Homeowners looking for low-maintenance solutions to keep their lawn looking great year round may find themselves looking into artificial grass vs real grass at some point. While the initial draw is understandable, it turns out there may not be as many clear upsides to having the fake stuff versus a lush yard with living grass, even in terms of upkeep!
Today, we’re taking a look at artificial grass vs real grass. Which is better? Which is right for your home? We’re looking at how the two compare for common concerns homeowners have about their yards. Read on, and find out more!
Debating Artificial Grass vs Real Grass
We get it, after a long week working, juggling a family schedule, or just trying to have a social life, spending your weekend doing a ton of lawn maintenance to keep your yard looking nice may not sound super appealing. Because of this, many homeowners find themselves debating artificial grass vs real grass. There’s more when comparing the two than simple upkeep, though. Some factors you should consider include:
- Maintaining artificial grass vs real grass
- Cost of artificial grass vs real grass
- Environmental impact of each type of grass
- How real grass vs artificial grass feels
- Look of fake grass vs real grass
- Artificial grass and pets
- Durability of real grass vs artificial grass
Maintaining Artificial Grass vs Real Grass
It’s not surprising that the number one reason homeowners start debating between artificial grass vs real grass is thinking about maintenance requirements. After all, you have to mow real grass but not artificial turf, right? While that’s true, it doesn’t mean that a real lawn has to take up your free time, nor does it mean that fake grass is maintenance-free.
Learning how to take care of your lawn year round can be made simple with seasonal care routines like spring and fall yard cleanup as well as mowing it at the right times. Don’t feel like having to handle those tasks on your own? You don’t have to! With the right landscaping company, you can have your lawn looking incredible year after year without having to lift a finger. From overseeding, aeration, lawn cleanup, and mowing, professional landscapers in Upstate NY lawn be the envy of the neighborhood.
What about watering real grass vs artificial grass? Did you know that you still need to hose fake grass down? While it doesn’t need water to survive, it does need to be cleaned with a thorough washing at least once every other month. If your yard gets more foot traffic, that may mean you end up washing your yard (how strange does that sound?) more often than that, as well. Artificial grass may also need brushing to maintain its volume and not be flattened down.
In all, you’ll find that in the debate between artificial grass vs real grass, neither is maintenance-free, but a great landscaping company will offer services to keep you from having to handle any maintenance on your own.
Cost of Artificial Grass vs Real Grass
Next up on the list for many homeowners comes the comparison of the cost of artificial grass vs real grass. Here, we’re talking about both the cost of installation and the cost of upkeep.
General Cost
In terms of the initial cost of real grass vs artificial grass, sod is often much cheaper. While you may be able to find some fake grass options that are less expensive, you’ll immediately see the difference in quality as cheaper artificial choices will not look as nice, feel nice, or have the same durability. On average, the cost of sod installation by a professional landscaping company can be almost half the cost of artificial options!
Upkeep/Maintenance Costs
When you start to consider the maintenance cost of artificial grass vs real grass, you have to take into account whether you’re mowing the lawn yourself or outsourcing lawn care to professionals as well as factors like water usage and other upkeep. The easiest way to keep your yard looking great is to hire lawn care professionals like us. Our teams will work with you to determine what lawn maintenance includes, frequency of care, and more.
The cost of professional lawn maintenance doesn’t mean having real grass vs artificial grass is a major spending difference, however. The Capital Region sees plenty of rainfall throughout the year, meaning you may not have to water your lawn quite as frequently as in dryer climates. That said, simple rain may not be enough to properly clean your artificial grass, meaning you could be using more water and increasing those costs to maintain fake grass options.
Environmental Impact of Each Type of Grass
Another factor many homeowners may consider when debating between artificial grass vs real grass is the environmental impact of each. Neither is completely neutral. Where real grass requires watering to stay lush and green, fake grass also needs to be hosed down relatively frequently in order to avoid stains, urine smells from animals, to remove pollen, and more.
Artificial grass also comes with the environmental impact of its production, however, which is typically non-biodegradable and often made using plastic products. There are some artificial grass options made using sustainable materials, but that commonly raises the cost of installation drastically.
How Real Grass vs Artificial Grass Feels
Whether you’re an adult or a kid, there’s something special about the feeling of grass beneath your feet! This is a major difference between real grass vs artificial grass you can’t ignore. No matter what kind of product your fake grass is, it won’t feel the same or give the same experience as natural grass. Connecting back to the ground in a natural way is important and only real grass offers that.
When it comes to how artificial grass vs real grass feels, there’s also a difference in texture. While fake grass is produced to try and mimic the look and texture of real grass, the fact remains that it simply isn’t real at all. No matter the quality, there’s always going to be something different about the texture of each that you’ll be able to notice.
Look of Fake Grass vs Real Grass
Similar to how they feel, another factor when thinking about real grass vs artificial grass is how it looks. Cheaper options for artificial grass are often obvious, standing out for all the wrong reasons. While high-quality fake grass options may be closer to resembling real grass, nothing beats the original!
Furthermore, as the seasons change, artificial grass will stay the same color. While this might sound like a positive, at first, it will stand out and look all the more fake when your neighbor’s yards are changing with the seasons and yours is not. This is one of those factors that sounds good in theory, but is often less desirable in practice.
Artificial Grass and Pets
A major factor to consider when debating artificial grass vs real grass is if you have pets. Fake grass options are prone to retaining urine smells from animals, making them a no-go for most homeowners with pets who venture out into the yard. These pet restroom breaks can also leave your artificial grass stained and looking bad.
Real grass, however, doesn’t retain those odors or stains, making them a clear winner for people considering dog-friendly landscaping ideas or who may otherwise have frequent visits from other wildlife in their yard.
Durability of Fake Grass vs Real Grass
When you’re making an investment in your yard, you want to ensure you’re getting the most for your money. While the durability of some artificial grass options may be lengthy, the fact is that it will eventually need to be replaced. Not only is this a consideration for maintenance as you’re living there, but it could be a factor working against your profit margin if you consider selling your property down the line.
Real grass can be maintained to come back year after year. Outsourcing your Upstate NY lawn maintenance to professionals means you’re more likely to need spot treatments as the seasons change instead of needing to replace whole sections of your yard constantly. Real grass also doesn’t run the risk of being permanently flattened by foot traffic as easily as artificial grass does.
There are many considerations to have in the debate between artificial grass vs real grass. As a homeowner, you want your lawn to look its best all year round, but that can be achieved just as easily with real grass. The difference in maintenance, cost, and care aren’t as different as you may have originally thought! In the end, nothing beat the real deal. Ready to make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood? Give us a call and let us give you the best yard around.
