It's a Matter of Quality

Perth’s channel 7’s ‘Today Tonight’ current affairs program recently aired a report on the pros and cons of synthetic turf against natural turf. The reporter interviewed people who had an interested on both sides of the fence. In an attempt to cover both points of view the report amounted to nothing other to highlight the fact that there is an alternative to natural grass.

Synthetic turf is clearly not a replacement for natural turf. Nobody would ever expect to see the end of beautiful natural grass in fields and parks. Synthetic turf is a viable alternative option for those busy people who cannot maintain a natural lawn with the current water restriction imposed in West Australia.

Advocates of natural grass claimed that synthetic turf does not absorb carbon and give off oxygen. Obviously they are missing the point. The miniscule amount of replacement artificial grass is negligible to the carbon collecting environment and is no worse than the current dead grass, brick paving, sand pits that currently exist in Perth’s suburbs. According to the Australian Government’s Geoscience website, Australia is 8 103 001 sq km and the Councillors at the City of South Perth are worried that their street verges are not absorbing enough Carbon! It appears that by the way the South Perth officers are enforcing the removal of synthetic turf from their verges, they would rather see dead grass, grey sand debris over an aesthetically pleasing low maintenance alternative.

Today Tonight took heat measurement on camera and claimed that synthetic turf is 10 degrees Celsius more than bitumen. Hence the title of this article. Like everything in life there are good quality and poor quality products in every industry. Prasinus Ecoturf provide only premium quality products to the Perth market. With a density of stitching up to 19 000 stitches/m², a soft feel and low shine pile, Prasinus products do not reach temperatures greater than bitumen. Furthermore, Today Tonight failed to mention that as soon as the heat of the sun is removed from the turf, cooling is immediate, unlike bitumen, concrete and paving that absorb heat and release it gradually.

With massive water shortages, record summer heat, huge population growth, Perth’s Today Tonight failed to deliver the most crucial message, water savings. By adopting an artificial lawn as an alternative to natural grass, West Australians can save far more than 60 litres per person per day than requested by the Water Corporation. This coupled with the benefits of no maintenance and a beautiful lawn everyday of the year should be a news item worth reporting.

For evidence of beautiful changes that can be made to your lawn, visit www.prasinus.com.au to view photographs of recent projects. Contact Prasinus for a no obligation, free quote at info@prasinus.com.au

Council Verge

Prasinus Ecoturf have been notified by the City of South Perth not to carry out works for clients within the City's boundaries for works on the Council Verge. Having contacted other Local Government Authorities, it appears that each Council has their own separate policy on this matter. If you are thinking of installing synthetic turf on your verge, please contact your local Council for authorisation prior to commencement as it is the responsibility of the home owner to obtian appropriate permits. Prasinus Ecoturf are happy to act on your behalf if you require. Please contact John on 0423 464 499 to discuss this issue.

Save 100,000 Litres of Water a Year & Save WA

The Water Corporation has embarked on a major advertising campaign in the Perth Media stating that Perth is facing a major climate challenge.

This year Perth experienced its driest winter on record with the lowest ever rainfall in the southern part of the state and by far the lowest run off on record. Only 13 gigalitres this year of water flow into our dams, compared with an average of over 100 gigalitres per annum over the past decade.
The new advertising campaign centres on the ‘Target 60’ slogan. We all need to cut our water use by 60 litres a day.

According to the Water Corporation this works out to be around 10% of our current daily water use. This will help save around 13 billion litres of water over the coming months. In turn, this will go towards the 76 billion litres we need to avoid serious water restrictions next summer. Furthermore, it is emphasised that these savings cannot be made every now and then. They have to be made every day.

Recent price increases amount to almost 18 per cent for Western Australia’s domestic water users. It has also been confirmed by the WA Government that another increase in water cost will be introduced in 2011. Next year’s cost will rise by an additional 8 per cent.

Saving 60 litres a day amounts to 21 900 litres per year. By replacing an average size lawn with a synthetic grass, a householder can save approximately 75 – 100 000 litres per year, four times the Water Corporation target! This does not take into account the added benefits of having a maintenance free, beautiful looking lawn all year round.

The following are some additional facts posted by the Water Corporation in the West Australian on 27 November 2010:

·         Even with a second desalination plant in full flow and new groundwater plans in place, we need an additional 76 gigalitres to help avoid serous water restrictions next summer.

·         Perth householders are by far the highest users of scheme water and therefore offer the greatest potential for saving.

·         Last year, 71% of scheme water use was residential, compared with 19% for industry and business.

There are several ways offered by the Water Corporation to save 60 litres a day. Click here for more details. The easiest and most effective way to massively save water is to install a synthetic lawn. If you are seriously considering a new or revamped lawn then contact the professionals at Prasinus Ecoturf for a free no obligation quote.

What to Look for when Buying Synthetic Turf

There is no denying the fact that installing synthetic turf is a considerable investment to your property. Whilst the benefits of replacing the traditional lawn are much more than just saving money on water, fertilisers and maintenance, buyers should beware of cheaper, inferior synthetic turfs.

