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Artificial turf


ilovemyheckler
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Anyone got experience/advice regarding artificial turf?

We are about to get our back garden remodelled and are thinking of artificial turf for low maintenance and because we have three dogs.

Its not a huge area, probably 20m x 10m

Is any type suitable for dogs or would we need to get a pet specific type?

 

Thanks

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Not sure about low maintenance, I'm sure that you need to sweep regularly and apply sand as well as weeding, yes it does get weeds in it if you are not careful. We looked at different types of soft ground cover for a multi use area to the side of our church and this was rejected quickly due to the wear, environmental and maintenance issues.

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My sister has it, it doesn’t smell of pee or have any weeds and it looks great. 
 

It’s lovely having a nice real lawn without dogs but everyone I know with gundogs that wants a semi decent garden has sectioned their garden up and keeps the dogs off the grass. 
 

 

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6 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

everyone I know with gundogs that wants a semi decent garden has sectioned their garden up and keeps the dogs off the grass. 

This, it’s frankly disgusting to allow your dogs to defecate or urinate on your lawn if you use that space for your own amenity. Make your dogs a yard for toileting and then when they are in the garden they should be under control not coursing around like lunatics. Clear the yard twice a day and use Jeye’s fluid or similar to scrub it twice a week. My dogs’ yard is 10ft x 10ft and unseen from any part of the garden etc, behind a shed. One door from utility room opens directly onto it, the other opens onto the side garden for taking the dogs out for walks. 

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With the proper ground work and an appropriate quality synthetic turf it can, and mine does, look superb. When we used to have (were allowed) visitors people would often ask if it was real or fake grass ("it looks like real grass but I've never seen a real grass lawn look that flat and uniform").

We used to have patches in the real grass where the dog urinated, holes where he'd dug when a pup and would have the underfoot feel of a peat bog through most of the winter (despite having underground draining).

None of that any more and what a liberating feeling chucking the lawn mower and strimmer out.

If the ground work is done properly the only weeds you should get are growing out of the sediment above the turf and can be easily removed.

There is an issue of odour from dog urine but a wash down once a week keeps that at bay. We vacum it a couple or three times a year too which always amuses the neighbour, truth is he's "green" with envy though.

PS - IMHO do not even consider the striped varieties, I've yet to see an installation with that which looks in any way authentic.

 

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I had it for a smallish area after a house rennovation as I couldn't face the prospect of keeping dogs and small children off an area to be seeded or turfed.

Glad I went for it; always looked vibrant, kids could the use the area any weather as drained and dried very quickly and no muddy / worn areas. 

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Everything said is true, but no one has mentioned how much heat it reflects !

when it’s hot you can’t walk barefoot on it. I’m in the trade and bought the dogs b version looked amazing but as others have said it needs jet-washing every year at the very least . Yes it’s does get weeds but nothing can prepare you for the heat that comes off it.

grass is better  

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I have both. The front being only a small area, we decided to have artificial turf put down last June. Apart from brushing it once to remove pine needles, from next doors tree, it still looks excellent and has had many admiring comments. It was not cheap, but it came with a 10 year warranty and was installed by Professionals.  The rear lawn is grass and as the lawn mower is getting old, well she is 74 this year, I bought a robotic mower thing, which I am in the middle of installing, it's only drawback is that it can NOT cook, so I am unable to bin the old lawn mower just yet  !     :no:   

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20 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

My sister has it, it doesn’t smell of pee or have any weeds and it looks great. 
 

It’s lovely having a nice real lawn without dogs but everyone I know with gundogs that wants a semi decent garden has sectioned their garden up and keeps the dogs off the grass. 
 

 

What you talking about. My lawn isn't sectioned off because of the dog. Only thing i get is the pee patches due to his pee killing the grass but that's just part of a dog on lawn. Why keep the dog off apart from that and being lazy not wanting to pick up poop..

I don't roll around on the grass or lick it or eat off it. I walk over it to get to one area to another. Simple

Edited by ShootingEgg
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Just now, JohnfromUK said:

I have to admit - I cannot ever recall anyone I know sectioning part of the garden off against the dog(s) (other than where food is grown).

Yeah our veg patch is but that's just because it will stop the dog trampling it all.

 

Do people who section off the garden use gloves to open gates or when out beating or in a hide? Lots of nasties out there

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If you have a large garden it makes sense to train your dog to use its yard to defecate rather than hunting around the grass for faeces. Some small faeces will invariably be missed only to be discovered under foot. I happily sleep on my lawn after a few beers in the sun. My children play on it and eat off it no doubt. I have friends and family over without worrying where they stand.

I know I will sound like a dog snob but when I go to someone’s house (frequently due to my profession) and they say “oh mind your step, we have dogs” I always have to catch myself from finishing “that you haven’t bothered to train”. 

 

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1 hour ago, WalkedUp said:

know I will sound like a dog snob but when I go to someone’s house (frequently due to my profession) and they say “oh mind your step, we have dogs” I always have to catch myself from finishing “that you haven’t bothered to train”. 

Not a snob. They are just lazy!

But are you saying you've never had a picnic in the park or are on the beach, they will be plenty of carp there probably inc human waste..

I'm not going to section my garden just because I have a dog, never seen the need. I've had spaniels in my life since day one. And I'm normal and healthy. 

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18 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said:

But are you saying you've never had a picnic in the park or are on the beach, they will be plenty of carp there probably inc human waste..

Sadly true, but I can do little about that. I send my time knee deep in all manners of muck on the farm, but it’s nice to have a small patch of England that is beautifully clean, fragrant and tidy. 

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On 15/04/2021 at 20:01, JohnfromUK said:

I have to admit - I cannot ever recall anyone I know sectioning part of the garden off against the dog(s) (other than where food is grown).

For the rare occasions my dogs don't go while out on a walk I've simply taught my dogs to go in one corner, if you train them properly there's no need to section the garden off, not that I would anyway. 

To the op definitely go lawn. 

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