Artificial Turf near you

Turf solves specific problems better than it replaces a whole lawn. Before choosing it, look at how the spot is used, how it drains, how much sun hits it and what grows nearby.

A turf installation is closer to building a patio base than to laying sod. The grass and topsoil come out, the subgrade is shaped so water runs away from the house, and crushed stone is spread and compacted in layers to a firm, even surface. With freeze–thaw cycles, a base that is too thin, poorly compacted or sitting on wet clay heaves and leaves bumps and dips that show through the carpet. Ask each installer to state the excavation depth, base material, compaction method and where the water will go.

Infill is the loose material brushed between the blades. It weighs the carpet down, keeps the fibres upright, adds cushioning and shields the backing from sunlight, and it has the biggest effect on heat, odour and feel underfoot. For new installations, Toronto Public Health recommends alternative or less heat-absorbing infill rather than crumb rubber made from recycled tires.

Synthetic turf heats up in direct summer sun, and Toronto Public Health advises protecting exposed skin from contact with it in hot weather. Unlike grass, it doesn't cool itself by releasing moisture. Light-coloured or cooling infill, shade from a tree or pergola and a quick rinse before use help, but nothing makes it behave like living grass on a heat-wave afternoon. Keep grills, fire pits and cigarette butts well away, since the fibres melt.

Some municipalities require part of the front yard to stay soft, planted landscaping so rain can soak in, and they may not count synthetic turf toward it; others limit hard surfaces or require a minimum permeable area on the lot. Because turf sits on a compacted base and a plastic backing, a city may treat it more like paving than lawn, and turf that doesn't comply may have to come out. Check the zoning bylaw or ask the municipality before you sign.

Other rules can apply as well: condo and homeowners' associations that regulate how front yards look, municipal rules on grading and runoff, and tree protection where excavation would reach the roots of a protected tree. On a balcony or rooftop, the condo declaration and the building's membrane and drains come first.

Sunlight slowly breaks down the fibres and backing, and heavy traffic, dogs, thin infill and a poor base shorten the life of any product. The manufacturer's warranty is the best guide to what a product is expected to withstand, so read its exclusions. Turf is near the end when blades turn brittle or matted and no longer stand up, the backing tears, the colour has faded or odours won't rinse out.

Removal produces heavy rolls of plastic mixed with infill and debris. Recycling options for residential turf are limited in many areas, so ask the installer before buying who removes old turf, whether the infill can be separated and reused, and where the material ends up. Check your municipality's rules for renovation waste before assuming it can go out with household garbage.

Natural grass cools the ground, absorbs rain, supports soil life and can be repaired a patch at a time; in return it needs mowing, watering in dry spells, feeding and overseeding, and it struggles in deep shade and under heavy traffic. Turf stays green and usable without mowing or watering, but it heats up, keeps rain from reaching living soil and has to be replaced as a whole. Many yards combine the two: turf for the shaded strip or the dog run, grass or planted beds elsewhere. If you want to give real grass another try, the sod and lawn care pages cover installation and upkeep.