Two buyers can order the same square footage in the same week and end up with opposite lawns. One stays dense and upright for years; the other flattens, fades and opens seams by the second summer. The difference is the order in which the decisions got made, and that order is learnable.
This page walks the chain a professional purchaser runs, from defining the job to handing the rolls to the artificial turf installation crew. We manufacture artificial grass on our own line and ship to landscapers, contractors and distributors worldwide, so the advice comes from the factory side of the quote. Follow the sequence and you will buy artificial grass turf like a pro, whether the job is a balcony or a housing development.
Before You Buy: Define the Job Your Turf Must Do
Every good purchase starts with the job the surface must do. A family lawn, a dog run, a play area and a rooftop terrace stress turf differently. Traffic decides face weight, pets decide drainage priorities, and sun exposure decides how much UV stabilisation to insist on.
Then walk the site before you price anything. Note sun exposure, drainage fall, and how a 25-metre roll will physically reach the space. Measure in sections — longest and widest points, multiplied, plus roughly 10 percent for cuts and offcuts.
Match roll width to the layout early, because rolls come in 2m, 4m and 5m widths at 25m length and the right width keeps seams out of sight. Set a total budget envelope before you contact anyone, so the first quote cannot frame how you buy artificial grass turf. Our residential artificial grass guide covers the home settings in more depth.
Read an Artificial Grass Spec Sheet Like a Pro
Pile height comes first: short pile under 1.25 inches suits traffic and pets, a mid band of 1.5 to 1.75 inches fits most lawns, and taller pile is for looks.
Face weight and density matter more than any other line. Density is the best single quality indicator, because a dense carpet resists matting while a thin one goes flat within a season or two. Ask for stitches per meter too and compare both numbers across quotes.
Check the yarn family: polyethylene reads most natural, polypropylene is the budget option for light duty, and polyamide sits at the premium end for toughness. Blade shape — C, S or W — changes resilience and heat, with shaped blades recovering better under traffic. Then flip the sample over: look for even drainage perforation and a backing bond that does not separate when you flex it. Finally, confirm UV stabilisation is written on the sheet, because that line item decides how the turf ages.
| Spec line | What to ask | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Pile height | Which band suits my traffic? | Mid 1.5–1.75 in for lawns |
| Face weight and density | Stitches per meter? | Higher density resists matting |
| Yarn family | PE, PP or PA? | Polyethylene for the natural look |
| Blade shape | C, S or W profile? | Shaped blades recover under traffic |
| Backing | Perforated and well bonded? | Even holes, no separation on flex |
| UV stabilisation | Stated on the sheet? | Written, never implied |
Our artificial grass products page maps each parameter to the lines we run. Where this page stays on process, our guide to the best artificial turf handles model-by-model selection, so keep the two jobs separate.
Warranty Terms: How to Read the Coverage Promise
A coverage promise is only as strong as its wording, and length is the least informative part of it. Two policies of equal length can protect different things: one names UV fade, tuft bind and backing integrity, another covers little beyond discolouration.
Put three questions to any supplier before you rely on the promise. Which failure modes are covered — fading, fibre wear, tuft bind loss or backing separation? What documentation does a claim require, and who decides whether it qualifies? And if a claim succeeds, who pays the labour to lift and relay the area? Vague answers on any of the three mean keep shopping.
Keep product coverage separate from installation workmanship. A manufacturer covers the carpet; the fitter covers the seams and the base. Get both in writing. Our own position is simple: we would rather quote a modest written policy than a bold verbal