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Almost everyone wants a hassle free lawn and yet they still want it to look nice and be useful. Thankfully, artificial turf is a great way to create the lawn of your dreams at a low cost.   Because artificial turf is virtually maintenance free it adds to the appeal and makes artificial turf a high quality alternative for individuals throughout the country.

Real grass is so last year!

If you have decided enough is enough and its time you had something a bit less complicated to work with, try out artificial turf as an alternative.  For more information, please contact an ArtificialTurfSupply.com specialist today.

Assembly bill would allow artificial grass

By Michael Gardner, U-T SACRAMENTO BUREAU

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

SACRAMENTO — Rocky Wilson figures that just by landscaping his small front yard with artificial turf, he could save enough water annually to take a five-minute shower daily for about six years.

If only his homeowners association would let him.

Wilson has been working with the governing board of La Costa Greens, a master-planned community of single-family residences in Carlsbad, for nearly two years to secure permission amid steep water shortages and rationing across California.

“Why waste water?” he asked. “I was born and raised here. There’s always been drought.”

Wilson’s case isn’t isolated, according to state water officials and water districts in San Diego County.

They said that many HOAs have moved aggressively to reduce water consumption partly by planting drought-resistant vegetation or watering their lawns less often, but that some resist such changes because they want to preserve a certain look for their community’s landscaping. The opposition can come from an HOA board or certain residents in a complex.

“I’ve got some ratepayers fighting their homeowners associations over the right to put in low-water-use plants or artificial turf,” said Keith Lewinger, general manager of the Fallbrook Public Utility District.

Hoping to create a more uniform policy, water managers took their case to Sacramento. Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, D-San Diego, took up the cause.

“They need direction when we’re dealing with record drought,” Saldaña said in introducing Assembly Bill 1793.
Saldaña’s measure would require homeowners associations to allow installation of artificial turf. But in a nod to concerns about quality, the legislation permits those associations to establish design and quality standards for fake grass.

Although artificial turf is gaining more public acceptance as manufacturers make better-looking and longer-lasting versions, some HOA boards continue to have misgivings about the turf’s appearance and durability.

There are about 6,000 homeowners associations in San Diego County and 43,350 statewide, from condos to single-family developments, according to 2007 data compiled by Community Associations.

At Villa Portofino in Tierrasanta, Muriel Vasconcellos is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of her HOA having to accept artificial grass, partly because she’s worried about potentially dangerous chemicals that have been found in some varieties.

Vasconcellos, a member of her association’s landscaping committee, said local rules don’t expressly prohibit artificial turf, but she doesn’t get the sense that many neighbors support it.

“People around here enjoy our area for its natural beauty,” she said.

So she’s helping to replace her neighborhood’s grassy areas with drought-tolerant plants. “I like a natural solution,” Vasconcellos said.

Saldaña believes installing artificial grass will benefit HOAs by lowering water bills and maintenance costs. She lives in a rental complex that encourages use of artificial grass.

“It’s very attractive,” Saldaña said. “It obviously conserves water and can be maintained.”

Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, has endorsed Saldaña’s bill. Last year, he got the Legislature to pass legislation meant to push HOAs to allow more drought-resistant landscaping.

“We are still in a drought,” Lieu said. “We have to change our ways.”

The San Diego County Water Authority, noting that outdoor uses make up about 60 percent of household water consumption, is promoting artificial turf as an important way to battle drought.

“What we’ve been hearing for a number of months is that many HOAs were either prohibiting or limiting the use of artificial turf,” said William Rose, head of the authority’s conservation program.

His agency estimates that about 112 gallons of water would be saved each day if a coastal homeowner installed artificial grass in a 1,000-square-foot yard. That’s roughly 41,000 gallons a year.

The savings would be even greater in warmer inland communities: approximately 156 gallons a day, or about 57,000 gallons annually.

Wilson, a consultant for the Fastrucking shipping service in San Diego, estimates that he could use 30,000 fewer gallons a year by not watering his 300-square-foot front yard.

That’s enough for doing 1,200 loads of laundry with a newer, high-efficiency washing machine, or for flushing a low-flow toilet 18,750 times, according to the county water authority.

