pull the ribbon taut.

Cutting the turf in this way makes it easier to avoid damaging the turf, and also makes the job safer for you. Swapping out your utility knife with a fresh, sharp blade also makes the job easier and safer by reducing unexpected snags.

7. Adhere the Sections Together

Now you need to attach all of the turf ribbons to each other to create a seamless lawn. Trim the edges of each ribbon to create a gap of about half an inch between each ribbon. The grass fibers will hide this gap. If the bottom of each mat were to meet, this would create lines of bunched-up fibers on your lawn that are unsightly.

Then you can glue the ribbons together. Fold the edges back and lay jointing tape, with the shiny side face down. Hold the grass back and press down on the tape to spread the adhesive. Try to keep the blades of grass from getting onto the glue.

8. Install Infill

All that is left to do now is install the infill. Infill is a type of fine sediment made of various materials such as sand, rubber, or cork. It helps to keep grass blades upright, cool the lawn, and aid in drainage.

When installing artificial grass between pavers, make sure that you add the infill slowly and precisely, as each narrow strip of turf needs even distribution of infill. Give the artificial grass a firm brushing to fluff up the fibers and make things look more natural, and you are all done!

To get more of our expert tips on artificial grass installation, contact us today to discuss your next garden project.

When you’re considering surfacing options for a playground or play area, there are a number of factors to think about. You need a surface that is robust enough to withstand heavy use, but also safe for kids to run around and fall over on without getting hurt. Artificial grass is one of the best options not just for safety, but also for durability, maintenance and hygiene.

Artificial Grass is Safer for Kids than Other Playground Materials

Synthetic turf is a soft and non-abrasive material that won’t bruise or graze kids as they play. Many other surfaces used to absorb impacts at playgrounds such as wood chips can easily end up scratching and grazing knees and elbows as children play. Artificial grass can also be filled with a range of underlay materials to further cushion falls. In addition, artificial grass has great water drainage, ensuring that the grass doesn’t become dangerously slippery due to pooled water. The artificial grass backing is perforated to enable water to pass through and drain into the ground below easily. This means that you can use the artificial turf right after it rains or after emptying an inflatable pool without worrying about mud or damage to the turf.

It is Low Maintenance and Durable

These factors make artificial grass low maintenance and durable, which is an important consideration for any area that needs to withstand the wear and tear of kids playing. With minimal yard work, one fake grass for playground can easily last throughout your children’s childhoods. All it takes is giving the artificial turf a quick brush down every week or two to keep it clear of debris.

Playground Turf is Resistant to Weather Elements

Allowing water through its perforated backing is also one of the reasons playground turf holds up to the weather so well. High quality artificial grass fibers also will not become brittle or discolored by the sun or exposure to the elements.

In comparison, real grass can easily die because of a spell of  hot, dry weather, especially when water usage restrictions are in effect. Besides the cost of replacement, preventing this from happening can require additional work and costs to keep grass alive.

Environmentally Friendly

The environmental impact of maintaining a real grass in the Las Vegas climate is significant. Besides the major water requirement, keeping a lawn clean and tidy also uses a lot of fuel and electricity to power your garden tools. Besides needing gallons of water every year to maintain, grass can also require the use of chemicals as pesticides and weed killers that can be harmful to the local environment.

Artificial Grass for Playground Provides a Cleaner Play Area

Artificial grass is very easy to keep clean. The ground underneath the synthetic turf is completely covered, so you no longer need to worry about dirt getting kicked around and all over your kid’s clothing as they play. In the event that you need to clean something off the play area, such as a neighbor’s cat using the area as a bathroom, this is as simple as hosing the area down to wash everything away.

Other surfacing types such as rubber mulch or wood chips also leave your kids covered in mud and dirt, creating more laundry for you. With synthetic grass, you don’t even need to worry about grass stains.

No Worn Areas and Holes

One of the big problems of maintaining a real grass play area surface is that they can easily wear out as your kids play, creating patches of bare dirt. Pet owners can also have problems with their dogs seeing the playground as the perfect area to dig. Besides being unsightly, this also makes a playground less safe by creating patches of hard ground to fall on, and an uneven surface to trip on.

While lower quality synthetic grass can become brittle after prolonged exposure to UV light from the sun, the high quality fibers used in Festival products are not degraded by sunlight. High quality synthetic grass is very strong, and can more than hold up to kids playing on it.

Are you looking for a safe playground surface that will be easy to maintain and last for a long time? Artificial grass might be the best option for you. Contact us today to discuss your project and get our expert advice.

Artificial turf is one of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to keep your lawn green and clean all year round, with minimal maintenance and yard work. As a dog owner though, you might think that fake grass and pets don’t mix. This is not the case, however. In fact, in most cases, an artificial turf lawn is the ideal yard for you and your dog, with less of the chores and potential problems you can have to deal with when you have a regular grass lawn.

Is Artificial Grass Pet Friendly?

