The Best Artificial Grass for Dogs
One of the top questions we get asked on the daily is: “what is the best artificial grass for dogs?” The majority of artificial turf companies today have a competing turf product that they claim is pet friendly. Most companies will call this type of artificial turf pet turf. Pet turf is just artificial turf that is specifically designed with dogs in mind. What makes them ideal for dogs is the drainage. A normal artificial turf product does not have a backing system on it for drainage, so the urine will just sit on top of the artificial turf with nowhere to go and will then begin to smell bad. Not having a proper, well-made backing system for drainage can be just as ineffective though if it barely helps with the drainage. There are so many different types of pet friendly artificial turf products on the market today that all claim to be the best, but they won’t explain why they’re the best or different from the other products. So, what is the best artificial grass for dogs really then? We’re here to explain the different types of pet turf.
Solid, Hole Punched Urethane or Latex Backing System
Most companies will use a solid urethane or latex backing system for their pet turf products. This is a black backing with holes punched through the product to allow for drainage. The obvious flaw with this type of backing is that your dog would have to have incredibly great aim to make it in the holes every time they went to the bathroom. Because most dogs don’t care to have that great of aim to make it in each hole, most of the urine will not drain out through the turf and will stay in the artificial turf product causing a bad odor. Over time, the smell will become unbearable and you’ll want to rip the turf out. It won’t matter how many times you wash it down with the hose or spray OdoBan on it, the urine will never fully leave the turf because urethane and latex absorbs 5%-6% of their mass in moisture. Once the urine is in the turf, the urine odor will be there forever.
Geo-Textile Polyolefin DuraFlo Backing System
Here at ProLawn Turf, we use an environmentally engineered DuraFlo backing system made of a spun plastic. Our product is 100% permeable because as we know, plastic does not absorb moisture. This will then allow the pet urine to wash out through the turf product into the absorbent base underlayment material. This drainage system offers far better permeability, so you won’t have to replace it in a couple years from bad odor. In the end, it will therefore end up being more affordable than the urethane or latex product.
Knockoff Permeable/Semi-Permeable Backing Systems
Be aware of knockoff backing systems from other companies that achieve some degree of permeability, but have still not been able to reach statistical longevity. The products are new, so only time will tell how they hold up. Some companies will use the same ideas behind their backing system as ours, but will use different materials and machines to make them. Companies that use too much adhesive on the artificial turf product will actually cause the opposite effect for absorption. Too much adhesive will actually result in worse drainage than the urethane or latex hole punched products. If too much adhesive is used, the adhesive will absorb the moisture from the urine and cause a very bad urine odor. For other companies, it’s unknown how long the product will last. These new artificial turf products may begin to fall apart. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want my yard to be the test dummy!
ProLawn Turf’s products have been used since 2004, so we know how our products will perform and last. We have mastered the pet turf product. We have the most pet friendly artificial turf products around. The best artificial grass for dogs is ProLawn Turf’s pet turf. Give us a call today for a free estimate at 877-405-5296 to make your dog the happiest he or she can be!