When deciding on outdoor playground surfaces, the choice often boils down to grass or turf. You might think natural grass is the best option because it feels soft underfoot, but the reality is more complex. Natural grass might feel springy, but the ground beneath it can become hard, especially in dry conditions. Keeping it properly watered without turning it into a mud pit can be a challenge.
High traffic areas, like those under swings and slides, quickly wear down to dirt and become as hard as rocks. This wear and tear make maintaining a safe play environment difficult. Considering alternatives to grass for play areas raises many questions:
- What’s the best playground turf?
- Where do you begin searching for outdoor playground turf?
- What are the pros and cons?
Let’s see why Artificial Lawn Grass Turf from Magnolia Turf is the best choice for playgrounds and other busy areas.
Why Artificial Lawn Grass Turf Is Beneficial for Kids and Parents
Using outdoor playground turf offers numerous benefits. It never needs watering, mowing, weeding, or fertilizing, and it remains green year-round. But there’s more:
- Superior Drainage: Our turf has excellent drainage, so it’s usually drier than grass.
- Health Protection: The antimicrobial coating keeps your whole family healthy by discouraging the growth of harmful microorganisms.
- Easy Maintenance: A broom or leaf blower is all you need for regular upkeep.
- Fall Protection: Built-in padding provides protection from falls.
This fall protection is a significant advantage. With our engineered underlayment, you can choose the amount of padding you need. Most installations protect against falls up to five feet, but for taller play structures, we can add padding to protect against falls from six to ten feet. This means parents worry less and kids play safer, reducing trips to the ER for preventable injuries.
What to Look for in Playground Turf
When choosing Artificial Lawn Grass Turf for playgrounds, some features make certain products stand out from the rest.
- Antimicrobial Coating: We recommend playground turf with Microban, which stops harmful germs that can cause diseases from growing. This keeps the play area healthier for kids.
- Professional Installation: Avoid the mistake of just rolling out artificial turf on top of a gravel bed. Proper installation involves multiple layers for safety, including engineered materials for superior drainage and padding.
Underneath the turf surface, our installations include lawn padding that cushions falls. We offer two types of lawn padding:
- Medium Density Foam: Provides a 5-foot fall rating.
- High-Density Foam: Provides an 8-foot fall rating.
Our limestone substrate is safer and more absorbent than crushed concrete, ensuring quick and efficient water drainage. You can customize the thickness of the padding based on your play equipment’s needs.
Ease of cleaning is another essential factor. You only need to occasionally sweep our turf with a broom or leaf blower, and you can hose down any spills. If pets use the area, our enzyme-based PE-51 cleaner will eliminate germs and odors without damaging the turf.
Where You Can Use Playscape Turf
You can install the best alternatives to grass for play areas almost anywhere, from backyards to city parks and school playgrounds.
Home
Imagine having a backyard playground with soft, durable play turf that cushions falls and withstands aggressive play. Installing commercial-grade products at home is like getting a two-for-one deal: it lasts for years and saves you money on water and maintenance.
Schools
If it’s good enough for your backyard, it’s perfect for schools. Gone are the days of shredded wood mulch or asphalt playgrounds that cause preventable injuries. Magnolia Turf provides a safer, cleaner option that prevents wood chips and other debris from being tracked into classrooms.
Parks
Well-engineered play turf in parks provides a cleaner experience. Swing sets won’t have deep divots, and slides won’t have cleared-out pits in landing zones. Everyone will be happier with engineered play turf that stays clean and durable.
What Makes Magnolia’s Playscape Turf Stand Out?
As a leading provider of Artificial Lawn Grass Turf, Magnolia Turf stands out for several reasons:
- No Watering or Maintenance: Our turf doesn’t require watering, cutting, fertilizing, or weeding.
- Antimicrobial Protection: The Microban coating protects against germs.
- Clean Installation: Our turf installations are neat and free from mud.
- Efficient Drainage: Excellent drainage means the turf stays dry.
- Engineered Padding: Provides protection from falls and prevents injuries.
- Durability: Made from long-lasting materials, our turf is a great investment.
Best of all, Magnolia Turf designs and engineers the entire installation process, giving you a turn-key play zone that is clean, durable, dry, and safe for kids.
The Pros and Cons of Artificial Lawn Grass Turf
While there are many benefits to using artificial turf, it’s essential to consider all aspects:
Pros
- Low Maintenance: Artificial turf doesn’t need watering, mowing, or fertilizing.
- Durability: It can withstand heavy use and harsh weather conditions.
- Safety: With engineered padding, it provides excellent fall protection.
- Consistent Appearance: It remains green and attractive year-round.
- Cost-Effective: Saves money on water and maintenance over time.
Cons
- Initial Cost: The upfront cost of artificial turf can be higher than natural grass.
- Heat Retention: Artificial turf can get hotter than natural grass in direct sunlight.
- Synthetic Feel: While high-quality turf looks realistic, it doesn’t have the same feel as natural grass.
Conclusion
Choosing the right surface for playgrounds and high-traffic areas is crucial for safety, durability, and appearance. Artificial Lawn Grass Turf from Magnolia Turf offers numerous benefits, including low maintenance, durability, safety, and cost-effectiveness. This makes it an excellent investment for backyards, schools, and parks.
With professional installation, antimicrobial protection, and adjustable padding, our artificial turf provides a safe, clean, and long-lasting play area.
Contact Magnolia Turf today to learn more about our services and how we can help you create the perfect playground with low maintenance and great savings.