Wilson hopes the La Costa Greens board will approve his application and then clear the way for more of his neighbors to put in artificial grass. The savings could be 3 million gallons of water a year if 1,000 La Costa Greens residents converted, he said.

“It’s not for everybody, but the option should be there for those who want to,” Wilson said.

Staff writer Mike Lee contributed to this report.

by Mike Breslin

It’s been a long wait for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to weigh in on the safety of recreational products made from recycled tires. Finally, it released the results of a limited field monitoring study of artificial turf playing fields and playgrounds using recycled tire material or tire crumb. EPA plans to use the study information to help determine the next step to address questions regarding the safety of tire crumb infill in recreational fields.

In short, the EPA study found that using the material does not point to a concern for the agency at this time. This is another positive reinforcement for this sector of the recycling industry, which already knew from numerous laboratory analyses, state studies and independent field studies that the material posed little or no environmental danger or health risks.

Liberty Tire Recycling, the country’s largest recycler of scrap tires processes 110 to 120 million tires per year. Company president Don Rea commented on the EPA study, “There has been somewhere between 50 to 100 studies on crumb rubber. There has been so much study done that it doesn’t seem possible that someone is going to come up with another conclusion. It would have been nice if the EPA had just said this stuff is fine, forget it. If EPA was the least bit suspicious they would not have said what they said.”

Over the years, shredded and crumb rubber processed from recycled tires has found its way into many useful recreational and architectural applications. These include rubberized ground covers under playground equipment, running track material, soil additives for playing fields and sports flooring. Crumb rubber is also used in artificial turf fields between turf fibers to provide stability and resiliency.

According to the Synthetic Turf Council artificial turf has been installed in approximately 4,500 American fields, tracks and playgrounds. Synthetic turf was originally used in stadiums and on athletic fields for college and professional sports teams, but now is also used in municipal parks, golf courses, playgrounds, on cruise ships, in airports and residences for lawns. In addition, recycled tires are being processed into colorized mulches for residential and commercial applications, a growing market that exposes more people each year to the material.

This rubberization of surfaces offers many benefits to help prevent injuries and reduce stress on leg muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, and accounts for its widespread and increased use. This ability to absorb shock has taken rubberized surfacing into homes, workplaces, tennis courts, weight rooms, gyms, fitness centers and even to the equine and bovine worlds. And because it’s easier to clean and cleans more thoroughly, it’s more hygienic than other flooring materials such as wood or concrete.

Cow mats made from recycled tires are increasingly being used in dairy barns all over North America. Just like preventing injuries for humans in recreation and sport, cow mats prevent calves from getting hurt when they fall on concrete barn floors. The insulating properties also reduce cold and humidity on concrete floors to help protect cows against rheumatism and fatigue. Some diaries even attribute increased milk production to rubber flooring.

Abacus Sports Installations, Ltd., for instance, markets a wide variety of rubberized sports flooring made from recycled tires. Their seamless, textured equine flooring for stables is very popular because it’s easier to clean and minimizes bacteria. It’s even installed on stable walls and columns for added protection.

Spencer Proud, owner of Abacus said that his customers have never voiced any concern about the safety of his company’s products. “We’ve never had any complaints or issues in over 20-years of contracting. From an architectural standpoint many of our customers are interested in earning LEED credits (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System) It’s recycled material, very durable, very sustainable. School boards and everyone else these days wants everything to be green for very good reasons. Having this recycled content brings serious contributing points.”

Nevertheless, over the past several years, a number of concerns have been raised over the use of tire crumb materials in turf fields and playgrounds.

Parents in Colorado were concerned about children carrying home small particles of tire crumbs on their clothing. High levels of lead were detected on some artificial turf fields in New Jersey. To address various public concerns, a number of cities and states engaged in sampling, testing and evaluation of products containing recycled tire rubber.

In 2007, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment issued a report, Evaluation of Health Effects of Recycled Waste Tires in Playground and Track Products. It concluded that there appeared to be little long-term risk to human health.

