Synthetic turf – it’s come a long way!

Since it was first used back in the sixties, artificial turf has certainly changed a lot. Technology has made it possible – and desirable - to create good quality, durable artificial grass that looks and feels just like the real thing; with the added benefit of needing no watering and very little maintenance. It’s not just gardeners who are turning to artificial turf for their landscaping either; many athletes now prefer it to the real thing and say it gives a better playing surface than natural grass.

With frequent hosepipe bans a feature of the great British Summer, having an artificial lawn can be a bonus. The trend for no-water grass has been taking off globally, and is expected to continue as people become more aware of conserving water and not wasting resources. Just one square foot of natural grass replaced with turf can save more than 50 gallons of water per year, according to estimates.  A good quality turf can also last from 15-20 years, another factor that works in its favour. Synthetic grass fibres used to only be available in two types; monofilaments or slit-film tape.

Monofilaments are single strands while slit-film fibres are cut from sheets of polymers to a fixed width. This gave it the feel and look of a nylon carpet which was why it wasn’t quite so popular in the mid-twentieth century! These days, artificial turf is crafted from softer polyethylene fibres which make it a much nicer product, suitable for general use in landscaping and sport/play.

The business is growing fast, too, so expect to see more synthetic turf in the future.  Figures from the US alone suggest that in 2014 the synthetic turf industry was worth $1.1 billion with a projected annual revenue growth from 2015-2017 of 13.1 percent, and the demand for synthetic turf is on the increase everywhere, with Europe being one of the biggest markets.

When you’re looking for good quality artificial turf for sporting  surfaces, project, check that your supplier is a member of the Sports and Play Construction Association, SAPCA, is the trade organisation for the UK sports facility construction industry, and high standards in design and construction of synthetic turf pitches. SAPCA members are responsible for most of the synthetic turf pitches laid in the UK, everywhere from parks, community clubs and schools, to professional clubs, and pitches for high-level national and international competition.