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At K9 Artificial Grass Yorkshire our team recently saved this family from their existing smelly, bacteria ridden artificial lawn. The family had previously had artificial grass installed in their back garden which they were led to believe would be completely pet friendly. Only a few years down the line they were left with an unusable back garden due to the strong smell of ammonia due to the grass absorbing pet waste. Unfortunately, many companies promote pet friendly grass which is not suitable for pets, like the one this family had installed which had a latex backing. Latex backing is the least suitable artificial grass type for pets, due to it absorbing moisture rather than allowing it to flow through. This causes a build up of ammonia which releases nasty toxins and an unbearable odour that is impossible to get rid of.

Before

As well as the grass having a latex backing which is not suitable for pets, the installation had been done extremely poorly which was another factor resulting in the family having to replace their artificial lawn. Poor installations and unsuitable materials can lead to any artificial lawn having to be replaced. When it is used daily by pets it is even more important that a specific installation system is put in place to ensure the lawn is 100% pet friendly. When the K9 Artificial Grass Yorkshire team pulled back the artificial turf they were completely shocked by the so-called subbase. No hardcore base had been installed on top of the soil which had caused the artificial lawn to move around a lot due to the base not being solid. There was a large layer of granite stone sandwiched between two layers of weed membrane which is not pet friendly. Weed membrane should not be used on pet friendly artificial lawns as it absorbs moisture and slows down the flow of moisture. The granite used was also unsuitable and created no drainage system whatsoever to help speed up the flow of moisture through the grass.

Unfortunately, at K9 Artificial Grass Yorkshire we visit many gardens that need replacing due to their artificial grass smelling so strong of ammonia and becoming unusable. Many families are left with no other option than to get it replaced which is not something they planned on doing after investing a lot of money in the first place. At K9 Artificial Grass Yorkshire we follow a 4 Phase install system to ensure all installations are 100% pet friendly from the grass type to the drainage system underneath. Once we removed the ammonia ridden grass and subbase from the family’s garden, we began rebuilding their lawn. We created a strong, compact base using hardcore which is consolidated to make it solid. This avoids any movement and keeps the entire subbase in place. We then installed a layer of specialist granite dust which acts as the drainage system for the lawn. This material is ideal for pet friendly lawn as it is a durable yet porous material, allowing moisture to flow through freely without causing any damage or movement.

After

The subbase we install creates an advanced drainage system, ready for the K9 Turf to be installed. Our K9 Turf has been designed specifically for dogs; it is made up of a 4-layer open, woven backing. Using specialist materials to create a completely porous backing for the artificial grass. Unlike latex and PU backed grasses, K9 Turf does not require drainage holes due to the backing being completely porous, speeding up the flow of moisture as it passes through the grass. Once the grass has been laid our team spread our specialist K9 Turf Zeolite Infill across the entire lawn and mechanically brush this into the grass. This fine material embeds itself into the grass so it cannot be seen, it acts as a barrier to bacteria and pet urine, using a crystallisation process to encapsulate the moisture. This process avoids the build-up of ammonia which is what produces the nasty odour. We recommend getting your K9 Turf re infilled at least once a year to keep your artificial lawn clean and fresh.

This family now have a low maintenance artificial lawn that is 100% pet friendly. They also have peace of mind that with our annual maintenance service every customer receives an 18-year warranty! At K9 Artificial Grass Yorkshire we believe that artificial grass is a big investment which is why it is very important to do your homework and find out everything you can about the company who are installing it and their systems. Also get samples of different pet friendly grasses and look out for backings with drainage holes as these will most likely not be 100% pet friendly. Our team of experts are always available to advise customers on anything to do with artificial grass and K9 Turf.