There's no reason for artificial grass to be banned in this day and age. It's practically indistinguishable from real grass, and it saves water, which is recognized as a precious resource. Cities and HOAs will soon have to lift any bans they have on artificial grass. Some cities who have bans on artificial grass aren't even enforcing their prohibition anymore. Sacramento for instance created a no-artificial-grass-in-front-yards law in the 80s. But city officials say that they aren't enforcing it anymore and even plan to have it legalized officially on the books.
"Currently artificial turf is prohibited by ordinance, however, given the current drought situation, it's not being actively enforced," Sacramento District 4 Director Consuelo Hernandez said. "Residents are not required to have live turf in their front yard under city code, but if they want to deviate they can put in half concrete or rock or paver-type materials and half live vegetation such as shrubs, plants, trees. Again, if they install artificial turf in the front yard, which at this point there have only been a few homes doing this the last couple years, code is not being enforced."
And Sacramento city council member says, "Absolutely and I plan to (change the law). And when the drought issue comes back, I plan to raise it again, I've raised it several times at council before and I think it's a great issue to keep agitating around."
San Diegans: Artificial Grass Forerunners
San Diegans are the forerunners of the artificial grass movement. San Diegans who installed artificial grass recently helped the city achieve one of its lowest water usage records ever for the month of February. And more homeowners will install artificial grass. This month it will become incentivized. Starting Wednesday, the incentive program which rewards homeowners who replace their natural grass with drought tolerant alternatives like artificial grass will be revived. The program will give $1.5 per square foot replaced, and then residents can combine this amount with a state program of $2 per square foot replaced for a total of $3.5 per square foot reimbursed for San Diego residents.
Indeed, artificial grass will slowly become the standard surface material for residential areas.
The director of the city's Public Utilities Department says the city will also start to enforce the regulations they created in November. Right now they have about 200 violations that will be punished with fines ranging from $100 to $500. The fines will be issued starting now.
Be a responsible San Diegan and install artificial grass today. A great company is Global Syn-Turf. They can be reached at their San Diego warehouse in Poway.
Canadian Homeowner's Artificial Grass Under Attack
A homeowner in Canada is defending his artificial grass installation at his home. He installed the artificial grass in 2013. The town started receiving complaints and then took legal action against the homeowner afterwards. They won, and the homeowner was told to replace his synthetic grass with an organic material.
Now the homeowner has taken the case to a superior court. The town says that they had no choice but to enforce their laws since it clearly says in their regulations that artificial grass, which is a non-organic material, is not allowed to be installed in yards.
The homeowner, however, says that the town's action are an injustice because they've chosen to allow artificial grass to be installed in other parts of their zoning territory, but are now singling him out for punishment. In other words he's accusing them of selective enforcement of their laws. He cites the fact that a nearby soccer field has artificial grass installed, which the owner was never asked to remove.
Indeed, the lesson here is to get your artificial grass installation approved by all appropriate organizations and individuals before installing it.
California Turns to Artificial Grass
Governor Jerry Brown announced last week the state of California's first-ever mandated water reduction measures. The state is enjoined to reduce their water consumption by 25%. The mandate is directed at homeowners who overwater their lawns. Jerry Brown even went so far as to say that the days of the nice green lawn getting watered every day is a thing of the past. With these stringent new regulations being put into effect, artificial grass is looking more and more attractive and less and less like a secondary choice.
One resident in Orange County says that she and her mother live in a house with a natural grass yard. The natural grass has been there for sixty years. However, she says that if the drought worsens, she and her mother will consider installing artificial grass. They won't however install xeriscaping because having lawn that is suitable for sportive activities is important to her family and her children.
Her mother even went so far as to call artificial grass the wave of the future. Indeed, artificial grass will soon displace natural grass as the standard surface material for residential yards.
The California Water Resources Board will announce how it will achieve statewide cuts in two weeks.
Artificial Grass in California Takes Off
Artificial grass is such a hot commodity in the wake of Gov. Jerry Brown's directive for California to reduce its water usage by 25%. It is being installed everywhere from traffic medians to residential lawns because it saves water and yet looks great all the time no matter what. Also, Governor Jerry Brown has directed California to convert 50 million square feet of natural turf to drought tolerant landscaping.
One landscape manager in Mill Valley, CA, says that the business has skyrocketed. He bought an artificial grass installation company in 2010 thinking it would be a small portion of his total business. Now he says that the business is huge and that buying the artificial grass company was the best decision he's made. He feels like a genius. However, he says that some of his affluent clients in Mill Valley are still hesitant about artificial grass because of their pro-natural grass prejudice.
Indeed, if you own a lawn care or landscape management company, adding artificial grass installation services to your business could be the best decision you've ever made. A company called Global Syn-Turf offers free consultation to professional and potential installers in California.
Synthetic Grass Saves Water Amid California Drought
If you've been thinking about installing synthetic grass in your lawn, now is the best time to make the jump. It will save you time and money, and will save the community water. Not only that, it will make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood by always appearing perfectly manicured and green all year round.
