Is artificial turf a decorative or technical product?

A question that surely does not have a single correct answer. In any case for us it is a technical product that fulfills a decorative and practical function. You may be thinking that this is a bit of a cheating answer. Let us explain.

Artificial turf is a technical product because it is a technological development based on various types of fibers and manufacturing processes. This means that, depending on the raw material used and the technology applied, the result of the product and its performance can be very different. Strictly speaking, therefore, we cannot speak of “artificial turf”, but rather of “artificial lawnsin the plural, depending on the components, technology, recommended use, etc. Therefore, if you are thinking of buying an artificial turf, the first thing to do is to be well informed in order to make a good decision.

Invest or cheap?

As a technical product , artificial turf must offer you some benefits and guarantees. Performance related to its daily use. Guarantees related to its durability. That is why the purchase of an artificial turf for your home, whether for residential or sports purposes, requires a process of study and comparison.

We advise you to compare what each lawn offers you on different basic parameters and their respective prices. If you only compare prices it will be as if you were comparing an Audi with a Seat only for its selling price, using only the price factor in the comparison it is clear that the best option would be a Seat. Precisely because of this advice we give you should consider the purchase of the lawn as an investment, and therefore should take into account aspects related to its profitability in its use over time. Because a diesel engine may be more expensive the day you buy it, but what about when you have covered 100,000 kilometers after three years?

Buying artificial turf is investing in your home. Investing in improving the aesthetics and functionality of your garden or sports field. To invest in enjoying more free time due to the low maintenance required by artificial turf, can you imagine not having to mow it anymore? Invest by saving on fertilizers, chemicals and water. Invest by adding more value to your home. And a value that lasts for years, because… what to do with a frayed or colorless artificial turf after three years? Sometimes buying the cheapest is not a good investment.

Some technical terms you may want to know about

Without being exhaustive, here are some technical aspects that you should know when buying any artificial turf:

• Decitex: The Dtex is a unit of yarn measurement that indicates the weight in decigrams of 10,000 meters of yarn. Thus the lower the decitex the finer the yarn. Normally the Decitex are presented followed by a bar and a number, as for example: 8800/8, this would mean that this grass has a fiber of 8800 Dtex and 8 ends, so each end has 1100 Dtex. For a gardening lawn it is convenient that each end has between 850 and 1100 Dtex. However, for a soccer turf, for example, each end should have between 1500 and 2000 Dtex, since the use is going to be more intensive. The density of the fiber indicates how soft and cushioned the grass is, so the higher the density, the better the tread, the more cushioned it is, and the more it recovers after it, therefore the more vertical it is.

• Microns: Microns measure the thickness of the fiber, i.e. the narrow part (explanatory photo). This is important because the durability of the turf depends to a large extent on the microns. The more microns, the more matter there is and the more durability the grass will have, since it will take longer to wear out due to UV rays. As a reference, a lawn for gardening should have at least 100 microns.

• Raw material: Basically, three materials are used for turf:
  • Polypropylene (PP): it is a material that is only used in curly form for garden turf, because it is more abrasive and therefore less pleasant to the touch, and it also has a lower durability.
  • Polyethylene (PE): it is a material used both for gardening and sports turf. With this material we get a very soft and pleasant to the touch turf. In addition, the durability is much higher, because it is already more resistant to UV rays.
  • Polyamide (PA): it is the most resistant and hardest material, but it is also the most abrasive, that is why in gardening it is only used as infill for high-end turf, since it curls a lot and does not end up matting with PE, offering a perfect result when combined.

• Guarantees and Certificates:
  We can guarantee because we work with the best. With the best manufacturers of fibers and raw materials, both European and national. With the best independent technical laboratories. Laboratories where renowned experts check and ensure that our products meet the highest quality standards. We give the best guarantees because we have the best.

The next question is: where is it from?

Knowing the origin is crucial when buying artificial turf. A crucial piece of information to be able to compare real quality levels and to avoid possible future problems. If when comparing two types of turf there is a big difference in price, the next question should be: where is the cheap one manufactured? It is quite possible that the cheaper one comes from somewhere in East Asia (China, Taiwan, etc.). And if it meets those two conditions, very cheap and from East Asia, the next question is: can you show me a heavy metal certificate for the turf?

As is well known, the regulations in China, Taiwan and other countries in the area in terms of quality control and health safety are far from the European standard. This does not mean that all products manufactured there are hazardous to health or the environment, but it does mean that there is a higher risk that raw materials or processes not approved in Europe have been used in their manufacture.

Although it may come as a surprise to you, products manufactured under conditions that are not approved in terms of environmental friendliness, recycling or consumer health and hygiene can be found for sale in Europe. That is why we recommend you to ask where is it from? and ask about the relevant certifications and approvals.

Because having dozens of meters of a harmful product at home ends up being a problem.