Does Artificial Turf Need Maintenance?

One of the many appeals to artificial turf is the idea that it requires very little if any, regular maintenance. Whereas artificial turf is a quick solution to eliminating several hours of yard work per week, it is not without regular maintenance requirements. Here are the basic maintenance requirements:

Daily Care

RINSING

Throughout the day, dust is blown about and will likely begin to settle on your artificial turf. Dust collecting overtime will form muddy spots. Avoid these by lightly rinsing the turf surface daily.

DISTURBED AREAS

Areas of the turf that had been disturbed will be matted down. If these areas are not attended to, the individual bristles will begin to settle in the down position, rather than standing upright. To correct this, use a household broom and lightly brush against the grain of the bristles. Repeat the process until the bristles are standing upright again.

LARGE DEBRIS

Large debris, such as tree branches or sporting equipment, left on the turf will cause those areas of the turf to wear out quicker than usual. Remove the large debris and perform the task listed in the section above entitled “Disturbed Areas”.

Monthly Care

RINSING

A daily light rinse of your turf will keep dust from settling on top of the turf. Each month, however, it is important to heavily rinse the turf. The surface of the turf is perforated to allow water to easily flow through and out of the turf. Sometimes dust can settle on the underside of the perforated surface and cause clogs. One heavy rinse per month will prevent such clogging from occurring.

RAKING

The daily task of removing large debris will keep the individual bristles looking fresh. However, smaller debris will inevitably fall in between the bristles and begin to build up. Therefore, it is important to use either a flexible lawn rake or hard bristle push broom to remove all the small debris.

INFILL DECOMPACTION

Synthetic turf fields tend to compact over time. The timeframe associated with this will depend on several different variables including infill system, fiber, and climate. It is important that decompaction be performed on the field at a minimum, every 100-120 hours of adult use. This will reduce the risk of exceeding the threshold for a safe G-Max level.

BACTERIA BUILDUP

If you notice any places of your turf beginning to discolor, particularly if it is turning a slight pinkish color, then it is likely bacteria buildup. Inspect your turf monthly for bacteria buildup. Any discolored spots should be sprayed with a solution of half vinegar and half warm water. Let the solution sit for a moment, and then rinse it off. If scrubbing is needed, then use a soft bristle brush to scrub. BE AWARE to NOT use hard cleaners, such as bleach. It will fade the color of your turf.

Annual Care

INFILL DEPTH TEST AND REPLENISHMENT

Over the course of the year, you can expect your synthetic turf field to lose a small percentage of the rubber infill. It is extremely important that a depth test be performed regularly during the year to ensure consistent depth across the field and safety. Keystone Sports Construction performs a rigorous depth test to maximize the fields performance and longevity. For reference, it takes about 20 tons of crumb rubber to provide ¼ inch layer.

DEEP CLEANING

Deep cleaning of your synthetic turf field should be completed at least twice per year. This type of maintenance requires a specific type of machine, such as the Verti-top machine. Some of the benefits of such maintenance include decompaction of infill, the removal of debris (metallics, seeds, gum, etc.), removal of harmful bacteria, and even disbursement of infill levels.

Conclusion

In short, there is regular maintenance required to keep a fresh appearance with your artificial turf. Daily grooming and maintenance will go a long way in prolonging the life of your synthetic turf install. This is a basic list of daily, monthly, and annual care required. Depending on how often your turf is used or whether pets are on the turf, maintenance requirements will change accordingly.

At Keystone Sports Construction we offer artificial turf maintenance to ensure your field is ready for sporting event, contact us today to get a free quote!