The lifespan of a turf installation will vary slightly depending on the application, the materials used and how well it’s maintained. For the typical residential yard, you can expect to get at least 15+ years, assuming it’s not completely neglected.
We like to remind clients that artificial grass is low maintenance, but it’s not “no-maintenance”. Imagine your turf to be like an outdoor carpet. If you stopped vacuuming your carpet altogether and never had it professionally cleaned, it would get pretty disgusting after a couple of years! You may not see it on the surface, but over time your turf will naturally accumulate dirt, organic debris, hair, bacteria and more. This is why we provide each client with a pdf guide on how to care for their turf and offer an annual turf cleaning service, so you can get the longest possible lifespan out of your turf: Turf Cleaning
Another important factor is the materials that are chosen for your project. The turf manufacturers will all claim to have a similar warranty, but in our experience that is just their marketing, and it comes with a lot of “fine print.” Although the price point of the Chinese-made turf is more appealing, we find that it does not stand the test of time as well as the American-made turf (there’s a whole other article on the differences here: What’s the Difference Between Chinese Turf and American-made Turf) You have probably heard the saying “you get what you pay for”, and that definitely holds true when buying artificial grass in Vancouver. Although the samples of cheaper turf may look great aesthetically, they likely won’t look as good 5 years down the road because cheaper materials were used to produce it.
The amount of foot traffic an area receives will also impact the amount of wear and tear on your turf. If people are always walking or standing in one part of the yard more than others, this may become noticeable over time as the grass blades become matted over. If you intend to walk across the turf in a particular pattern frequently (like walking in from the garage), we recommend installing some stepping stones to reduce the wear pattern and improve the overall aesthetics. On my parent’s turf, we have a ping-pong table set up, but we try to rotate the table regularly to even out the areas where people are constantly standing.
Infill actually plays a big role in how the grass blades will “bounce back” after being stepped on. Envirofill was designed in such a way that it will not compact over time, therefore making it the top choice for higher-traffic areas. Less expensive infill alternatives still provide ballast and stability to the grass blades, however, we have found Envirofill to provide the best performance and aesthetics over the long run (well worth the extra $0.60/square foot in our opinion)
Lastly, the installer you choose and their craftsmanship approach will affect how long the project lasts. It’s not difficult for a contractor to take shortcuts on materials and labour to make a higher profit in the short run, but those businesses tend to disappear after a year or two. In contrast, when a company has built up a great reputation over many years, they are playing “the long game”, which means there are zero compromises when it comes to craftsmanship. When we make critical decisions about a project, the first question we always ask ourselves is “will this be the right decision 20 years from now?”. That mindset has become part of our company culture and yes, we plan on still being in business and serving you again in 20 years when the time comes!