This is a great time to do it, especially if you live in California. Jerry Brown announced that water agencies that supply 90% of California's residents' water will be forced to reduce water consumption by 25% or face punitive consequences. The water agencies can use their own discretion on how to impose the water restrictions to the residents in their territories, but it has been posited that the directive is intended to target homeowners with lawns. Watering lawns and gardens is the main source of excess water usage among homeowners. The water agencies will more than likely raise the rates on water over users and reward those who spend water sparingly.
Thus, installing synthetic grass in your yard especially if you're a California resident is the most prudent and shrewd thing you can do if you want to retain a nice lawn that you and your family and pets can play on and yet save water.
Artificial Grass Saves Water Amid California Drought
Artificial grass is not just a passing fad but seems to be becoming a norm in the landscaping world. Artificial grass wasn't truly tested until the past decade when the technologies had advanced to the point that a sufficient amount of homeowners were convinced to install it in their homes, and now, after a few years, the artificial grass in the yards of the homeowners who first decided to install it have proven artificial grass and tried and true groundcover for the long-term. The main benefit for Californians being that it saves water.
California has just added to their list of water restrictions.
1. Homeowners are no longer to wash their cars without a hose with a shut-off nozzle
2. Homeowners can no longer spray off their sidewalk and driveway
3. Homeowners no longer may let irrigation run off of their backyards
4. Restaurants may no longer serve water unsolicitedly.
5. Hotels must give their guests the option of not washing their linens
6. Homeowners may no longer water their lawns during storms or for 2 days after storms.
These restrictions will continue to become more stringent even if the drought abates, in preparation for similar droughts to come. Artificial grass will displace natural grass as the norm.
Install a Putting Green After It's Approved by Your HOA
If you install a putting green in your yard, remember to get it approved by your local HOA if you are within their jurisdiction. One homeowner in Elkhorn, Nebraska, claims that he is being bullied by his homeowners association, the Fire Ridge Estates Homeowners Association. According to the homeowner, he got his putting green approved by the HOA, and that they are now bullying him into replacing it with natural grass and sprinklers.
The homeowner says that the HOA are models of selective enforcement: they connive at some violations and prosecute others according to their own fancy. If the order does not get overturned, the homeowner will have to pay to have his putting green uninstalled and put in natural grass and sprinklers, wasting his investment.
The homeowners association claim that their policies clearly prohibited fake grass. My surmise here is that the homeowner applied for the putting green and the HOA approved it without knowing that the putting green would be made of fake grass. If that's so, to ask the homeowner to replace such an expensive investment, when they themselves were partly responsible for the misunderstanding, isn't fair.
The lesson here is that you should get your putting green unequivocally approved by your homeowners association before laying one foot of turf. If not, you may have to get it removed.
Is Synthetic Grass Safe for Children?
Is synthetic grass
safe for children? A queries asked by many individuals who are considering
synthetic lawn because of their homes. The answer is absolutely yes! For 40
years, under EPA supervision and OSHA- not one individual fabricating, has ever
documented bad effects related to any substances associated with synthetic
lawn.
In July 2010, the Connecticut Division of
public-health announced that a new study of the threats to children and adults
playing on artificial turf fields containing crumb rubber infill reveals
"no elevated health dangers."
A December 2009 U.S. Environment Protection
Agency scoping study of the health dangers from inhalation, ingestion, and
dermal contact with artificial turf and crumb rubber found every evaluation
result to be "below levels of concern."
The Ca EPA launched a study dated July 2009
which signified there is an insignificant individual health threat from inhaling
the atmosphere above artificial lawn.
Impartial evaluations conducted from the
New York State Department of Environment Conservation and New York State
Division of Health, released in May 2009, proved there were no important health
concerns at artificial grass fields.
No Maintenance Garden on Your Roof Top
A roof terrace is the
ideal spot in which to enjoy the outside, but a terrace that is plain may be
bleak and unwelcoming. Produce a garden in your top deck with potted crops and
a lawn area where you could relax in the seclusion of your room. While roof top
gardens are not unusual in urban areas, putting can result in difficulties that
are damp and organic lawn requires attentive drainage setup. Artificial lawn is
a choice, and much more easy to install. International Syn-Turf's artificial
turf are available such astonishing places as rooftops, decks and patios.. As
back yard that is prime roofs rely for several city-dwellers where utilizing
organic grass is just not useful and possible. Synthetic grass makes a floors
choice that is interesting and creative maybe not just for roof tops but also
for decks, patios. Deliver the clean appearance of green grass without bugs,
the dirt , allergens or care of a real yard, in to your home.
Synthetic turf is "a touch of the
suburbs in the metropolis". Green-space in the town is tight, and comes in
a high cost. If it is a lush, eco-friendly lawn you are looking for when buying
a property in huge towns like Nyc and Chicago, you are likely best to check out
the suburbs. But you'll find landscaping options like artificial grass which
comes in various alternatives with prices start at $5.00 per square foot
entirely to $12.00 per-square feet for the pet-friendly grass. As for upkeep
that is regular, an annual bringing is really all that is had a need to keep
the lawn blades upright, although for owners an infrequent power-wash with a
detergent that is light might be required.