The first day of school for New York sports players will be an adventure because of their newly installed artificial grass sports fields. This year's New York high will have less of players injuries and more of winning games. Nevertheless, many of parents and directors question if synthetic turf was a right solution to go by and how does it impact health and environment. Many are questioning the benefits of having a synthetic turf in New York City. Couple of years back, the New York City Park's players noticed the deterioration of the field. "It's been like this for five years," a player points out the problem and the open seams, torn patches and wavy folds in the artificial turf at their park. Referees for public school league games already boycott two artificial-turf fields' games, citing fears of liability. The New York is noticing these problems and working on the artificial field upgrade. However, the reasons behind city's replacement plan to artificial grass are obesity, maintenance and water, which automatically will elevate cost savings on field sustainability. Artificial turf is part of a plan of New York City blueprint for environmentally friendly futures, and to inform their residents is the key to successful installation of artificial grass in the parks.   New York City Parks Department (NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) uses different kind of synthetic turf depending where it will be used. Most of the synthetic turf fields that they put contain crumb rubber infill along with padding and drainage systems. Other synthetic fields are made of carpet-style materials. According to the New York City, currently, about 136 of the Parks Department's 800 athletic fields are composed of synthetic turf material with 99 crumb rubber infill, 19 alternative material infill, and 16 carpet-styles. There are also 19 small play areas with 15 crumb rubber infill and 4 carpet-style, which are often located within playgrounds, that are made of synthetic turf surfaces. The potential for significant exposure to the chemicals in crumb rubber is very low. Like asphalt, the crumb rubber in synthetic turf fields absorbs heat from the sun and gets hotter than dirt or natural grass. On hot days, some synthetic turf fields may be too hot to play on. To protect yourself from the heat, consume plenty of water, wear light and loose fitting clothes, always wear shoes, and take breaks often. A synthetic turf field does not cause bacterial infections. Majority of bacterial infections are caused due to physical contact and sharing contaminated towels, sports equipment and sports drinks bottles. New York coaches at schools and everywhere in states should be aware of the potential bacterial transmission and infection among athletes. The NYC Department is currently working on using carpet-style and alternative infill material on all new fields, replacing NYC parks with new synthetic turf field and placing strict protocols to select the best synthetic turf. Confident of what New York City is doing for its community, Notre Dame High are renovated their Brewer Memorial Stadium with artificial turf instead of grass, installed a new track, new bleachers and a new press box, that represents another win for the program. "It was a lot of work, but it's simply beautiful," said high school coach, entering his 33rd season as Crusaders. " One of the nicest facilities I've seen around and certainly in Section 4." After the last finishing touches around the new artificial grass field, the players where satisfied with the comfort and the natural look of the synthetic grass.  To see GST installation images go to our synthetic turf gallery. ...

Companies that manufacture or install artificial lawns are experiencing a boom in business, due to the drought-like conditions and watering restrictions in many North Texas cities.

But the synthetic lawns today aren't the same plastic AstroTurf made popular in the 1970s. The products on the market now, are not just used for putting greens and football fields either.

Tim Dvorak, owner of the company Synthetic Grass Pro, and gets calls every day from homeowners inquiring about artificial grass.

"I discussed this with many turf manufacturers, that's a big thing they notice. As soon as there are drought restrictions, watering restrictions, or an ordinance like the City of Dallas two-days a week restriction, it really just makes this industry explode," said Dvorak.

Today's synthetic lawns are made to stay cool underfoot, drain water well, and last for 10-15 years. The products come in different shades of green, different textures, and mimic different varieties of natural grass. Choosing artificial can be expensive upfront: prices range from $7.50 to $15 a square foot.

 

Many homeowners with artificial grass installed in their yards feel that the investment was worth it.

"The initial cost is expensive, but it's already paid for itself over the four years. Not having to re-sod it, not having to water. The yard guys[come less often]. So it's more than paid for itself," said Dvorak.

Many homeowners can be skeptical at the beginning, until they see the fake grass first-hand. 

Not all cities in North Texas are on board with artificial grass, though.

Frisco does not allow artificial turf at this time, and many homeowners' associations have rules.

Highland Park passed an ordinance restricting artificial turf to back yards.

Other cities, however, have no rules in place limiting synthetic grass. Those cities include Dallas, Arlington, Denton, and University Park.

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Artificial grass accessories are often overlooked, when in reality some of the accessories are very useful. Some of the accessories include the easy seam machine, Zeo-Organic fill, and the turf groom.

The EasySeam machine is a handheld electric tool that melts adhesive using a pre-programmed heating cycle.EasySeam doesn't get hot and there is no grass damage from the heat. It never touches the adhesive, therefore never makes a mess. It provides a consistent low-profile seam. Overall, it's very easy and convenient to use.

 

The Zeo-Organic fill is a safer alternative to silica sand. It traps and controls odor and absorbs moisture very quickly. ZeoFill is designed to eliminate odors from pets by not allowing ammonium to convert into the gas which is the primary odor-causing agent in pet urine.

The Turf Groom has a flat head and a polished pine handle. No frills, just an excellent and durable rake. It eases the cleaning of your artificial lawn. Nylon tines help maintain the turf without damaging it. Extend your lawn life and your investment. You can use these rake to spread an infill, to clean up your lawns, or just to fluff up the blades of turf. This is a "must have" tool for every artificial lawn owner.

Of course we haven't covered all of the accessories! These are only three examples of many that are available on the market. You can find all of them right here under our accessories tab. Global Syn-Turf, as always guarantees competitive pricing for both artificial grass and accessories.

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Global Syn-Turf - Artificial Lawn Distributor has been selected for the 2014 Best of Hayward Awards for Lawn & Garden Equipment. ...