Artificial Lawn & Grass in Arizona 480-586-0655

As the years go on, artificial turf gets talked about more and more. Whether it is a discussion about the positives or negatives behind implementing synthetic grass, it is nonetheless an active discourse happening all over the country. The overwhelming use of turf cannot be ignored as it continues to grow in more and more communities, neighborhoods, parks, and school yards.

Schools in particular are warming to turf for more and more projects. Some schools claim it even boosts morale, because the children have more opportunity to play, and practice sports throughout the year. Schools, who usually have a heard time sticking to budgets can now put money previously used for field maintenance to better uses in the classroom. One school in the article linked above, stated that they are even going to sell their riding lawn mower as a fundraiser because it hasn’t been touched since the turfs were installed.

Covering the asphalt used in some playgrounds and areas also lead to a higher standard of safety as well. There are less cuts and scrapes and overall injuries. Occasionally on turf you will see a minor “turf burn” style scratch, but as the technology improves the rubber blades become softer and more natural this will also be a thing of the past.

Has your school looked into the trend that’s sweeping America? It should.

New York is commonly referred to as the concrete jungle. Basketball courts, asphalt playgrounds, and hundreds of miles of sidewalk are the images one recalls when someone thinks about New York City. All of its greenery is supposedly kept up in that gigantic, rectangular, famous Central Park, right? Wrong.

In 1998 Chelsea Park became the first park in Manhattan to be done over in Artificial Turf. On the west side of the island, this big sports complex is now a host to city-wide soccer teams, and active New Yorkers.

The problem with grass is that it constantly needs to be maintained, this is why New York generally defaults to asphalt, because it only needs the occasional patch work and crack fills for when it breaks down. Also, in order for grass to regrow, the fields need to be temporarily closed. When you look at New York’s long winter, and then ask them to close their fields even longer, this shortens precious outdoors time.

In 2001 Mayor Bloomberg vowed that his administration would seek out asphalt fields/courts and replace then with synthetic turf, and now New York is the largest buyer of synthetic turf nationwide.

Shouldn’t other cities follow suit?

There is a heated debate happening in San Francisco right now regarding the covering of a soccer field with Artificial Turf. One side of the coin states that by covering a soccer field with synthetic grass it is hurting the environment & the path of certain migratory birds who frequent the area. The flip side of that coin states that by covering the field with grass they are saving millions of gallons of water, and allowing the field to be used all year instead of waiting for it to re-grow.

There are as many arguments for and against using turf. Many wonder if the chemicals used to treat it could cause harm to the environment or if the amount of heat that radiates off of the grass could contribute to global warming. Others say that because it requires very little maintenance, materials, & tools over a longer period of time, the overwhelming benefits outweigh the possible negatives.

Most don’t take an official stance on either side, but since more and more fields are being put in place, the evidence speaks for itself.

When you were a kid, maybe you played baseball, or soccer, or football. The field you held your competitions or games on could have been made of either real or synthetic grass, but most likely the fields you practiced on were composed of real grass. Odds are on a warm summer day, when the fields are being cut by lawnmowers, and tended to by groundskeepers, the smell of fresh cut grass is the only memory you have of that time.

However, what if you could keep a piece of that turf on a shelf to see, to hold, to touch? Imagine, looking up at any moment in the middle of winter and seeing that turf sitting there all of the memories that could come rushing back.

That is exactly what the Dallas Cowboys have just done. According to ESPN.com today, Texas Stadium is now offering various pieces to be sold off as keepsakes from the Cowboys and the stadium. The most interesting are the two Artificial Turf momentos – one, an etched-glass display case with a bit of turf inside of it, and the other a set of Dallas Cowboys coasters, with a circle in the center full of turf.

I suppose this could be done with real grass too, but over time it would brown and not be anywhere near as fun. The legend of the artificial turf of Texas Stadium will live on forever in the memories of its fans.