When it comes to artificial grass landscaping, the fiber is often the star of the show. From the blade tones to the face weight, there are many factors that go into choosing the right synthetic turf product for your project.

There’s one crucial aspect of a high-quality turf product that often gets overlooked, however: the turf backing. Artificial turf backing is the skeleton of the turf system and ensures the durability of your product as well as its drainage capabilities. Before choosing your synthetic grass product, check out these four essential points about synthetic grass backing that everyone should know.

What Is Artificial Grass Backing?

The artificial turf’s backing is the material that holds the turf blades in place while allowing water to filter through. Turf backing is typically made up of two separate layers: the primary backing and the coating.
The primary backing is the material which the turf is looped through. It’s a nonwoven textile typically manufactured from polypropylene. After the grass fiber is tufted through the primary backing, the coating locks the tuft bind into place. It’s cooked into the backing at high temperatures to create a solid adhesive and ensure longevity and durability. The most common coating materials are polyurethane and latex, with the former being the most popular option in North America.

Why Are Synthetic Turf Backings Important?

Having a high-quality synthetic grass backing is essential because it acts as the glue that holds everything together. If your backing fails, this could cause a variety of significant issues that prematurely ruin your landscaping investment.

The biggest concern with a low-quality backing is that it can cause a loss of yarn. This means that the turf fibers become detached from the backing, resulting in a thin, patchy turf lawn that doesn’t look much better than a natural grass yard. The backing also gives turf its rigidity, allowing it to hold its upright position and recover from foot traffic for enhanced durability over natural grass. If turf blades begin to separate from your backing, the fibers will become matted and will be unable to recover from even the most minor foot traffic.

How Does Water Drain Through Artificial Turf Backing?

One of the most desirable advantages of synthetic turf landscaping is its remarkable drainage rate. Synthetic Grass Warehouse’s artificial turf can drain water at a rate of more than 30 inches per square yard per hour thanks to its high-quality backing and unparalleled AirDrain system.

A high drainage rate is possible due to perforations in the artificial turf’s backing. These small holes punched into the backing material allow water to swiftly drain through your grass, preventing flooding and bacteria growth during even the heaviest rainstorms.

What Makes Synthetic Grass Backing High-Quality?

When searching for the perfect artificial grass product for your home or business, consider more than just the turf blades themselves. Make sure to check the backing to ensure that it’s durable and will help your lawn last for years to come.

When reviewing turf samples, try to separate the primary backing from the secondary backing on the corner of the turf piece. If you can pull apart the two layers, stay away. High-quality turf backing should have a strong polypropylene membrane and a finished coating of approximately 20 ounces per square yard, making it virtually impossible to separate the layers by hand.

Synthetic Grass Warehouse’s turf products feature a uniquely-formulated polyurethane-coated backing that provides greater seam strength and durability than other artificial grass products. In addition to an amazing force resistance, the backing is nonabsorbent, perforated, and coated in a clear, permeable urethane. The permeable backing allows water to move through it and drain into the ground at the highest drainage rate available. SGW turf backing is also manufactured with UV inhibitors to make your turf resistant to fading from sunlight, even years after installation.

If you want only the highest-quality artificial turf installation accessories on the market, speak to your installer or contact your local Synthetic Grass Warehouse location today. We can help you find the perfect synthetic grass products for your home or business. Synthetic Grass Warehouse has been an industry leader for more than 20 years, helping distributors, installers and homeowners alike with all of their artificial grass installation needs. To find out more about artificial grass wholesale or to receive guidance with your next turf grass installation, contact your local Synthetic Grass Warehouse facility today.