Maintaining your Artificial Grass Lawn

Tools required for the job: hard brush, soft, rake, leaf blower/garden vac, herbiside spray.

Artificial grass is a much lower maintenance solution for your garden than a real lawn, whatever the weather it is never going to look, tired, warn or dry. By maintaining your lawn on a fairly regular basis you will get the maximum life expectancy from your lawn and the maximum value for money.

The amount of maintenance you choose to carry out will depend on the type of turf you've opted for and the amount of use your lawn gets.

It is very important to clear any debris off your lawn such as leaves. Also weed seeds can be dropped on the lawn from birds or overhanging trees. If you have a sand dressed lawn which isn't maintained regularly you may find weed seed takes root in the sand, these weeds can be easily pulled up but maintenance would prevent this from happening in the first place. Also, any leaves that are left on the lawn will begin to break down and create perfect conditions for moss growth. Again removal of the leaves with a blower or vacuum will prevent this from happening.

In general we recommend your lawn is brushed once a week with a stiff brush, brushing against the pile. On areas of heavy use this will just bring the pile back up if it has flattened out slightly. On high use areas a sand in-fill even in the products that don't necessarily require it will mean the pile stands up for longer. We recommend that sand is topped up as and when required but at least once a year.

It is also recommended to treat the lawn with a moss control product once a year.

For dog owners there may be a little extra maintenance in removal of mess. Any urine will drain away in the same way as rainwater but unlike on a real lawn it will not stain the grass as it passes through. Dog mess can be lifted easily off the grass and any troublesome areas can be hosed off. If required disinfectant can be used.

As a final tip if you are painting a fence or the house and the lawn is nearby it is best to cover the lawned area to prevent any spillage's onto the grass.

No More Muddy Paws - Artificial Grass Lawn for your Dog

Last week we had a large number of calls from dog owners considering replacing their lawn with artificial grass. This is something that we get asked about often! There are a few reasons why dog owners see artificial grass as an ideal alternative to their real lawn. If you are a dog owner yourself no doubt you will be able to relate to most of these:

1. Muddy paws walking back into the house! 

With the combination of the ever changeable weather here in the UK and a playful dog running around your lawn it is inevitable that muddy paw prints will end up being walked back into the house. With an artificial lawn installation there will be no more muddy paws. No matter what the weather your dog can play outside without the worry of the mess you'll have to clear up afterwards.

2. Staining and Odour

A lot of dog owners ring us because they have an issue with staining on their real grass, once an area is stained it will take a lot of hard work to get it back into shape. The artificial turf will not stain and the grass is permeable so any urine will drain away freely just the same as rainwater. Any dog mess can be scooped off the lawn and the lawn can be hosed every now and again to get rid of any stubborn mess. There will be no risk of odour either as everything drains away. The area could even be disinfected if required and this would not damage the surface in any way.

3. Damaged and worn patches of lawn

If you have a boisterous dog playing on your lawn on a regular basis you will find yourself with worn patches where the grass struggles to re-grow and it will also be highly likely that your dog will try to dig up areas of your lawn. Our artificial grasses are so hard wearing that they can withstand constant play. Not only do you benefit from this but you also have a lush, green lawn all year round whatever the weather and however much punishment it has taken. You will also find that your dog won't attempt to dig areas of the artificial grass lawn up.

In conclusion, you will find that an artificial grass lawn is a perfect solution for your lawn as a dog owner. It is also perfect for kennel owners who struggle to maintain an exercise area for the dogs in their care. All our turfs are non-toxic, UK manufactured and suitable for pets and there is something to suit everybody's budget. For more information please visit www.hitechturf.co.uk

Safe Play Shock Pad for Artificial Grass Installations for Children

We are now extremely pleased to be able to add to our range an affordable shock pad underlay which can be laid directly under our artificial grass products to create a safe play surface for children.

As the products in our artificial turf range are manufactured from soft polyethylene yarns they are ideal for children's play areas. If installing play equipment in an area it is vitally important to make sure the floor surface adheres to the correct critical fall height and the installation of shock pad underneath the grass allows for this. It is an excellent alternative to wet pour and bark mulch.

The Safe Play Shock Pad should be installed under a sand filled grass to achieve the optimum critical fall height. The pads are available in a 25mm and 45mm thickness. A critical fall height of 1.4m can be achieved with the 25mm pad and a critical fall height of 1.8m can be achieved with the 45mm pad. The shock pads are manufactured from scrap cross-linked polyethylene foam which ordinarily would have gone to landfill.

