Can Your Children be Around Synthetic Turf?
Posted by Matt Garrabrants on
Most parents see the word ‘artificial’ or ‘synthetic’ and panic about their children’s well being This concern extends to apprehension about artificial turf, especially since it is one thing young children and household pets come into repeated contact with as they play or exercise. Parents often question whether the artificial grass could possibly damage skin, have adverse effects if in close contact with someone, or could burn if children fall down while playing.
Other concerns also arise regarding the need for shock pads, or the sensitivity the materials used have to sunlight. For any parent or pet owner reading this, these queries are natural and the answer to all of them is that artificial lawns in no way interfere with the well being and safety of your child, nor are they a danger to anyone that comes in contact with them.
In fact, it is possible for you to purchase synthetic grass that comes in varying thickness and density due to differences in pile heights. The taller the artificial grass will be the softer it will be. The shorter pile varieties are ideal for sports such as baseball since they are designed in a way that prohibits skin burns as someone slides.
As a matter of fact, Astroturf is quite the opposite of harmful; so much so that parents are choosing to place it in children’s bedrooms and nurseries for a whimsical effect! Certain types of synthetic grass are created in a curled design to provide a supple surface for your child to crawl on. Adding a shock pad that goes underneath the surface of the fake lawn is even better, as it will protect your child if they fall.
There is a slight risk of burns with the short pile artificial lawns as well as with the varieties that use a sand filling, but the long pile synthetic lawns and the non-sand filled varieties provide no such danger. The best thing to get if you are concerned about your children is the grass made of polyethylene, which does not burn or scratch if they fall, skid or slip on its surface.
Although it is a lesser concern in comparison, you should also know that running and playing on the grass will not damage the surface of your artificial lawn either, since the blades of the artificial grass return to their original shape and position and do not flatten out.
Artificial lawn grass is extremely pet-friendly. There should be no trouble at all when you are picking up your dog’s mess and if you feel like it, feel free to leave the smaller pieces behind as they are washed away with the rain. Dog urine will not spoil the color or the texture of the grass, and it is resistant to water.
Thus, field turf is a good choice to have when you are considering something for your lawn that has to be used for small children and pets to play on! The synthetic grass will be sanded over after it is put in as another safety measure so you should have nothing to fear.
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