How to Keep Artificial Grass Cool in the Summer

Artificial grass gets hot during the summer much like everything else. If not taken care of, it can hurt to step on – but it’s not dangerous. And keeping artificial grass cool is easier than keeping a lawn alive and cared for during the summer. 

Originally, artificial grass did get too hot to step on during the summer, enough that it could seriously injure your feet. Modern technology and higher-grade materials have fixed this issue so you don’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt. That being said, you likely don’t want hot artificial grass anymore than you want hot natural grass. 

While artificial grass will survive when natural grass dies out, that does mean it will also stay hotter for longer. We have some recommendations for how you can reduce this issue.

#1. Use the Correct Infill

For those that don’t know, infill is a material that you can put between the blades of artificial grass. This helps the blades to stand up. The material you use for your infill will reduce or increase how much heat your artificial grass absorbs and for how long. 

Infill is usually made of one of three different materials: crumb rubber, silica rubber, or durafill sand. Crumb rubber absorbs the most heat and retains it the longest. This is the kind of infill that’s better for the winter rather than the summer. Durafill sand does not absorb that much heat and doesn’t retain heat for that long. This makes it the best infill to use during the summer. Silica rubber is in the middle, making it the preferred infill to be used right now during the spring or later in the fall.

Whenever you want to add infill to your artificial grass a few times over the summer, use durafill sand. It’s the best option to reduce the heat your lawn is absorbing.

#2. Keep Your Trees or Add Artificial Ones

One of the best things you can have that will reduce the heat of your artificial grass is shade from larger plants or trees. Even though shade will not stay in one place the whole day, it will distribute the cool shade around your yard. 

Many people don’t keep natural shrubbery or trees after they get an artificial lawn, but there’s actually no problem with doing so. Keeping natural trees will give your artificial grass some shade so that it doesn’t spend the whole day heating up under the sun’s rays.

If you don’t want to take care of any natural plants, consider more artificial plants that will provide shade for your grass. They will add shade to your lawn as well as live plants.

#3. Water the Artificial Grass

This may sound strange because one of the biggest selling points of artificial grass is that you don’t have to water it regularly. This uses a lot of water, takes up a lot of time, and can add to the regular monthly costs of maintaining your property. Why would you want artificial grass if you have to water it when it gets hot?

Watering artificial grass isn’t the same as watering natural grass. When you water your artificial lawn, it almost immediately cools the lawn down. You let loose a quick spray over it, and in less than a minute, you should be done. Watering natural grass is a long process where you should be letting the water soak deep into the ground. You don’t have to do any of that with an artificial lawn, and you’re using a fraction of the water.

Prepare for the Summer With Pioneer Landscape Centers

With the summer only a season away, now is one of the best times to replace your natural grass with artificial grass. When the summer comes, it’ll be a more difficult process and you’ll have natural grass that will be difficult to keep alive. Rather than bend over backward to care for your lawn, or worse, have a lawn full of dead grass, replace it with artificial grass. It's easier to take care of, cheaper in the long run, and easy to keep cool.

If you need any help installing or have any questions, feel free to contact our landscaping experts. We at Pioneer Landscape Centers are here to help.