A lawn that sheds fibres in its second season usually fails from the back, not from the blades. The coating under the carpet decides how long fibres stay locked, how a roll handles weeks of rain, and whether a seam survives its first winter. Buyers comparing two quotes at the same pile height are often really comparing two different backings.
We coat every roll on our own line, where latex and PU leave the same ovens with very different results. PU back glue synthetic lawn turf costs more per square metre than a latex-coated equivalent. Dealers who price artificial turf installations by the roll need to know where that premium pays back. Wet sites, pets and cold snaps are where it pays fastest. Dry budget projects are where latex still copes.
What the Secondary Backing Actually Does
Every roll has two layers under the fibres. A woven or non-woven polypropylene primary backing gives the tufting needles something to stitch through. A liquid secondary coating, latex or polyurethane, is then flooded over the back to lock each tuft. The roll runs through the drying oven, and drainage holes are punched at regular spacings so rain can pass.
On PU back glue synthetic lawn turf, that secondary layer is a polyurethane film rather than a styrene-butadiene rubber latex. Both coatings hold fibres the same way on a dry day. The difference shows up when water, heat or cold works on the coating for a few seasons.
For most artificial turf installations the coating is the part nobody sees again after laying. That is why the standard roll formats and product range list the backing beside pile height.
Where Latex Backing Falls Short Outdoors
Latex starts with a real advantage: price. It has backed turf for decades and, applied correctly, holds tufts securely. The weakness is water. Latex absorbs moisture, and unless it is fully dried during production, repeated wet-dry cycles slowly reduce tuft lock until fibres start to pull free.
Standing water and coastal salt air speed that up. Supplier testing notes describe SBR latex cracking and powdering under long-term humidity, heavy rain or salt spray, with large-area shedding reported after 3–5 years in those conditions.