In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a low-level public health advisory, due to some negative publicity surrounding artificial turf.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission investigated reports of lead contamination from artificial turf and, in July 2008, concluded that “young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields.”

A July 2009 California EPA study found no significant health risk to people who breathe the air above synthetic turf that contains crumb rubber. The study looked at the chemicals found in the air above the turf and the chemicals found in the air upwind from the fields analyzed. The conclusion: chemicals were found in similar concentrations in both samples.

A May 2009 study by the New York departments of Environmental Conservation and Health found that crumb rubber used in synthetic turf fields poses no significant environmental threat or health concerns.

Finally, in December, the national response came with the release of the results of EPA’s limited “scoping study” of tire crumb. The study consisted of collecting air and wipe samples at locations near EPA laboratories in Raleigh, North Carolina, Athens, Georgia, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Sampling was also was done in Washington, D.C.

Conducted from August to October 2008, the study found that the concentrations of materials that made up tire crumb were below levels considered harmful. “The limited data EPA collected during this study, which do not point to a concern, represents an important addition to the information gathered by various government agencies,” said Peter Grevatt, director of EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection “The study will help set the stage for a meeting this spring, where EPA will bring together officials from states and federal agencies to evaluate the existing body of science on this topic and determine what additional steps should be taken to ensure the safety of kids who play on these surfaces,” he added.

As usual, EPA qualified the findings of its study: “Given the limited nature of the study (limited number of constituents monitored, sample sites, and samples taken at each site) and the wide diversity of tire crumb material, it is not possible, without additional data, to extend the results beyond the four study sites to reach more comprehensive conclusions.”

However, the EPA study did confirm, most importantly, that most of the methods tested were accurate, reproducible and appropriate for measuring concentrations of tire crumb constituents and can be used in future studies.

EPA is aware that studies by other agencies were undertaken or completed while its survey was being conducted. EPA is planning a 2010 meeting with federal and state agencies to review all new study data and determine next steps.

The next steps will likely involve more government spending for more studies to arrive at essentially the same conclusions. Meanwhile, more products made from recycled tires will keep more old tires out of landfills and continue to find new and useful applications.

ArtificialTurfSupply.com provides synthetic solutions for many custom projects with the highest of quality in mind. As one of the only, manufacturer direct, wholesale artificial turf suppliers, we can offer unprecedented pricing, delivery schedule and quality with the flexibility to meet the requirements of the most demanding custom specification.

ArtificialTurfSupply.com has a unique teaming relationship with many professional installation crews, guaranteeing the most efficient, high quality, turnkey project. Below you will find a list of several artificial turf installations completed with ArtificialTurfSupply.com.

Upgrade some or all of your lawn to a Water Smart Landscape.  After you upgrade, you can qualify for a cash rebate for every square foot of lawn converted to water-smart landscaping.  Make sure you check with an ArtificialTurfSupply.com specialist or your local water department for details.

Remember, every square foot of natural grass replaced with artificial grass, water-smart trees, shrubs and flowers saves an average of 55 gallons of water per year, so you’ll also save money on your monthly water bill.  Go green today!

By ed@heyfairfield on January 27, 2010

On Saturday, January 23rd, The Clubhouse celebrated it’s Grand Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and ceremonial first pitch by First Selectman Kenneth Flatto.

The Clubhouse has enlisted a full team of nationally recognized instructors and advisors who offer a wealth of experience to players and coaches. Participants can select from a menu of training options and clinics appropriate for different playing levels. During the grand opening, the public was invited to tour the 11,000 square foot facility, including its locker room, viewing and waiting areas, batting cages, and all purpose instructional area.

Head instructors include MLB veterans Mike Porzio, a 15 year professional, including three seasons pitching for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox; and Willie Upshaw, former player with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians, who had a 17-year professional coaching career and was a three-time MLB hitting coach. Rounding out the roster of lead instructors are former Minnesota Twins catcher and current scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Matt Merullo; and, Angel Echevarria, former outfielder/pinch hitter with the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition, Amber Radomski, head softball coach at Manhattanville College and a former professional player will be the head softball instructor.

