Trick-Or-Treat Foot Traffic on Turf

If the most durable artificial turf can endure athletes running around and tackling each other, even the “weakest” synthetic lawn could handle a herd of Trick-or-Treaters for one night. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, we are in the third generation of artificial grass, and it’s the most durable, yet softest generation to date! Here’s how the third generation synthetic grass can be so strong!

The Backing

Synthetic grass blades are tufted into a polyurethane backing that keeps the fibers intact. The best backing can resist thousands of pounds of resistance per square inch. There are two layers to the backing: the primary backing, where the turf is looped through, and the coating, where the tuft bind is glued and locked in. Tuft bind refers to the force, measured in pounds, that is required to pull a tuft from the backing. Ideally, tuft bind can handle 10+ pounds or more of force to remove the monofilament from the backing.

The Synthetic Grass Blades

Each artificial grass blade is designed to handle large amounts of foot traffic, but some products are stronger than others. A product’s face weight is how one can determine how durable the product is. Face weight refers to the weight of fibers within the product, not including backing weight. Typically, the heavier it is, the stronger it is and usually means higher cost as well.

Additionally, different products and series of synthetic turf have different grass blade shapes, which vary in strength as well. Here at OC Turf and Putting Greens, our products feature one of three configurations. Our Marquee Series features a Diamond Delustered Fiber shape; it’s soft yet sturdy enough for a moderate level of foot traffic. The Omega Fiber is featured in our Pet Turf and Everglade Series; it’s soft, durable, and can endure light to heavy traffic, depending on the specific product in the series. Lastly, the Diamond Series features a 3D Curvy “W” fiber, made to withstand large amounts of pressure because it has multiple support points for added durability and a “memory” effect. It’s great for moderate to heavy traffic, depending on the specific product.

So have no fear this season! Synthetic grass can endure hundreds of feet stomping across the yard this Halloween (and for many Halloweens after). If you have any questions about your synthetic lawn’s durability or want to install artificial turf for your property, give us a call at (888) 526-2289.