In order to really appreciate an alternative lawn, the replacement product must be aesthetically pleasing, non-shiny, soft to the touch and practical for family use.

Recent water restrictions have reinforced the West Australian movement to alternative lawn products. Unfortunately there are suppliers and contractors who are willing to take advantage of the current situation by undercutting prices with inferior products and poor workmanship. If the finished lawn looks and feels like upturned scrubbing brush painted green then the money invested has been wasted. 

A major cost component in synthetic turf is the installation value. This should remain constant no matter what turf is being laid. It is fair to say then that selecting the right product should be the primary focus in order to prevent rework in the future.

Before you make a decision on your purchase it is important you consider the specifications of the turf to understand what it is you are really buying. The following is a brief guide to what to look for:

Pile Height:   For domestic lawn installations you should consider a pile height of between 35 and 50mm. This is the optimum height to give a real look and maximum softness. The higher the pile height the better your synthetic lawn will wear over time. Most inferior varieties offer pile heights between 18mm and 40mm.

Pile Infill:   The better quality synthetic turf will have a minimum of two, preferably three, different yarns in the grass. The grass pile will be made from two different colours for alternative light refraction. For a superior finish look for an interwoven darker yarn simulating thatching in real turf. This will give a natural looking effect of the grass and will assist in keeping the pile vertical similar to natural grass. Another advantage of the additional yarn is that the amount of sand/rubber infill required will be reduced. This is a great benefit around swimming pools where such infill material is not welcome in the pool.

Stitch Count or Density:    This technical term is used to describe the number of individual grasses per lineal meter of sewn rows or per m². The higher the stitch count the better. Most inferior products have a stitch count well below the acceptable limits. In order to compare grass products, follow the example given below.

Machine Gauge:   This is how far apart the rows are that are sewn into the base. The closer the rows the more dense the turf is. Cheaper products have anything up to a 25mm gauge. All Prasinus Turfs are a maximum 10mm guage and therefore also most doble the density of other products on the market.

Backing:    The backing of your turf is just as important as the pile as it helps keep the grass together. Some inferior products do not have any UV stabilisation in their backing and this results in the backing breaking up under the harsh Australian conditions. A secondary backing should be used to help keep the pile together. Beware of any products that only have one backing. Flex the turf to se what the quality is like. All Prasinus EcoTurfs come  with sports baking for additional wear guarantee.

 

UV Protection:   The international testing standard for UV protection of the synthetic turf yarn is *DIN 53387. Do not purchase any product that hasn’t been testing to this standard for a minimum of 6000 hours. Also check for colour stability under *DIN 54004 grade 7

Guarantee:    If your supplier does not provide a manufacturer’s guarantee for the internationally recognised minimum of eight years then buy with caution.

Example:  Stitch Count / Density:   Count how many stitches there are in 10cm. For example, if there are 14 stitches in 10cm that means 140 stitches in 100cm (1m) then measure the distance between two lines. So if the measurement is 10mm. That means there are 100 lines in 1m.
So you can calculate the density. It is 140*100=14,000 stitches/m²

All Prasinus EcoTurf synthetic turf meets or exceeds all the minimum standards and consequently is one of the best products available on the Australian market today. Please visit one of our showrooms to see for yourself or alternatively, contact us on 08 6262 4424 or sales@prasinus.com.au for a no obligation quote.

*A technical scientific association, Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V. (DIN), engages in standardization activities that advance rationalization, quality assurance, environmental protection, safety and communication in industry, technology, science, government, and in the public domain. Recognized by the German Federal Government as Germany's national standards body, DIN has been a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) since 1951.

How Much Water Does a Real Lawn Require?

After doing much research and taking advice from the professionals that look after lawns the following has been concluded.

Due to the sandy soil conditions here in Perth to maintain your lawn correctly, meaning that it is given enough water for the right amount of time so that; a) the roots grow to a correct depth to maintain continual access to water and b) grow strong and thick enough to stop the influx of weeds (have you noticed how many Perth lawns appear to have large clumps of weeds?  well this is why) . 

So to do this you would need to water your lawn enough that it receives 20mm of water three times a week.  So for a 50m lawn it would require 12,600lLitres of water a month during the hotter months.  With current watering restrictions this is legally impossible and on the Save 6 Buckets A Day campaign you would be saving over 46 buckets a day!

Water Corporation - Lowest Rainfall Since 1913

So far this month the Water Corp has issued over 1,300 warnings and today the government has said enough is enough.  The fines start tomorrow.

Today city supply dams are at 34.4 per cent full, compared with 53.2 per cent full at the same time last year.
The Water Corporation states that 60% of all domestic water usage is on the lawns and gardens.

We need to start saving six buckets of water a day! 

Replacing a 50m2  lawn with  Prasinus EcoTurf Synthetic Grass  will save you on average 1,200 ltrs a water a week, that's a lot of buckets!