New artificial grass - loose bits

hoppyposh

hoppyposh

hoppyposh

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Joined
10 May 2018
Posts
11
Hi, we've just had new artificial grass put down a few weeks ago. Kids have only played on it a couple of times so far and I've noticed some loose bits coming up onto the bottom of their shoes. Is this normal early on like with carpet?
 
Just for your reference.

the “crumb rubber” used in the top layer of these products to provide extra padding and keep the “grass” upright. Crumb rubber is made from recycled tires and contains small amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as heavy metals (zinc, iron, manganese and lead). These chemicals can get into your body from direct skin contact with crumb rubber or from accidental ingestion, usually as a result of putting fingers in the mouth or from not washing hands before eating after playing on artificial turf. It also could result from breathing in dust and vapors from crumb rubber while playing on artificial fields or lawns.

According to the non-profit group, Environment and Human Health, Inc., 96 chemicals were found in 14 samples of shredded used tires analyzed at Yale University. About half of these chemicals had not been tested by the government, and those that were contained 11 carcinogens and 20 compounds that can irritate skin, eyes and lungs. The organization also notes that cases of cancer among young people who have played on these fields have continued to increase – mainly lymphomas and leukemias, mostly among soccer goal keepers.

Environment and Human Health Inc. also reports that because synthetic turf fields are made out of petrochemical products, they are highly flammable and therefore many now contain flame retardants, which are also toxic. And because many students were picking up MRSA, a serious staph infection resistant to many antibiotics, from the fields, most artificial turf now contains antimicrobials, which are often toxic. The infections are favored by high temperature (up to 100 degrees F) in warm months.
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hoppyposh said:
Hi, we've just had new artificial grass put down a few weeks ago. Kids have only played on it a couple of times so far and I've noticed some loose bits coming up onto the bottom of their shoes. Is this normal early on like with carpet?
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That should stop after a while. Ours has been down for a couple of years and is fine.
 
sovietspybob said:
I personally wouldn't want my kids playing on artificial grass for all the reasons mentioned above, if only there was a natural alternative which self heals if damaged and helps support wildlife and the world around us along with being safe and healthy for kids and animals to play on.
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This some kind of green crap your promoting? ;)
 
My post at #11 was satirical. I actually have two areas of bare earth waiting on the arrival of a lorry load of turf. It will be 100% grass until I decide where to cut beds and place stepping stones etc.
 
sovietspybob said:
I personally wouldn't want my kids playing on artificial grass for all the reasons mentioned above, if only there was a natural alternative which self heals if damaged and helps support wildlife and the world around us along with being safe and healthy for kids and animals to play on.
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Exact opposite here, fake grass transformed ours and he kids enjoyment of the garden it is now essentially like an extra room in the house, it dries quickly after it rains so we use the garden way more and isn’t a bog for 6 months of the year (small north facing terrace garden) plus I don’t have to keep a lawn mower and the rest of it just to mow a 5x4m lawn! We have planted more flowers etc in our beds and maintained a hedge to try and minimise the downside for nature but in a small garden I would never go back!

OP it should stop after a few weeks give it a hover to speak things along!
 
a1ex2001 said:
Exact opposite here, fake grass transformed ours and he kids enjoyment of the garden it is now essentially like an extra room in the house, it dries quickly after it rains so we use the garden way more and isn’t a bog for 6 months of the year (small north facing terrace garden) plus I don’t have to keep a lawn mower and the rest of it just to mow a 5x4m lawn! We have planted more flowers etc in our beds and maintained a hedge to try and minimise the downside for nature but in a small garden I would never go back!

OP it should stop after a few weeks give it a hover to speak things along!
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Make sure they don't use it in the sun. The heat makes the old car tyre based backing release carcinogenics.
 
I see more and more fake grass getting fitted where I live.

It makes for a depressing, sterile looking sight especially when not fitted properly leaving wrinkles all over it.

The increasing areas now being turned to fake grass is going to do nothing but harm wildlife and increase flooding risks as well as pollute the environment with plastic waste from manufacturing it and also from microplastics as the grass wears over time.

It also reduces carbon consumption as well as increasing environmental warming as it doesn't absorb either of these.

It should be banned, not lauded as the future.


Edit - I'll ask for any argument as to the pros of this stuff over and above personal preference and practicality of use.

Are there any benefits outside of human convenience?
 
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Never saw the problem with it tbh. To each their own!
I used to have it on my old house as I didn't want the admin or maintenance that came along with a proper lawn.

Ive just had real grass laid at our new place though as the BIL is a landscaper so gets soil and turf for dirt cheap.

Can't you fill with sand rather than the black rubber pellet things too instead? The stuff I had put down didn't need much but i did opt for quite an expensive one.
 
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R.O.S.S.I said:
Never saw the problem with it tbh. To each their own!
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True... I guess if people want to also never recycle, run taps unnecessarily, throw rubbish outside/fly tip it's each to their own.

I'm not some eco-warrior by any means but the problems that fake grass causes is well documented with no clear advantages outside human convenience.

If it's for convenience, it's possibly better to just slab the area. At least it has a far greater lifespan than plastic grass so has a lower impact over its lifespan.

If we didn't know about the issues then fair enough however people do but have a "sod it, I don't care" attitude.

For amenity/sports areas - fair enough, but for domestic gardens, it's just terrible.

Meh, mini-rant over.
 
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