The Clubhouse features a professional playing surface of synthetic grass by ArtificialTurfSupply.com with full length batting tunnels for live hitting, and the same state-of-the-art motion analysis system used by Major League Baseball. In addition to coaching instruction, the Clubhouse provides expertise in strength, conditioning and sport’s medicine, as well as clinics on college placement.
Clubhouse attendees

The Clubhouse is located at 2215 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield.

The ribbon is cut at the Grand Opening of the Clubhouse. L-R:Amber Radomski, Mike Porzio, Dennis Morgan, Hans Hanson, Fairfield First Selectman Kenneth Flatto, Angel Echevarria, Willie Upshaw

Alex Almeida Outfielder for the Trinity College Baseball team takes batting practice during the grand opening of The Clubhouse

Fairfield First Selectman and Former Toronto Blue Jays Willie Upshaw get ready for the ceremonial first pitch at The Clubhouse Grand Opening

Throughout 2010, there will be continued and increasing emphasis on the need for water conservation as imported water supplies remain at least 12 percent lower for SCWD due to continued, severe water shortages throughout the State caused by years of drought and regulatory restrictions on the transfers of water.  Promotion will increase for Water-Saver Rebate Programs that encourage removal of grass turf and replacement with California-friendly plants or synthetic turf.

By ERIC WOLFF - ewolff@nctimes.com | Posted: Thursday, December 31, 2009 1:20 pm

A water conservation rebate program aimed at businesses is out of money early, but there’s plenty left for homeowners, the San Diego County Water Authority announced Wednesday.

The $4.6 million commercial program, which was run by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, allowed businesses to get money back after purchasing water-efficient equipment and appliances. The program was so popular that it ran out of money on Dec. 26, six months before the end of the fiscal year.

The $6 million residential program allows homeowners to get rebates on everything from cooling towers to drought-friendly toilets, but it’s barely been tapped —- the program still has $5.4 million left to distribute before June 30.

“The commercial program is a little more organized. A lot of plumbing contractors took advantage of it,” said Bill Rose, Water Conservation Program Executive for the San Diego County Water Authority.

Some local water providers are offering their own incentives to pick up where Metropolitan left off, including the Western Municipal Water District (which serves Southwest Riverside County), Escondido, Oceanside, Poway, and the Valley Center Municipal Water District, but Rose said that before businesses make a purchase, they should check Met’s conservation Web site, socalwatersmart.com, to make sure a given product is eligible for a rebate.

Western has been matching Met’s rebate on synthetic turf and high-efficiency and waterless urinals. It has budgeted $100,000 for 500 urinals and $65,000 for 5 acres of synthetic turf.

Residential customers looking to get rebates should visit 20gallonchallenge.com or socalwatersmart.com to find out what products they can get money back on, and exactly how to go about getting their money.

Metropolitan’s conservation division has been ordered to stay on budget this year, after it spent $54 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year, well more than the $20 million allocation.

“The board was quite direct they would not exceed $19.1 million,” Rose said. Much of that money goes to other programs and administrative costs.

But $19.1 million is a tiny sliver of Metro’s $1.65 billion two-year budget.

“Conservation is a very inexpensive way to offset demand,” said Tim Barr, Water Efficiency Manager for Western. “I’d like to see more money used to water conservation measures.”

Call staff writer Eric Wolff at 760-740-5412.

Pile Weight
You will often see a term called pile weight, also referred to as tufted face weight or sewn face weight.  This measures how much the yarn weighs per square yard, excluding backing or infill, and is measured in ounces per square yard or grams per square meter.  If you only want one measure of your carpet, pile weight is the best as it takes into account both the height and density measurements listed below.  Generally speaking, the higher the pile weight the better quality and higher durability the turf.  At the low end of the spectrum you will see pile weights of 28 oz per square yard or less.  At the higher end of the spectrum you will see pile weights of 106 oz per square yard or greater.  And there is a quite a large range in between.

Pile Height
The Pile Height is the height of the turf’s blades and is typically 1.50 to 1.75 inches, although much shorter (e.g. 0.31 inch) and taller (e.g. 2.625 inch) varieties exist.  Often you will see a measurement for both the grass zone and the thatch zone, with the thatch zone a bit shorter.  Generally speaking, unless you have a specific turf application requiring shorter blades (e.g., golf putting greens), be wary of shorter, generally cheaper pile heights of less than 1.50 inches.