The pads are priced per square metre:

25mm - £9.99 including VAT per m2

45mm - £12.50 including VAT per m2

For more information on our HT Safe Play Shock Pads visit our website http://www.hitechturf.co.uk/

Office Installed with Artificial Grass

Artificial Grass isn't just a product for outdoor use it also lends itself very well to indoor situations. This week we installed our HT Finesse artificial turf product within an office in Lymm. The office of Space Design & Management in Lymm wanted to install the grass as a showcase. As a design company they are looking to add the artificial turf to their range and offer it as an alternative floor covering at offices, schools and retail outlets.

The installation of artificial grass as an alternative floor covering can brighten up an indoor space considerably and brings the outdoors indoors. It can be looked after in much the same way as a carpet. It can even be secured to walls. A well designed office has been proven to improve morale and productivity and reduce resignations and absences.

Space Design and Management LLP are based in Lymm and provide a design and management consultancy service for offices, educational and retail sectors. They deal with design, fixtures, fittings, furniture and integration. They can be contacted on 0844 209 8422 or www.space0.co.uk.

Brand new range of artificial grass for 2011

We are delighted to announce that we have a brand new range of artificial grass for 2011. We always strive to provide a range of grasses that are suited to a wide variety of applications, personal preferences and budgets. All our products come with a 5 year guarantee, are free draining and are non toxic making them child and pet friendly. They are all manufactured in the UK. All prices quoted include VAT. 

HT Vision

At £27.00 per square metre this is our top of the range turf. HT Vision is a natural looking grass with fantastic aesthetics which make it ideal for your lawn. This turf will provide you with a lawn that is lush and green all year round, it has an extremely dense springy pile and has the added benefit of being a UK manufactured turf to be produced from recycled materials. The element of the turf which has been recycled utilises 15 plastic bottles in it's make up. This product has a 30mm pile height. 

HT Finesse

At £23.00 per square metre this mid-range turf is ideal for a variety of applications including lawn coverage or children's play areas, as the pile height stands at 26mm this makes it easy for children to move around on. HT Finesse is again very dense and is extremely soft to touch. This multi-coloured surface with a two tone brown thatch layer provides for a natural lush appearance. Due to the density of the product this can be used as a non sand in-fill product.

HT Aspire

Another of our mid range turfs, HT Aspire is priced at £22.00 per square metre. HT Aspire is a very realistic looking turf with a very straight blade, it is extremely hard wearing which makes it ideal for heavy use areas and the blade will remain straight and true after use. The appearance of a well kept lawn is achieved by the two contrasting colours in the turfs make up. The pile height of this grass is 30mm and it will require a sand in-fill. 

HT Fresco

At £16.00 per square metre this is at the lower price bracket of the range. HT Fresco provides a realistic looking turf which should be sand dressed for stability. This is a soft product which will give the appearance of a meadow style lawn once laid. With a 35mm pile height this is the longest pile in our range of turfs. 

HT Urban Lawn

The lowest priced turf in our range HT Urban Lawn comes in at £11.00 per square metre, it is also the shortest artificial grass with a 24mm pile height. This grass is perfect for both domestic and commercial applications, again it's pile height and softness means that it lends itself well to a children's play environment. This affordable turf is designed to fit anybody's budget. It is a one colour olive green, sand in-fill product which has been designed to give a natural appearance at a reasonable price. 

We hope that our new range includes something for everybody at affordable prices. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. 

White Christmas in demand with artificial grass

We have been inundated recently with requests for white artificial grass. This is not something we would usually be asked for but as it's perfect for creating winter snow scenes it has been in high demand. The white artificial turf is ideal for use around Santa's grotto, at Christmas fairs & markets, in shop displays to create a snowy scene and even underneath your Christmas tree.

The white artificial grass is ideal as an alternative to fake snow as it gives the same impression but is easy to clean and doesn't leave a residue as fake snow would. So when you go to visit Santa this Christmas keep an eye out for some white synthetic turf under foot as it just might be ours!

Artificial Grass could complement the kids Christmas Presents in 2010!

Christmas is fast approaching and it is time to think about what would be good for the children this year. If a trampoline or climbing frame is on the Christmas list to Santa it may be time to think about the lawn as well. Inevitably those trampolines and climbing frames end up on the lawn which with a trampoline on top will struggle to grow.

If you are striving for the perfect lawn but also want to keep the kids happy this Christmas then artificial grass could be the perfect solution. We offer a wide range of artificial grasses which will suit a variety of budgets and styles. We have a number of turfs which provide the natural look of a lawn but are also incredibly hard wearing for the children to play on. All the turfs are non-toxic and are completely safe for children. With artificial grass there is the added benefit of no muddy footprints being trodden through the house once the children come in from playing.

If you are purchasing a trampoline or climbing frame there is also the safety aspect to consider. Our artificial turf can be easily complimented with safety impact matting which would create a critical fall height under play equipment.

Not only would synthetic turf create a perfect safe lawn for the kids but it would be the end of mowing, weeding, feeding and watering your lawn! The perfect Christmas present for everyone in the family.