Dallas ranks tenth in the country for cities with the most homes with swimming pools. Around one in seven homes here have pool areas to cool off in the sweltering temperatures.
We love our pools but they do present some challenges when it comes to ground cover. Many homeowners want to maintain the aesthetics of their yard but find real grass difficult to look after around a pool area.
That’s where artificial turf for pools stands out.
The best artificial turf for pools maintains a pristine appearance all year round and is soft and steady underfoot just like real grass but is more durable, less prone to damage from the sun (and chlorine), drains well and needs virtually no upkeep to maintain its fine looks.
Whether you’re looking to install a complete lawn around a swimming pool area, a kids’ play area in your yard adjoining a pool or you just need some turf strips between pool pavers, this article will help you select the best pool turf to last many years.
Here’s what we cover:
Best artificial turf for pool areas: quick summary
Following is a quick summary of the ideal characteristics of pool turf installed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area:
Why use artificial grass around pools?
Artificial grass not only looks fantastic — as in the example above — but it also has some distinct advantages over real grass for pool areas in Dallas-Fort Worth homes.
Natural grass can become damaged from the chlorine content of swimming pools. It’s also difficult to navigate the mower and other equipment necessary to keep it looking manicured, especially if you have grass between pavers leading from the pool to your home.
Then there’s the danger of lawn chemicals, such as fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides seeping into the pool.
Constant splashing and walking to and fro by swimmers can also cause water to pool on your grass if the drainage is not adequate — not to mention the potential for mud and grass clippings to make their way into your pool and your home.
The best pool area turf solves these problems and provides the following benefits for homeowners with swimming pools to tend to:
- Artificial pool turf provides a soft, cushioned, non-slip surface for bare feet when getting into or out of pools
- Provides an even surface with no tripping hazards
- Highly durable and designed to withstand the wear and tear of daily usage
- Unaffected by chlorine and other chemicals used in the pool
- Stays looking pristine all year round, regardless of the weather
- No mud or grass clippings carried into the pool or trailing through your home
- Very little maintenance is required compared with real grass
- No mowing, trimming, re-seeding or aerating
- Fewer bugs, insects and other pests to fish out of your pool
- Lower toxic load due to the lack of fertilizers, weedkillers, herbicides, etc.
- Saves money on maintenance and water costs
- Can last 12-15 years or more (representing a great lifetime return on investment)
- When installed professionally, there are few drainage problems due to the permeable properties of high-quality pool turf
In case you’re wondering, the artificial turf for pools that we install is very stable structurally. Fibers won’t break off and end up in your pool even with heavy usage and the infill we use generally stays on the surface of the artificial turf where it belongs.
Compared to the amount of grass, mud and dirt that makes its way into pools from surrounding natural grass areas, artificial grass is a blessing in this respect. You should have very few “cross-contamination” concerns.
Are there any downsides of artificial turf for pool areas?
The downsides of artificial grass are few and far between. It heats up a little more than natural grass but the best pool area turf is designed to keep surface temperatures manageable even in the middle of summer.
An occasional spray of water can also cool the area down — but even that may not be necessary if water splashing from the pool keeps the grass surface temperatures around the pool down.
The only other main downside to artificial grass is the installation cost when compared to natural grass sod or seeding a grass lawn. This is more than counterbalanced by the monthly/annual savings on lawn mowing and maintenance, watering, fertilizer and so on (more about that later).
What is the best artificial turf for pools made from?
All high-quality artificial grass consists of plastic yarn fibers woven into and a plastic backing material.
These fibers are usually made from polypropylene, polyethylene or nylon, each of which imparts different qualities and properties to the synthetic grass. Different manufacturing processes also create different qualities of grass but, suffice to say, technology has made a dazzling array of choices available for artificial turf for all purposes.
You’ll need to consider elements like blade length/shape, thickness, pile length, backing, color, drainage and more if you’re switching from real grass in your pool area.
At DFW Turf Solutions, the leading synthetic grass products we install in most residential backyards are made primarily from mono-filament polyethylene. This uses single filaments of synthetic polyethylene fiber made by melting and mixing polymers. It leads to an end product that balances a superbly realistic appearance with excellent durability (moderate to high traffic) and affordability.
The grass is springy and resilient and returns to an upright position when you walk across it, resisting matting.
Polypropylene may be softer and cheaper but is less adept at handling heavy foot traffic. Nylon feels a little stiff or coarse underfoot for pool areas (though it’s extremely hard-wearing) and is also the most expensive choice.
Note that almost all artificial grass for pools installed in backyards in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will see exposure to strong sunshine so it should be UV-protected.
What to look for when selecting artificial grass around pools
With safety uppermost in homeowners’ minds with pool areas, most will want to thoroughly check out the ground cover options before committing.
There’s a bewildering variety of artificial grass available and all are not created equal.
So, what should you be looking for? Let’s consider the key factors and introduce a couple of terms with which you may not be familiar but that will appear on the spec sheets of artificial grass products for pool areas.
Face weight
Face weight is the weight of the yarn (and thatch) but doesn’t include the backing. A high face weight (60 ounces or over) usually means the artificial turf is better equipped to absorb traffic and lasts longer. This is important in potentially busy pool areas.
The best pool turf will usually have a face weight of around 60-80 ounces per square foot, which will allow it to withstand moderate to high traffic.
Total weight
Artificial turf specs usually include a total weight, which is the weight of the yarn (and thatch) plus the backing.
On its own, it may not tell you much about the quality but if the face weight and total weight are both high and the supplier is reliable, you should expect excellent durability.
The best artificial grass for pools should have a total weight of around 85-105 ounces per square foot.
Pile height
For areas around swimming pools, bare feet want grass that feels plush, soft and cushioned underfoot. This generally means a decent pile height, which is a measure of how high the fibers that make up synthetic grass stand.
