Artificial grass, sometimes referred to as “astroturf”, is becoming more and more popular every year. Maintaining a perfectly green lawn takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Many people are turning to artificial grass as an alternative to keeping a well-manicured lawn. Questions come up, though, and one of the biggest is whether or not artificial grass will get too hot to walk on.
Artificial Grass will get hot when the sun shines on it however, the heat will not be unbearable like ash felt. You can easily cool the fake grass down by pouring water over it.
First, it’s important to understand what artificial grass is. While exact composition is going to vary from product to product, artificial grass is generally made from plastic and rubber. That’s what helps it to stay vibrant and strong for years, and also what makes its production fairly inexpensive.
Obviously, rubber and plastic aren’t like regular grass much at all. Artificial grass will get hotter to walk on than regular, natural grass. On average, an artificial lawn will heat up 20-50 degrees Farenheit more than natural grass. That might sound like a big difference initially, but the heat factor of artificial grass is entirely something that can be managed.
How Do You Cool Down Artificial Grass?
When it comes to cooling down your artificial grass, the best bet is to be a good planner. There are many things that you can do to the design of your artificial lawn that will help to keep it cool and usable even on the hottest days of the year. Obviously you can shade the lawn with awnings, trees, and umbrellas, but if you want a more reliable solution, you’ll need to be careful with how you build your artificial lawn.
First you’ll want to consider the materials used in your artificial grass. Not all are created equal, so do your research. Generally speaking, artificial grass that is heavily reliant on rubber will get quite a bit hotter than grass that relies soley on plastic. Make sure to check which material is used in your grasses infill. Use common sense principles, like picking the lightest colored grass possible, to avoid as much heat absorption as you can.
You can also design your artificial lawn with a cooling system. It may seem silly to have a method for watering your plastic lawn, but cooling systems can really help to lower the lawn’s temperature and make it feel more natural and usable. Particularly for lawns in extremely hot climates, a cooling system is something that you should consider.
Is there an artificial grass that doesn’t get hot?
Some people don’t want to deal with all the extra planning or don’t want to invest in expensive cooling systems for their lawn. They’re wondering if there’s just a simple type of artificial grass that doesn’t get hot.
Unfortunately, there’s no perfect answer here. As artificial grass becomes more and more popular, companies are searching for solutions to the overheating problem. There are some types of artificial grass that claim to be much cooler than others. For example, some grasses are designed with special reflective materials. The idea is that those grasses will reflect a large amount of the sun’s light and heat back out into the air.
These types of grasses are still in early development, but they are very promising. Some are available on the market now, and more user reviews and workings will help to make it clearer if this artificial grass works as advertised. One thing that is unavoidable with any artificial grass is that the area around it will get warmer. Artificial grass just doesn’t disperse heat from the environment the same way natural grass does.
How do I stop my artificial grass from getting hot?
Let’s say you’ve already got an artificial lawn installed around your home. The color is a little dark. The infill is definitely made of rubber. You didn’t even consider that a cooling system might be a good option for you. There are still ways to prevent your artificial grass from overheating.
Shade and water are your friends here. Get a retractable awning that you can use to cover the part of your lawn that you most want to use on a hot day. Or, take your hose or sprinklers out into the lawn and water it. The water won’t disturb the artificial grass at all, but it will greatly reduce its heat.
Is artificial grass hot to walk on? Yes, but the heat is manageable, and your artificial grass can still be perfect for you, your family, and your guests.