Having artificial grass around the pool has been adopted as one of the safest ways around home hazards. It has been discovered, particularly in the United States, that you can get a second-degree sunburn just by walking on hot pavement.
By replacing the concrete surrounding your pool with artificial grass, you and your family stand a chance to escape being injured. A good number of homeowners in the US like to position their swimming pool in areas that allow them to cool off during hot days, and having artificial grass is a great way to enhance the goal.
Without any further ado, let’s dive straight to provide answers to questions to the end so that you are able to make informed decisions on whether or not to replace your natural swimming pool lawn with artificial grass.
Can You Put Artificial Grass Around a Swimming Pool?
Yes, artificial grass can be around your pool if you deem it fit. The beauty of having a green and cool surface to climb on when coming out of the water makes all the difference. Most swimming pools are built as resort centers during intense hot seasons and a place to enjoy tranquility.
Artificial grass will not just help make your swimming pool area more appealing, but it will also add to your safety and that of your family.
It gives the outlook of your swimming pool real beauty and the overall decor of your home setting a top-notch look. Usually, it’s very fantastic for hotels and ranches.
Benefits of Installing Artificial Grass Around Pools
Somehow, you must have heard from people who enjoy the simplicity of having artificial grass around their swimming pool that it is an excellent alternative to having a lawn.
Below are some benefits of artificial grass around your swimming pool area to help you make informed decisions when contemplating whether to go for it.
1. Safety
It’s easy for you to instantly think about plastic and other unhealthy sources when you hear the word “artificial.” However, in this context, having artificial grass around your pool is 100 percent safe, even safer than natural grass. That’s the truth, and you’ll have to face it someday.
The materials used in manufacturing artificial grass nowadays are non-toxic and would not decompose into the soil, as they are made from stable polymers like polyethylene.
2. Non-Slippery
Natural grasses are known to soak in water; thus, they may become slippery. Artificial grasses do not slip, implying that you do not need to worry about the children or any member of the family having a good time around the pool, even during rainfall.
3. Affordable and Effective
Artificial grass is ideally more affordable and cost-effective than natural grass. When installing your swimming pool, you need something effective in keeping your feet dry, protecting you from second-degree sunburn, and at the same time, safe for your family. In summary, you need something that gets the job done.
4. Amazing Drainage
When it comes to drainage, you must consider having artificial grass around your swimming pool area. There will undoubtedly be lots of water splashed around when your friends and family enjoy themselves in the pool.
When there is no good drainage around, you constantly have to worry about a slippery surface. To eliminate this worry, laying out artificial grass is the best option to subscribe to.
5. Low Maintenance
Looking at the cost of installing artificial grass around your swimming pool, it might appear to be slightly higher than the installation cost of natural grass, and however, when maintenance comes into play, artificial grass is far more inexpensive to take care of when compared to natural grass.
What’s more is that you do not require the use of fertilizers, chemicals, or pesticides to maintain an artificial grass, unlike natural grass. Once you’re done installing the artificial grass, you can be sure it will last you many years with almost no maintenance.
How to Install Artificial Grass Around a Pool?
Installing artificial grass on your lawn doesn’t take up much time once you follow through with the guidelines to ensure you get the best possible result. Below are simple steps to installing artificial grass.
1. Make Proper Plans
Once you’re settled in your decision to opt for artificial grass instead of natural grass, you start with proper planning. Installing artificial grass without proper preparation is like setting off on a journey without a navigation system.
Here, you become specific about where you want to cover your lawn. You can do this by mapping out areas where the artificial grass will cover and places to be left open or covered by granite. This doesn’t just help you with effective installation but lets you know how much to prepare.
You should have a tiny tilled border just around your swimming pool to stop run-off.
2. Prepare The Lawn
What’s left for you to do now is to ensure that you prepare the ground. Once you’ve discovered where you want the artificial grass to be installed, you should start with the preparation. Make sure that you are extra careful with this step, as any error would affect the final result you get.
To prepare the ground of your lawn, you need to get rid of the existing lawn. As a pro tip, you should evacuate about 3 inches below the projected height. Once that is done, you can tamp the soil and install some edging on the outside perimeter of the area where you plan to have your artificial lawn.
3. Laying Course and Sub-Base
Another critical part of the artificial grass installation is to have the sub-base laid out. The essence of having this layer is to provide some structure and support that the lawn needs to stay efficient. It also ensures that there is better drainage.
Depending on the contractor working on the project, they may choose to lay a weed membrane before having the sub-base prepared. If you’re going for a weed membrane, opt for premium quality that drains well.
4. Lay Down the Artificial Grass
Don’t panic when you get the artificial grass in a roll. This is how it’s often sold for easy conveyance. What you need to do now is to roll out the grass on the lawn and allow it to spread out, ready for installation. Usually, a new artificial lawn is allowed to acclimatize for at least 24 hours. This will cause the grass fibers and the backing to assume their standard shape, thus making installation a lot easier.
5. Start Installation
Now your artificial lawn is ready for installation. It is recommended that you use larger pieces of artificial grass instead of smaller ones. This is because it makes joining easy, and you don’t have to join a handful of small lawn pieces which may end up separating because of use.
After laying out the artificial grass, you should secure it around the swimming pool. Small galvanized mails are effective in this wise instead of glue. Also, ensure you drill the nail into the ground to avoid poking.
Does Chlorine Damage Artificial Grass?
Chlorine does not damage artificial grass. However, you must note that chemicals can mix with water residue and stick onto the surface of the grass fibers to form buildups of calcium after a prolonged period.
When this happens, you’ll notice the artificial grass developing some whitish stain. Don’t worry; this can be taken care of with calcium cleaner.
So homeowners and hotel managers must be careful not to use chlorine on their artificial grass, if they must preserve the general beauty of the artificial grass.
Does Artificial Grass Let Water Through?
Yes, artificial grass does let water in by draining them from the surface and channeling the water into the soil. The good news about having artificial grass on your lawn is that you don’t have to worry about an overly moisturized surface that could be dangerous when any family member walks on it.
In addition, the backing that you’ll find on artificial grass is made porous so that water will pass through more effectively to give you a dry and safe surface. A typical artificial grass will drain water at 1,200 inches in an hour.
Furthermore, you can trust artificial grass to be free from toxic chemicals like pesticides. When it’s flooding, the natural grass will take in all the floodwaters, which may contain sewage and lawn chemicals. This, you will agree, is more dangerous for kids to play on as well as home pets.
Artificial grass does not absorb water or chemicals. Also, washing off the top layer of artificial grass can quickly get rid of unclean substances.
What Can I Put Around My Pool Instead of Artificial Grass?
There are several other options for having artificial grass around your swimming pool. Depending on your budget and choice of pool surroundings, you can have the following pool area instead of artificial grass.
Decomposed Granite
If you’re looking for a durable alternative to artificial grass around your swimming pool, one item you should consider is decomposed granite. This is safe as it is the regular granite that is processed to finer particles.
Gravel
Another great choice to make apart from having artificial grass is pea gravel. It has much larger particles than decomposed granite and is very easy to install around your swimming pool. One of the benefits of pea gravel is that it retains soil moisture to insulate your feet from high temperatures. It also prevents weed growth.