Artificial Grass vs Real Grass
So, you’ve decided to make your lawn look better. That’s a good first step, but now you need to decide between artificial grass vs real grass. Grass is a big part of landscaping for most people. In terms of its size and visual impact, the Artificial Turf in the front yard is the first thing people notice. Deciding on putting in artificial grass or real grass is a big one, and this article will help you make the call!
First, real grass requires you to water it regularly. Depending on where you live, it may require extensive watering in the morning and evening. Also, in the south, you may have watering restrictions that prevent watering enough to keep the grass healthy. On the other hand, artificial grass only requires occasional water; this is usually when you need to clean it. Just hose down the artificial grass for 10 seconds is usually enough to get rid of the grime and dirt.
Second, artificial grass doesn’t require pesticides and fertilizer to keep it green and healthy. This means that real grass could sometimes be harmful to children or pets. This is a reason that more parks and playgrounds have installed artificial grass in recent times. That said, real grass can be safe for your family if it has not been treated recently with certain fertilizers and pesticides.
Third, artificial grass does not need to be mowed. Now, some homeowners like mowing their grass; there’s nothing like the aroma of a freshly mowed lawn in the morning or evening. However, many people prefer not to have to worry about mowing the grass. Also, mowing with a gas mower impacts the environment. A recent study found that running a gas lawnmower puts out almost an equal amount of pollution into the environment as driving 100 miles.
The Cost Factor
Generally, installing an artificial lawn will cost more than installing real grass. The examples below assume installing 1,000 square feet of grass, which is a typical size of a front yard.
Artificial Grass
Installing an artificial grass lawn has many factors that affect the price, including material, labor, fees, overhead, and company profit. Installing 1,000 square feet of lawn will take one or two days, on average.
Pricing for artificial grass begins around $9 and goes up from there. So, installing 1,000 square feet of artificial grass may cost approximately $9,000. This is more expensive than grass, but you don’t have to water or maintain it.
Natural Grass
You can either sod or seed your lawn if you want real grass. Sod is already grown and is brought to your home from a sod farm, so it will cost more than seed. Sod has various price points, depending on the area of the country and type of grass. Generally, installing sod starts at approximately $3.50, which usually includes removing the current law. So, if you have a 1,000 square foot lawn, installing the grass will cost about $3,500. If you want to add a sprinkler system, it will and about another $3,000 or $4,000.
On the other hand, if you prefer seeding, it costs about .05 per square foot to see your lawn, or $50 for 1,000 square feet. Only seeds are being put down, so a lot of the cost of the lawn will be watering for the first two months. Depending on where you are in the US, you can expect two months of lawn watering to cost $100 to $350 as of 2024.