Gauge
You may want to also consider the turf’s gauge.  Carpet is formed by stitching together the individual blades of grass in rows on a backing at pre-set widths.  Gauge is the distance or width between those rows.  In the United States this is measured in fractions of an inch with typically gauges of 5/16″, 3/8″, 1/2″ and 3/4″.  The gauge you select is partially based on preference and partially based on function.  For example, closer gauges mean tighter-packed grass blades and might be used for, e.g., a golf putting green.  Wider gauges may be better for athletic fields.  For standard artificial lawns, most gauges seem to fall in the 3/8″ to 3/4″ range and, generally speaking, a closer gauge means a heavier artificial lawn which is generally considered higher quality.

Stitch Rate / Stitch Count
A final consideration is the stitch rate or count.  This measures the number of blades or tufts per square inch and, similar to gauge, is a measure of the density of the grass blades on the carpet.  Stitch rate is typically measured in the number of stitches in a 3 inch by 3 inch piece of turf.  Generally speaking, the higher the stitch rate, the heavier and higher quality the grass.

Artificial turf surface materials, infill, seaming tapes and glues or tacks, soil stabilizing fabrics, base materials, rodent control barriers (where needed), cups and other trim materials called for in the design specification are all costs associated with artificial turf grass for lawns, pet areas and putting green installations.

Surface styling, fiber quality, stitch count, backing materials, even UV protection and warranty are always reflected in the cost of these materials. Lower costs are generally a sign of a compromise in one of the factors just mentioned, just as it is normally found in the world of carpeting.

Where You Can Buy Artificial Turf  www.ArtificialTurfSupply.com

In the world of artificial turf there are only a handful of skilled tufting companies that focus on manufacturing artificial turf surface materials. Lawn, landscape and leisure sports uses all have “styles” of artificial turf manufactured to optimize look, feel and performance.

Higher-end, professional quality, branded solutions are generally sold through experienced, artificial turf installers; licensed builders and value added dealers, such as professional construction landscape materials and building supply centers.

How Do You Determine Quality

Unless you are willing to replace materials every few years, you should consider the purchase of your new artificial turf installation as a long-term investment. The difference in pricing between products and contractors may be as dramatic as the quality, durability, look and feel of professionally installed veneered flooring to hand-rubbed oak; and for those differences, expect to pay more for better quality, service and building standards.

Artificial Turf Warranty  www.artificialturfsupply.com/PDFs/warranty.pdf

Many styles of artificial turf are warranted to resist fading, stains, blade and backing failure for 8 years or more; and with low traffic, well cared for artificial turf could last even longer.

The type of surface materials you choose only make up half the installation expense. Properly planned and executed site preparation, appropriate drainage, base and surface installation are keys to having your project remain structurally sound, for years.

To overcome issues of wear-and-tear and blades matting down, plan to design a walkway through high-traffic areas; use concrete, paver or stone patios for out-door dining that can be easily cleaned if you have food or beverage spills, and your artificial turf, like any natural lawn, will provide you with a beautiful and lush green area to offset the hardscape and rock you use elsewhere.

Artificial Turf Wholesale www.artificialturfsupply.com/quote.aspx

Artificial turf wholesale pricing for surface materials can be found from the low-end at $2 to over $5 per square foot for professional quality materials. Expect to pay another $2 to $3 dollars per square foot for other job materials, if you are doing the work yourself.

Professionally Installed Artificial Turf  www.artificialturfsupply.com/findinstaller.aspx

Professional installations of lawn and landscape projects can cost from $8.00 to well over $20 per square foot. Required equipment, job materials, site preparation needs and other factors, such as access to the area and local labor and fuel costs will all have an impact on your final estimate.

Artificial Turf Price Savings www.artificialturfsupply.com/PDFs/ATS_installpack.pdf

If you’re trying to stretch your budget by buying materials and then installing the job yourself, guidance is priceless!