Artificial Turf: A Multi Utility Product

Artificial turf, also known as Astro Turf or synthetic turf, is a man-made surface manufactured from synthetic materials like polypropylene or polyethylene. Made to look like grass, artificial turf is most often used in sports arenas.

The first artificial turf or Astroturf was installed in the newly built Astrodome in Houston, Texas in 1965. The use of Astro Turf and similar artificial grass sports surfaces became widespread in the 1970s. And such artificial turf was installed in both indoor and outdoor stadiums used for baseball and gridiron football in the United States and Canada. Today, a wide variety of sports like tennis, football, hockey, netball, athletics, and many others are played on these artificial sports pitches.

The introduction of artificial turf has significantly changed the game of hockey. The use of artificial turf over natural grass sports pitches has increased the speed of the game and has allowed players to practice different techniques, such as reverse, stick trapping and hitting.

Other than sports, artificial grass is also used for residential lawns and various commercial applications. Landscaping is one of the major uses of artificial turf. This trend of using artificial turf is gaining popularity because in addition to other benefits, artificial turf also helps in water conservation as compared to natural grass. Furthermore, artificial turf requires less maintenance and care.

Types Of Artificial Grass

Artificial grass has found a wide acceptance in a variety of sports. Some of the prime reasons behind its popularity are its durability, resistance to intensive use, and the need for minimal maintenance. Artificial grass sports pitches can be used all through the year and they offer a good value for the money spent on their construction and installation. Artificial sports pitches can also be constructed to offer different playing characteristics to suit the requirements of different sports.

Let us have a look at the kinds of artificial grass:

• In-filled artificial turf made of polypropylene: This is the most common type of synthetic, man-made sports surface. In this case, polypropylene 'grass' fibres about 5 cm long are lubricated with silicon and tufted into a primary cloth. The back of the cloth is then given a latex coating. The whole thing is then in-filled with about 4 cm layer of sand or rubber granules to keep the fibres upright. Such a surface is widely used for playing football.


• In-filled artificial turf made of polyethylene: This in-filled artificial turf is made of a foamy material called polyethylene. In this case, the pitch has a base of expanded polyethylene which acts as an effective shock absorber.


• Sand-dressed artificial turf: This variant in artificial outdoor sports surfaces is not heavily in-filled with sand. The pile of the artificial carpet is filled with fine sand only up to 5-8 mm from the tip of the fibres. This is the reason why the sand cannot be seen in this type of artificial turf.

In-filled artificial sports surfaces can cater to a wide range of sports by varying the length and the density of the synthetic grass fibres.

A wide range of Sports Hall Flooring

The use of Multi Use Games Area (MUGAs) is popular with sports clubs, schools and colleges as maintaining separate grass sports pitches for different sports is a costly affair. There is a wide range of options available in sports surfaces for MUGAs, each having different characteristics.

Other sports facilities such as outdoor sports facilities and also sports halls meant for indoor games or other activities also usually have specially designed sports surfaces. Sports hall flooring is the most important feature of any indoor sports facility. The choice of sports hall flooring depends on the purpose for which the hall is used. The sports hall flooring should offer a premium playing surface whilst reducing the risk of injury and premature fatigue. These floors should be durable and easy to maintain.

There are plentiful options available in the type of flooring along with the finish of the surface. For instance, you can go for hardwood finish or synthetic finish. Both such surfaces require minimal maintenance. The hardwood sports hall flooring requires multi-layer construction with a durable coating finish. These floorings can be easily installed and are available in a wide array of colours to suit the requirements and choice of the clients.

Tips for maintaining an Artificial Grass Turf

The scarcity of land and high expenditure on the maintenance of natural sports surfaces have compelled many local and school level sports authorities to opt for artificial grass turf. Artificial grass turf can be used for playing multiple games and also as outdoor or indoor synthetic athletic surfaces.

Here are some great suggestions and tips what you can do to protect your artificial grass turf. First, try to get a maintenance log from an artificial grass turf installer or supplier. This will help you keep a record of the maintenance of your artificial sports surface.

Keep litter or trash cans near the concrete sports area so that spectators or users can dispose of papers, cans, and other materials rather than throwing them onto the turf.

Develop a strategy to keep off materials such as twigs, leaves or food wrappers and other kinds of wind blown debris off the lawn, as they get crushed into the turf and contaminate the turf or lawn’s infill.

A hedge or fence around the synthetic lawn will help you keep away some wind blown materials off your turf.

Regular inspection of the lawn is very important and it needs to be checked for unusual tear or damage.

Make sure you pay special attention to places which receive lots of traffic, for instance, check the goal mouths and corner kick areas of soccer pitches; check the edges of infields on softball and baseball fields; and also check between the hash marks on football fields to keep up the adequate levels of infill materials. A well maintained synthetic lawn or pitch is sure to last for many years.

UK Sports Equipment Specialists

Getting a brand new artificial grass or an artificial games area alone does not mean the job is done. Several other accessories and essential sports equipment are needed to complete the sports facility. And there is a range of such accessories available to suit your needs. If you want the latest sports equipment and accessories such as badminton and tennis posts and nets, basketball backboards and hoops, goal posts for football and hockey, fencing around the pitch, portable sports equipment, electronic scoreboards, floodlights, and the like, worry no more.

If you feel procuring these accessories is a tedious task, think again. Together with the high street retailers and specialist sports equipment companies, renowned online retailers and specialist sports facilities construction companies also offer the best deals in UK sports equipment. Specialists in the construction of sports facilities, such companies also supply and install a range of sports equipment and accessories such as fencing and floodlighting. Some of these companies also offer sports surface maintenance services.

