Why Schools are Switching to Artificial Grass

Category: Home & Garden

Schools all over North America are making the switch to artificial grass as opposed to natural turf, and the demand is expected to continue to rise rapidly far into the foreseeable future. According to the Atlanta-based Synthetic Turf Council, more than 8,000 multi-use synthetic turf sports fields has been installed in North American schools, colleges, parks, and professional sports stadiums in the beginning of 2016. Half of all the teams in the National Football League play their games on synthetic turf. Since 2003, more than 70 World Cup Soccer matches have been played on fields constructed of artificial grass. Clearly, there are some significant advantages to installing and using artificial grass surfaces, seeing that so many organizations are making the switch. What exactly accounts for this soaring popularity? Artificial grass construction Artificial grass today represents an enormous improvement over the products first developed in the 1960s and 70s, which were fairly hard and unforgiving. Athletes often complained about the hard surfaces, which probably hindered the immediate growth of the industry. However, during the 1990s, synthetic turf production and development underwent serious creative innovation, and incorporated sand and rubber infills, which dramatically reduced player injuries, while at the same time, promoting better performance. The artificial grass systems of today have the look and feel of natural turf, while also offering playing characteristics which meet or exceed those associated with natural grass. Actual construction of today’s artificial grass systems includes a layer which promotes drainage, a multi-layered backing, and individual grass blades comprised of a granular filler resembling real natural turf. These artificial blades of grass are fixed in a topsoil layer made of sand and recycled tire rubber. Together the whole system provides the outstanding stability and resiliency necessary for superior athletic performance. Consistent appearance and performance There are quite a few reasons why artificial grass is enjoying this surge in popularity among schools and sports franchises throughout North America. Natural grass fields cannot retain their lush appearance when they are used for more than three to four times per week. In fact, natural grass can easily become trampled down due to the rigors of persistent heavy usage. For instance, a high school football team during the course of a season will normally conduct practices every day of the week, and then once a week to play an official game on the same field. Natural grass simply has no time to recover from the daily punishment inflicted by a large number of athletes abusing the field for several hours each day. Increased shareability When you add in additional abuse from other sources, such as rain storms, playing on a muddy field, sharing the field with other sports teams, and usage for other school events, a natural grass playing field can take so much punishment in a brief period of time, that it might easily burn out. More schools these days are finding it advantageous to share athletic fields between various outdoor sports teams, and avoid the considerable cost associated with maintaining a natural grass field. In addition, many areas of the country have a serious need to conserve water. When water is scarce, keeping a playing field hydrated can become quite problematic and costly. Safety and consistency As you might think, artificial grass fields are more durable compared to their natural counterparts, and will not be damaged by more or less continuous play. Since they can be used at all times, artificial grass fields allow for greater access and playing time, even during the months when natural grass will not grow. Because artificial turf does not degrade under any conditions, school sports teams do not have to tolerate event cancellations and re-scheduling of missed games due to field complications. It’s no exaggeration that artificial turf fields are safer than natural grass, because they provide a consistent playing surface in any kind of weather condition, whereas natural grass becomes slippery when wet, and can often promote injury among players. Summing up Based on the facts stated above, it’s fairly easy to see why so many schools and colleges are undertaking the expense of switching from natural grass to artificial grass. After paying for the one-time expense of the conversion, schools derive so many benefits from the artificial grass surface that it’s well worth their while to make the switch. While nothing is lost in terms of look and feel, a great deal is gained in terms of performance characteristics, higher degree of usability, the potential for increased revenue generation from other events, safety considerations, more and longer practice sessions, far fewer cancellations of games and events, and an overall lower cost per day of usage. To know more about synthetic turf and for all your turf needs, visit artificialgrasssuperstore.com–the leading online artificial turf manufacturer and supplier in the United States.