One of the biggest advantages that come with using artificial grass is that they do not need fertilizers to grow. In fact, artificial grass doesn’t even need the right kind of soil or watering to remain green. That’s why they are so popular – they are virtually maintenance-free.
However, as much as that is a huge advantage, it also means faux grass blades don’t get the nutrients they need to remain upright. This means that, after some time and some use, those beautiful green blades that make up your turf will begin to flatten.
The best type of artificial turf often solves this problem by including a durable backing in the structure of the turf itself. This backing supports the blades and helps bounce back into place, thus making them resilient.
This solution, however, isn’t built to last forever. The longer your artificial turf is in use, the less resilient these blades will be. Soon enough, they will start looking flat and “unhealthy.” That is where artificial grass infill comes into play.
What is Artificial Grass Infill?
Artificial grass infill refers to the granular material placed between the blades or fibers of synthetic grass to ensure that the blades remain upright. There are several main reasons why your artificial turf needs some sort of infill:
- To help the blades bounce back and stay upright once they have been exposed to some kind of pressure that would otherwise make them flat
- It protects the original turf backing from the damage that would typically be caused by UV rays
If you think that maybe your turf won’t be exposed to that much human or pet traffic and therefore might not really need any kind of infill – there is a good chance that you might be right.
However, over time, even without any kind of pressure, UV rays will take its toll on the turf, and the blades will begin to falter. Additionally, the best kind of infill goes towards giving your synthetic turf a natural feel.
Depending on the kind of infill you choose, it will mimic the shock absorption qualities that you would typically experience when stepping on the soil that is found under real grass. This makes you feel as though you are walking on real grass.
Another reason why you need to include artificial grass infill in your turf budget is the fact that it helps to weight down the overall turf. This plays a big role in preventing the turf from wrinkling, developing ripples, and causing it to move out of place with time.
Furthermore, the right kind of infill does wonders for turf drainage. This means that you won’t find water pooling, thus ruining your synthetic grass and creating a health hazard.
There is no doubt that you need to buy some kind of infill if your synthetic turf is going to experience a reasonable amount of pressure, precipitation, or some UV rays.
The Different Types of Artificial Grass Infills
There are many different types of artificial turf infill. All of these types are designed to offer your turf the same kinds of benefits. However, as is the case with almost every other product in a free market, some do a much better job of delivering these benefits than others.
Here are a few of the different types of artificial grass infill that you can consider for your synthetic turf:
Rubber Infill
Rubber infills are some of the best options available on the market today for three main reasons:
- Rubber is soft and gives your turf a wonderful, soft feel underfoot, which makes it feel like natural soil and grass.
- Rubber offers a natural bounce that makes your artificial grass more permeable.
- Rubber adds some volume to your turf, thus making it look “healthier,” lusher and fuller which makes it look better overall.
While rubber infills have all these wonderful advantages, they also bring with them a few notable disadvantages:
- Rubber tends to absorb heat, which then makes the surface of your turf hot and uncomfortable during summer.
- It tends to trap dust, which can then be kicked up by your feet causing allergies.
- It doesn’t kill any kind of bacteria and traps odors.
Rubber infills are perfect for turf that receives moderate to light traffic. You can best use this kind of infill for synthetic grass on lawns, retail spaces and play areas.
Silica Sand
Silica sand comes broken down quartz that has been eroded by water and wind. The result small granules are known as silica sand, and it’s used in a wide variety of commercial applications such as artificial turf infill.
Despite being the cheapest type of infill, silica sand is very effective when it comes to keeping the artificial grass blades upright. Another huge advantage is that silica sand is very good at improving drainage. Silica sand, however, has some huge disadvantages such as:
- The granules aren’t exactly rounded but angular, which can make this kind of infill a little uncomfortable underfoot sometimes.
- Its composition tends to harden sometimes, which means your turf won’t be as soft or permeable as you would like it to be.
- It tends to trap pet odor, which means it’s no good for people with pets.
This type of infill is great for places that don’t see a great deal of traffic, such as balconies, open fields, and commercial spaces.
Durafill Sand
Now, this type of infill is specifically made for artificial turf. Made out of rounded quartz core, this type of infill has a lot of advantages to its name:
- It stays cool, which means your turf will be comfortable through summer
- It has anti-microbial properties that tend to kill many types of bacteria
- It isn’t absorbent, which makes it perfect for people who have pets that tend to pee on the turf a lot
- The fact that Durafill infill is rounded makes it softer and natural absorbent of any kind of impact that the turf might endure. This makes it safe for children to play on
Durafill infill doesn’t really have that many disadvantages. In fact, the only real disadvantage worth noting is that it’s a bit more expensive than the other two already mentioned here. Other than that, Durafill Infill can be used on any type of turf in any location.
While the other two types of infill do serve their specific purposes, if you have the money for it, you are advised to go for Durafill Infill. It’s just better.