Backyard putting greens, for instance, need a short pile height of 3/8 inch to 5/8 inch for a smooth roll of the ball. For pool areas, we recommend a pile height of 1.125 to 1.5 inches. This provides enough cushioning and “spring” for bare feet but it still drains well.
Remember, you only have to decide on the blade height of synthetic grass once — it then stays that length for years without one push of a lawnmower.
Backing
The backing of synthetic grass is the material to which the individual fibers are stitched and glued.
Most high-quality pool turf has a two-part backing. The primary backing is usually made of a grid of stretch-resistant woven polypropylene. It is a netting-type material that the grass fibers are woven into in rows.
The secondary backing glues and seals the turf together and is usually made from rubber or polyurethane.
Drainage
Drainage should be a primary concern for any homeowner considering switching from real grass to artificial grass in a backyard pool area.
Nobody wants chlorine-laden water or rainwater pooling on the surface of the grass. The trick is to get your pool area assessed by professionals, who can install the right grass in the right way to ensure that drainage of your pool area is smooth and problem-free.
The backing on all pool turf installed by our team is fully permeable. The multiple perforations allow liquids to drain into the base layer and ground below. No more mud or slippery surfaces.
A drainage rate of greater than 25 inches per hour should be sufficient to handle anything that the Dallas climate (or your kids in the pool) can throw at it, so that it doesn’t end up looking like this:
Cooling and UV protection
Artificial grass gets hotter than real grass in the Texan sunshine but technology has helped to solve this issue.
The unique wave blade shape of the pool turf we install works to increase airflow and lower the surface temperature of our artificial grass. This means that it remains comfortable for bare feet even in the midday sun.
The UV stabilization and protection added during the artificial grass manufacturing process also prevent damage, such as fading or deterioration from the intense Texan sun.
Antimicrobial protection
Antimicrobial protection is a great idea for artificial grass in pool areas, especially if children use the pool.
If you have dogs, it’s essential to install high-quality pet turf in any areas that they frequent as this will come with inbuilt antimicrobial protection to prevent odors from dog pee.
Antimicrobial protection will help to destroy bacteria and keep your lawn areas by the pool clean and hygienic. You may also use an antimicrobial infill on the surface of the grass for an extra layer of protection.
Infill is usually made from silica and is laid on the surface of artificial grass to keep the blades standing upright, unmatted and closely resembling natural grass.
Turf strips vs full artificial grass lawn
There’s more than one way to lay artificial turf around pools.
If you don’t want to replace your entire grass lawn with synthetic turf, you might consider running pavers from the house to the pool — with turf strips in between.
Artificial pool turf strips can be installed between concrete, pavers or travertine to enhance the appearance of a courtyard, driveway, patio, path or pool area. They look just like real grass but offer all of the benefits of artificial grass outlined above, including ultra-low maintenance and all-year-round beauty and usability.
Strips of pool turf may be laid in several different formations depending on how you design your pavers. These are the two most popular designs:Strip design: looks great for a pool or driveway:
Grid design: can make a courtyard or pool area an eye-catching feature of your home:
Best artificial pool turf products
Let’s take a quick look at two of the best artificial turf pool products currently available. All grass installed by DFW Turf Solutions comes with a 15-year warranty for extra peace of mind.
The grass is supplied in 15-foot-width rolls, which our professional installation team will cut and shape for your pool area according to your design specifications.
All Play
All Play comes with green thatch, giving it an especially verdant appearance. It’s a heavy-weighted turf that provides excellent durability for high-traffic areas like busy backyard swimming pools.
Its 3D Wide Wave blade shape and soft materials impart a lush feel to the grass and it can drain at a rate of 28 inches+ per hour. This makes it well-suited to both areas around swimming pools and standard lawn turf for backyards in the Dallas-Fort Worth climate.
- Yarn type: Monofilament polyethylene
- Available colors: Field Green/Olive Green
- Face weight: Approx. 78 ounces
- Total weight: 105 ounces
- Primary backing: 7-ounce dual layer non-expansive
- Secondary coating material: 20 oz polyurethane
- Pile height: 1 1/8 inches
- Thatch color: Green
- Infill: Silica (1-2 pounds per square foot)
- Drainage rate: 28+ inches of rain per hour per square yard
- Warranty: 15 years
Mohave Blend
Mohave Blend is a popular pool turf with durable fibers able to withstand moderate traffic. Its face weight is lower than All Play but it incorporates the same CoolFlo Technology that increases airflow and lowers the surface temperatures of the grass. Like all DFW Turf Solutions grass, it’s UV stabilized to resist fading from the sun.
Mohave Blend has similar drainage qualities to All Play and will provide years of comfort, beauty and performance around your pool area.
- Yarn type: Monofilament polyethylene
- Available colors: Field Green/Olive Green
- Face weight: Approx. 60 ounces
- Total weight: 87 ounces
- Primary backing: 7-ounce dual layer non-expansive
- Secondary coating material: 20 oz polyurethane
- Pile height: 1 1/2 inches
- Thatch color: Brown/Green
- Infill: Silica (1-2 pounds per square foot)
- Drainage rate: 28+ inches of rain per hour per square yard
- Warranty: 15 years
FAQs
Professionally installed pool turf
By understanding what you’re looking at with artificial grass, you can make the right decision for the turf in your pool area. Do your research and choose turf with the right face weight, backing, pile height, blade shape, drainage and protection from the sun.
Then work with professionals to install your grass for an eye-catching, safe and functional pool area that your family will love.At DFW Turf Solutions, our team has been helping homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area select and install the best pool turf since 2014. To learn more about our custom installations and get a free quote on the synthetic turf products and services mentioned above, call DFW Turf Solutions.
