Playgrounds are designed to withstand everything that children can dish out. They run, play, jump, roll, fall, and slide across the ground. The cost of maintaining a playground with natural grass can be extremely expensive. Converting a playground to artificial turf can save you both time and money with one initial investment. The cost of maintaining artificial turf is dramatically lower than natural grass mainly because it is evergreen and does not require anything to sustain it or keep it looking its best.
Reduced Water Costs
Maintaining a lush green carpet requires water and a lot of it. A playground that is at least 1000 square feet can take up to 56,000 gallons of water a year to maintain. In California and states where drought conditions are common, this can be an extremely costly endeavor. Just because the park is funded by a state or county agency doesn't mean the water is readily available. Exchanging the natural grass for artificial turf can save taxpayers several thousand dollars and still allow them to have a beautiful playground for their children to enjoy.
Mowing and Trimming
When it comes to playgrounds and all of the equipment they contain, mowing and trimming can be the biggest time drain of all. The man hours it takes to mow and trim around each piece of equipment takes up time that could be better spent elsewhere, not to mention the fact that the cost of paying each employee to maintain the property can put a large dent in any organization's budget. In addition to paying someone to do the work, there is also the cost of maintaining the equipment and the fuel it takes to keep everything running. There is no waste to remove and very little debris from the trees and other organic plants in the area. What waste is created is easily removed and disposed of.
Fewer Repairs
A playground is designed for activity. With children constantly running and walking through the area, pathways are often created that eventually wear away the grass and expose the soil underneath. Over time, ruts can begin to appear as the dirt begins to erode. The small valleys can also appear underneath the base of slides, monkey bars, and swings, creating tripping hazards that cause children to fall or slip. A natural grass playground surface can require hundreds of dollars a year in fill dirt and replacement seed. With artificial turf, the grass does not wear away, nor do the valleys and dips form under pieces of equipment. No fill dirt is needed and the artificial turf does not wear away or need to be replaced. When artificial turf is installed correctly, no seams show and the infill is sufficient enough to prevent any exposure of the woven fabric that makes up the foundation of the turf.
Playgrounds are designed to be fun and carefree. By using artificial turf, the need for any kind of lawn maintenance is eliminated. While the equipment itself will still require some degree of maintenance, no more time will be spent mowing, watering or trimming the grassy areas. The money saved from not having to hire hours of lawn work each week can be used to put artificial turf in other playgrounds around the community or add new equipment to the existing ones. Over the years the artificial turf remains in place, the amount of money saved will more than pay for the cost of the turf as well as its installation. This makes for an extremely sound investment for homeowners, businesses, and communities that are always looking for new and innovative ways of saving money while maintaining their property.