If you are a dog owner, one of the first questions on your mind when considering artificial turf is how the switch to fake grass will affect your canine companion. The short answer is that although synthetic grass is not suitable for every dog, for most canines artificial turf can be just as safe, hygienic, and comfortable as real grass, depending on your dog and the type of synthetic grass you install.

Real Grass vs Fake Grass For Dogs

Fake grass has a lot of benefits over real grass for dog owners, but for some dogs, real grass has its advantages too.

Benefits of Fake Grass for Dogs

• Easy to Clean

It is easy to clean solid waste off the fake grass, and with the right infill and artificial grass membrane, urine will soak through without leaving an odor. Not all types of artificial grass work this way though, so make sure to ask your artificial grass installer about the right options for dog owners.

• No Pesticides

You don’t need to worry about pesticides affecting your dog’s health with fake grass, as it prevents weed growth without the use of pesticides.

• Fewer Garden Pests

Real grass encourages many insects and small critters to visit your yard, potentially infesting your dog’s fur and being brought into your home, such as fleas. With a fake grass yard, these creatures have little reason to stick around in your yard.

Benefits of Real Grass for Dogs

• Safe to Eat

Some dogs like to chew and eat vegetation such as grass, and they could mistake fake grass for the real thing, and attempt to eat it. Fake grass is much more tough and durable so it may not be successful, but it can still present danger in these cases.

• Some Dogs Like to Dig

While some dog owners try to prevent their dogs from digging up the lawn, this is something that some dogs like to do, and you might be happy to let your pooch dig and bury their treasures in your yard. Fake grass will not allow your dog to do this and might become damaged if they try. If your dog is a digger, consider retaining a dirt area in your yard so they can still dig without damaging the artificial turf.

Why Should you Install Artificial Grass for Dogs?

Las Vegas Artificial grass is very low maintenance compared to real grass, as well as much more durable. If you have several dogs or just one highly energetic pup, they can easily wear out bare patches into a real grass lawn through everyday play. Artificial grass holds up to this kind of treatment much better. It is also much more hygienic when your pet does its business, as waste can easily be removed and washed away, and you don’t need to worry about contaminating the soil or vegetation over time.

Why your Dog will Love Artificial Grass

Fake grass can make life more convenient for you as a dog owner, but your dog has plenty of reasons to love it too.

For starters, artificial turf won’t leave your dog covered in dirt and grass when they play outside, which means you won’t need to bathe them after they’ve been rolling around in the yard.

It also makes toilet time less stressful for your dog as well as you, especially if you don’t let your dog go on the lawn for fear of it ruining the turf. Since artificial turf is so much easier to keep clean, you can let them go anywhere without it damaging your synthetic grass.

How it will Make the Pet Owner’s Job Easier?

As a pet owner, artificial turf can greatly reduce the amount of work you need to put into keeping your yard a clean and inviting environment for your pets, family, and guests, and it’s not just that it makes cleaning up after your pet easier.

To maintain a synthetic grass lawn, all you really need to do most of the time is give it a quick spray with the hose once a week, and sweep it about once a month. You don’t need to worry about your dog wearing out the turf, and it completely eliminates many of the more annoying yard chores like aerating the soil and weeding the lawn.

How Much Does Fake Grass for Dogs Cost?

Most artificial turf products that are suitable for dogs cost around $1 to $2 per square foot of synthetic grass.

What To Look For When Buying Artificial Turf For Dogs

If you are installing artificial turf in your yard and you have a dog that will be using the lawn to relieve itself, make sure to avoid synthetic grass products with a latex backing. These can retain urine to create a lingering bad odor in the area your dog uses. The backing should also be permeable so that liquids can drain out into the sub-base material under the grass, which should be a porous material like granite or limestone chippings that allow liquids to drain.

Shorter pile heights of around 1.5 inches or less tend to be a little more durable when it comes to withstanding the wear and tear of your dog running around and digging their claws into the grass as they play. Shorter pile heights also make it harder and less tempting for your dog to bite at and attempt to chew the blades of grass.

What’s the Best Artificial Grass for Dogs?

Our Gold 77 range is a great artificial grass option for dog owners, as it features our shortest pile height beside the Putt Pro putting greens. Besides making the grass safer for your dog and also more durable, this also makes cleaning up after your pet easier, as shorter blades of grass mean things don’t get matted or embedded as easily.

All Festival Turf synthetic grass products are available with various non-latex backings, and we can use a range of infill materials according to the situation, including materials that are chosen specifically to enable better drainage and prevent pet odors.

Getting an artificial turf lawn as a dog owner can make a lot of sense, as it significantly reduces your yard work while keeping your lawn looking great, it can be more hygienic and easier to clean, and stands up well for the activities of even the most energetic of dogs. Owning a dog does add a few extra considerations to the buying process, however. If you need any help or advice in deciding on the best artificial turf option for both you and your pet, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.