If you are looking for convenience as well as a good deal, why not consider a sports facilities construction company to source the sports equipment you need. Now it is even easier to find the company to suit your needs by searching the Internet from the comfort of your home or office.

Sport Equipment Uk Company Eases The Process Of Building Sports Facilities

You no longer have to deal with different companies for building your sports facilities. Thanks to the various online sports equipment companies who offer quality UK sports equipment. These UK sports equipment companies offer the best deals in UK sports equipment along with offering a wide range of synthetic athletic surfaces and other artificial sports surfaces.

These sports equipment UK companies are experts in designing and installing artificial grass and other synthetic sports pitches, and usually offer a range of sports equipment to complement the sports facility, thus providing a complete solution to their clients.

Some of the UK sports equipment supplied by the artificial grass suppliers or grass sports pitches suppliers are badminton and tennis posts and nets, basketball backboards and hoops, goal posts for football and hockey, fencing around the pitch, portable sports equipment, electronic scoreboards, floodlights, and many others.

As these companies have built the sports facilities, they know exactly what kind of sports equipment is required to suit different levels of play as well as different budgets. Some of these companies also offer sports surface maintenance services.

Get The Best Sports Equipment From Online Retailers

You no longer have to limit yourself to high street retailers and specialist sports equipment companies for procuring quality sports equipment. Now, there are many large and well known online retailers and specialist sports facilities construction companies that offer the best deals in UK sports equipment.

In addition to supplying artificial grass, many sports facilities construction companies also offer outdoor sports facilities and sports equipment, such as badminton and tennis posts and nets, basketball backboards and hoops, goal posts for football and hockey, fencing around the pitch, portable sports equipment, electronic scoreboards, floodlights, and many others.

Sports facilities construction companies are specialists in their field and can recommend, supply and install sports equipment to suit different levels of play as well as different budgets. As different sports surfaces have different specifications, these companies prefer to supply the accompanying equipment themselves in order to offer a complete solution to their clients. Some of these companies also offer sports surface maintenance services.

If you are considering installing a synthetic sports pitch at your school, college or club, why not check out the amazing deals offered on the Internet? And save yourself the trouble of searching for reliable suppliers of sports equipment by sourcing them through the very same sports facilities construction companies, you know you can depend on.

Benefits of Artificial Sports Turf

Artificial sports turf also known as Astroturf was co-invented in 1965 by James M. Faria and Robert T. Wright, employees of Monsanto (good details, what is Monsanto?). The original artificial sports turf was a short pile synthetic turf, while current products incorporate modern features, such as antimicrobial protection, rubber infill, backing systems, and nylon yarn fibers.

Synthetic sports pitches offer many advantages over natural grass sports pitches. These advantages are as follows:

• Synthetic sports turf is a safe playing surface, as it offers cushioning to players through its shock absorbent layer.


• It has low maintenance costs. A natural grass pitch has a playing capacity of approximately 300 hours per season. On the other hand, artificial sports turf can easily treble that. There is also less playing damage to the synthetic grass, even when used extensively. In fact, despite more frequent use, it does not need any more maintenance than a standard natural grass pitch.


• It is an all weather pitch. So, it can be used all year round.

Artificial turf can be modified to suit the exact requirements of different games. For instance, artificial sports turf manufactured for football usually compromises a long pile carpet filled with sand and rubber granules to give the same performance and feel as natural grass turf. While, a hockey playing surface requires a shorter pile carpet dressed with sand only and no rubber.

Why Are Artificial Sports Pitches So Popular?

An artificial hockey pitch has been a permanent feature of the professional hockey world for some decades now. With the introduction of artificial sports pitches in the 1970s, the game of hockey has become much faster, more exciting, and consequently more popular.

The artificial hockey pitch is a synthetic turf pitch made from synthetic fibres. These man-made surfaces are made to have the same look and feel as that of natural grass.

A hockey playing surface requires a shorter pile carpet dressed with sand only. Shorter fibres with lesser sand-fill offer more speed to the movement of the ball. Such an artificial hockey pitch allows the players to make fast passes whilst retaining ball control. Artificial sports surfaces also ensure the safety of players. The cushioning offered by artificial outdoor sports surfaces prevents serious injuries to players from slides or falls.

An artificial hockey pitch displays uniform playing characteristics, predictable ball behaviour, and optimal grip, making the surface ideal for hockey. The artificial turf also stays constant in quality even after years of use.

Artificial turf pitches that are suitable for competitions at world-class level have earned FIH Global Quality Approval.

Artificial Sports Area Suitable For Multitude Games

Artificial sports surfaces have found a prominent use in Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs) where a variety of games are played on the same surface. Artificial sports surfaces are manufactured from synthetic materials, polypropylene and sometimes, polyethylene. They are an excellent improvement on natural grass pitches or playing fields, as they can be used all year round, and are a money saving option too, as they require much less maintenance than natural grass.

An artificial surface does not require regular watering, draining, mowing, application of fertilizers, weeding, like natural grass. This is one of the reasons why artificial sports pitches are becoming increasingly popular with sports clubs and other sports facilities providers.

An artificial sports surface, be it a synthetic football pitch, athletics track or a MUGA, can help in protecting players from injury when they slide or fall on the surface. This is possible because artificial sports surfaces may be equipped with a “shock absorbent layer” just beneath the top layer.

Artificial sports surfaces are available in a choice of colours. Furthermore, court markings can be made in different colours for different sports on the same surface.

One can easily find a number of artificial grass and synthetic sports surface suppliers in the UK to cater to the diverse requirements of a wide range of clients.