Artificial Grass for Dog Owners

“I’d love an artificial lawn, but I’m concerned my dogs will cause it to smell!” – Mrs Jacobs
“What happens when my dog urinates on my synthetic lawn?” – A Crabtree

… regular questions posed by dog owners who wish to have a synthetic lawn

Dogs bring so much joy and happiness to our lives, but not so much sometimes when it concerns an artificial lawn. Allowing a dog to use the artificial grass as a toilet, without some preventive measures and regular cleaning, can leave the garden less than pleasant to be in, especially during warm months. Urine can be absorbed into artificial grass backing, weed membrane and subbase creating uric acid and subsequent smells. Consider the following helpful information and tips on grass product selection and base preparation to reduce and avoid the problem of unwanted smells! 

Good planning is absolutely crucial to ensure you make the right choices on the sub base, installation, products and aftercare. Read more here.

The Perfectly Green artificial grass range is fully safe and suitable for homeowners with dogs. As a dog owner you shouldn't discount the use of a synthetic grass with a conventional latex backing as you should always purchase the grass that you most like the look and feel of. However, you should consider the advantage that PU or PP backed grasses provide. 

Polyurethane backed grasses such as Blitz and Mulsanne offer a superb option as PU is a non-absorbent material. Subsequently dog urine will not be absorbed into the backing, as can happen with latex backing. This can result in crystalisation of the dog pee and unwanted smells particularly in warm months. PU backed grasses should still be cleaned regularly and thoroughly using enzyme cleaner such as Wee Free

Top tips for your base preparation!

Before choosing your grass we would advise you to take note of the following base preparation suggestions, which will contribute towards controlling unwanted dog smells after installation:

• Do not use sharp sand as the top surface of the base. Sharp sand is more likely to trap and hold uric acid crystal which produce the pungent smell in warm conditions. We recommend using granite dust for the top surface.
• Do not install a weed membrane directly on top of the base, directly under the grass. The membrane is jsut another layer which may absorb and hold the dog urine, increasing the risk of smells. Install the weed membrane under the base, not on top. 
• Do not infill the pile of the grass with any sand.
• Consider using Wee Free enzyme cleaner to keep the grass clean, and take a look at Envirofill as an infill to actively reduce dog smells for the life of the lawn

More information here

• Inhibits pet urine odour by up to 99%. Microban® technology reduces ammonia odour from urine by up to 99%. Microban® has been scientifically proven to disrupt the bacteria process that coverts pet urine into ammonia odour
• Microban antimicrobial protection is infused into Envirofill during the manufacturing process to help prevent the growth of bacteria, mould, and mildew that can cause stains, odours, and product deterioration
• It's reusable. Becasue of it's superior durability, Envirofill coating and colour are warrantied for 16 years, making it a single application infill
• Each 22.5kg bag will cover around 3sqm of grass